MSR Solo Pot 1.3 Liter Ceramic Review
I love to eat, I love to cook. It's just a fact of my life, even when I'm in the backcountry or doing a training hike. This pot makes cooking easier. My hiking shelf contains many pots, a few skillets, a plethora of cups and even a french press and they are almost all titanium in an effort to save every ounce possible. But titanium has a downside, everything sticks to it. I am surprised water doesn't stick! This MSR Solo Pot was my first aluminum pot in over a decade. I purchased this pot for the ceramic non-stick cooking surface and it is still under 8 ounces on my kitchen scale. Not a bad trade off.
This pot is not rated for cooking over open flames but I've used it on coals and over fire many times. The only issue is the plastic/rubber lid grip and I've found that if the flames do not touch the grip there are no issues. Due to the thicker aluminum vs the very thin titanium on most of my pots it spreads the heat more evenly and retains that heat better. The ceramic cooking surface has held up surprisingly well considering I use a titanium spork on the non-stick surface. I am sure plastic utensils are a better option but I've had my current spork for a long time and don't want to change it. There are no scratches after years of use.
It is a little heavier than ideal, especially compared to titanium options, but at a touch under 8 ounces with the handle I can live with it. The handle is a little "busy" but effective and long enough that it won't get too hot if you position the pot correctly. Many of the online reviews I read before purchasing incorrectly state this pot has poor nonstick properties. It is very important to first "season" the nonstick surface, my REI representative recommended plain vegetable oil and that worked fine. I've had a few things stick to the bottom but a quick swipe with a wet wipe will clean them out.
I highly recommend this pot, and is the only aluminum cooking or drinking vessel that makes it past the scale and into my backcountry kit.