Well let me be clear. Outside of breakfast, barbecue, and take-out, I really have no business writing about food preparation or the implements involved in any such process. I am, however, uniquely qualified to champion the art of boiling water. You see, with the emergence of palatable dehydrated meals, cooking on the go has never been easier. If you can produce 2 cups of boiling water, you can mix up a bag of tasty dinner and enjoy. There is absolutely nothing to clean, burn, under cook, or fundamentally screw-up. For a bachelor like myself, it's pure innovation. What could make this sweeter? Well there's really only one thing to optimize...the stove that boils the water. And when it comes to speed, simplicity, and practicality for moto-tourism, I haven't found a better camping stove or "personal/portable cooking system" than the Jetboil.

This little baby is pure genius. It is completely self contained, will pack easily onto the bike, and is engineered to be dead simple to assemble and operate. Unlike other tiny, portable stoves, the overarching advantage of the Jetboil is that you don't have to fuss with anything. You don't have to pack a separate pot/pan. You don't have to balance that pot on top of the stove while out in the elements or the wind. You also don't have to deal with handling a hot pan once you've cooked your meal. There are no hoses, there is nothing to prime, and if you use the device to simply boil water there is nothing to clean or maintain. Let me show you:

	At first glance, the Jetboil looks like a glorified coffee mug. The insulating cozy that wraps around the 1.0 liter cooking cup is wonderful. As an insulator, it makes the cooking process more efficient and it allows you to grip and handle the cup at any point. Essentially, this eliminates any fumbling with hot pots, allowing you to immediately eat right out of the cup. The rubber "sipper" lid also allows you to drink or pour from the cup easily. It also secures the major components (burner, fuel canister) inside the stove when it is packed. If you're just boiling water, you just grab, pour and put away. The cup cools when empty in a matter of seconds.
	Here's a comparison image with a typical 2-burner camp stove and propane cylinder for size reference.
	As I mentioned above, the burner and disposable fuel canister (sold seperately) pack into the cooking cup. Here is a graphic from the manufacturer showing how these elements pack away.
	Here are the major components unpacked.
	At the bottom of the cooking cup, there is a plastic measuring cup that also serves to shroud the central "Fluxring" heat exchanger when the unit is packed up. If we remove this plastic shroud and flip the cup over we get a nice view of the heat exchanger. The manufacturer claims this heat exchanger doubles the fuel efficiency of the burner, distributing heat across the bottom of the cooking cup and improving the performance of the stove in windy conditions. Because of the high fuel efficiency, they further claim you can boil up to 12 liters (3.17 gallons) of water with a single 3.5 oz (100g) fuel canister. For me, this simply means you can pack less on the bike, and that is always a good thing.
	To assemble the stove you simply first screw the burner onto the top of the fuel canister.
	Notice the wind shroud around the central burner. The black base is also nice as it remains cool to the touch, allowing you to handle both the burner and the cooking cup when hot. This is critical for separating the two after you are done cooking. Notice also the valve which controls the flow of gas. This is by all measure the weakest part of the system. The manufacturer claims it allows you to adjust the heat from a low simmer to a full boil. The problem is that is spins nearly 10 full revolutions lock to lock. With such a large range of motion, it can be tricky to simply dial in the proper heat without a little trial and error. For those of you who plan to actually cook within the cup, this may be frustrating. I simply prefer to boil water, so I just crank it all the way open. Problem solved.
	On the other side of the burner you can see the red button for the piezo ignitor. This is brilliant. Basically you can light the stove with a single button push (once you've opened the gas valve). As you'll see in a subsequent image, I tested how this works under really windy conditions. This really couldn't be simpler.
	To attach the cup to the burner you simply align the dimple on the burner top ring with the slot on the bottom of the heat exchanger and twist. The total assembly of this system can be accomplished in easily less than 10 seconds.
	Here's a view of the system fully assembled.
	A failed picture here, but a successful demonstration of the wind resistance of the unit. I basically blasted the unit at point blank range with my house fan and it still started with a single push of the piezo ignitor. To demonstrate the ferocity of the wind I generated, I tried to show a flame being extinguished. Again, it worked. i just couldn't capture it. That's what I get for trying to be cute.
Well I've shown you the critical elements. But to truly appreciate the simplicity of this unit, you really should see it in action. Here's a video aptly titled "Boiling Water." Have no fear...I've added some cool sound effects and some Hollywood time acceleration tricks to make this the coolest video about boiling 2 cups of water out there. Confucius say, he who watches water boil is not burned when choosing camp stove. I know, it loses a little bit in the translation. Anyhow, as you'll see, the Jetboil doesn't quite meet its 1 cup per minute stated water boiling performance spec, but you'll surely make up any time lost with its demonstrated ease of use and the ability to handle the cup while hot.
	Nothing left to do but mix up that tasty bag of dinner! Ummm...ummm...yummy...well...sorta.

So another gem revealed. Seriously, this is one great stove. At $89 it is comparably priced to other portable stoves with 1/2 the features. It also can be equipped with some cool optional accessories, like a coffee press, additional cooking cups, or even larger pans. I like it in its base form. A super simple water heater upper that does its job, involves no hassle, and doesn't need cleaning. Brilliant!