"Cobalt" Beer Bottle Stove

[gaga]

i got 2 , one customized with double wick in it, i use HEET in them, the stoves perform better than you see in zelps videos, they are fool proof and bomb proof, they are sturdy and will last you a Looooooooong time ,one banana coming up

[billinmt]

He said it was bad fuel. Do you trust a guy like that. Sure you do. Go buy a bios

I'd like to get one of your Cobalt stoves to do some independent testing.

Have you tested your stove outside in the cold or just on the kitchen table? I've got some real nasty winter weather here in Montana that would make for great testing conditions.

Does your stove have any kind of gauge for fuel so you don't over fill it accidentally or do you need a measuring cup for it? Accidental overfilling can be a real hazard don't ya know.

As for inside testing conditions watch this video that someone put on youtube. And no I don't know who this guy is or where he got the stove. More than 3 cups of frozen water to a rolling boil and enough burn time left for maybe a couple more cups. All on 95% alcohol instead of the good HEET.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJvQu4fAYjY

I know, I know the stove is slow to bloom, big deal since for most people that don't matter. The rest is pretty darn good. I think it could have boiled as much as 5 cups of frozen water on one fill of fuel.

Bill

[oops56]

That just a haf a test they both should be outside in the cold my 2 cents

[billinmt]

I agree oops56 they both should be outside but I don't have control over those guys.

Bill in MT

[zelph]

Thanks for your input bill. Nice video, the cat looked like he approved.

The weather has been cold here also. The "Cobalt" for the Heineken pot was tested recently with 32 degree water. It did quite well using 3/4 ounce of fuel to boil 2 cups. I'll post a video here on Monday. It's on my website and also on BPL.com You can go there to view it or wait till Monday.

I have tested the White Box Stove and some of the results can be found on my website bplite.com in the "Stove Testing Forum"

I'll have the "Cobalt" for sale on Ebay soon.

The "Cobalt" for the Heineken pot is still being improved before it goes to market. Both stoves will be given an internal wall marking to indicate max fuel level. My stoves include a flexable, graduated measuring cup to accurately measure fuel. It's the methode that I recommend to prevent over filling. It has been shown on Youtube videos that people are using bottles with squirt type lids. They are tempting fate, overfilling a stove can occur easily. I noticed you provide that type of bottle with your stove. I believe GrizzlyHiker used the squirt type bottle for filling also in his video.
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[zelph]

i got 2 , one customized with double wick in it, i use HEET in them, the stoves perform better than you see in zelps videos, they are fool proof and bomb proof, they are sturdy and will last you a Looooooooong time ,one banana coming up

Thanks "GAGA" for the quick feed back. The "Cobalt" was designed as a "Kiss" stove and user friendly. I kept it supper simple. And it's built to last, 3 times more durable that your everyday pop can stove..

I use made in America bottles not cheappie imports.

[zelph]

That just a haf a test they both should be outside in the cold my 2 cents

I agree oops56, both should be performed outside in the cold and using a windsreen for sure.

The "Cobalt" comes with a EZ-Fold windscreen to provide wind blockage and also the corrugations reflect infra red radiation back to the pot for added heat. I'll have to do a video on the windscreen soon.

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[MDhiker1967]

Thanks for your input bill. Nice video, the cat looked like he approved.

The weather has been cold here also. The "Cobalt" for the Heineken pot was tested recently with 32 degree water. It did quite well using 3/4 ounce of fuel to boil 2 cups. I'll post a video here on Monday. It's on my website and also on BPL.com You can go there to view it or wait till Monday.

I have tested the White Box Stove and some of the results can be found on my website bplite.com in the "Stove Testing Forum"

I'll have the "Cobalt" for sale on Ebay soon.

The "Cobalt" for the Heineken pot is still being improved before it goes to market. Both stoves will be given an internal wall marking to indicate max fuel level. My stoves include a flexable, graduated measuring cup to accurately measure fuel. It's the methode that I recommend to prevent over filling. It has been shown on Youtube videos that people are using bottles with squirt type lids. They are tempting fate, overfilling a stove can occur easily. I noticed you provide that type of bottle with your stove. I believe GrizzlyHiker used the squirt type bottle for filling also in his video.
.

If you use the squeeze bottle just put graduated marks on them and that way you don't "tempt Fate"

[zelph]

If you use the squeeze bottle just put graduated marks on them and that way you don't "tempt Fate"

I've used a magic marker on alcohol bottles and the alcohol makes the ink run/smear. What are you using to make the marks visable? Most of the bottles I have used are polyethelene and nothing seems to stick.

I don't use a squirt bottle. I use the HEET bottle and a flex measuring cup.

[MDhiker1967]

I used a black sharpie and even though it wears off you can still see the marks...

[zelph]

I used a black sharpie and even though it wears off you can still see the marks...

I've used that one also and it reacts the same way. Leaves a faded image of what I write(poison) and a date ocassionally. I need something more permanent.

[zelph]

I took some time to get a copy of the 32 degree water test. The videos were for Mark Hurd over at BPL.com Don't laugh at the 2nd one

I did a test today with 32 degree water.

I boiled 2 cups with 3/4 ounce of HEET


Kitchen temperature wa 60 degrees.

[billinmt]

How long did it take for the water to boil and how much burn time was left? What is the maximum amount of fuel that the Cobalt will hold and how long will it burn with a full load?

As you know the White Box Stove comes with a built in fuel gauge to show you maximum fuel level. With a little practice it is easy to know just how much fuel to add to bring f2, 3, 4, 5 or more cups of water to a boil. No need for a measuring cup as that is just something else to loose or break.

Some type of fuel level gauge should be mandatory on alcohol stoves. Gotta have sufficient clearance between the fuel level and the burner holes so fuel won't leak out and cause irreparable harm.

Bill

[billinmt]

Zelph,

Your earlier quote: "I have tested the White Box Stove and some of the results can be found on my website bplite.com in the "Stove Testing Forum""

When you tested the WBS back in early 2008 I noticed you used as a standard a 1/2 ounce of fuel which was denatured alcohol. Now you are using 3/4 ounce of HEET to test your stove. Why the difference?

Bill

[MDhiker1967]

How did you construct the stand that is in the center of the stove?
Is it an added piece or is it one piece construction.
Is the stove itself made from a single piece?

[optimator]

I've never seen one of BillinMT's white box stoves. I don't yet own one of Zelphs cobalt stoves. I do own a Starlyte, Caldera cone, and one of Tinny's Trek 2's. The only time I use a alcohol stove is on solo trips. So far I cant beat the Starlyte. To each his own, find a stove you like.

[Captain]

I've never seen one of BillinMT's white box stoves. I don't yet own one of Zelphs cobalt stoves. I do own a Starlyte, Caldera cone, and one of Tinny's Trek 2's. The only time I use a alcohol stove is on solo trips. So far I cant beat the Starlyte. To each his own, find a stove you like.

I rather love the Whitebox, i tested it outside last week in the snow and wind with my home made spinach can Keg can pot stand, one full fill (one ounce i believe maybe two) maybe it didnt BOIL the water (might be the windscreen keeping it from heating right cause usually any boil effect takes place in under a minute for my pot and water) however the water WAS plenty steamin bubbling hot took my room temp. finger ( i hid inside while testing) and put it in the water the OUCH reaction was strong enough to make me think " now that wasnt very smart" which in my book is hot enough, esp since most food for the AT from what i hear can be made with "add hot water, stir, eat", For example those Knorr or Lipton sides i have expiremented with simply tearing off the top adding steaming hot water folding it closed waiting 3 mins give it a shake then wait 3 more mins and it was all edible...not all pretty like the picture on the package depicts but for those meals simmer is NOT required..just ..prefered

......The End?

[zelph]

one full fill (one ounce i believe maybe two) maybe it didnt BOIL the water ?

Captain, Bill said there was a built in fuel level gauge. Were you not able to see how much fuel you were putting in.

Bill said: As you know the White Box Stove comes with a built in fuel gauge to show you maximum fuel level. With a little practice it is easy to know just how much fuel to add to bring f2, 3, 4, 5 or more cups of water to a boil. No need for a measuring cup as that is just something else to loose or break.

Captain, were you inside doing the test or outside. You said: ( i hid inside while testing) Where exactly were you when doing the test?

MDhiker1967, the potstand is made of stainless steel .005 thickness. Very lightweght but very very strong.

billinmt, All my tests are done with 1/2 ounce fuel to see how well a stove will perform. That is my standard for a good stove. I think that was kind of a standard that Sgt. Rock established with his testing. I'm following in his footsteps I suppose. After testing your stove and not being able to get a boil with 1/2 ounce I kicked it up a notch to 3/4 ounce. That is why I started using the 3/4 ounce fuel with the "Cobalt" stove. The switch from denatured to "HEET" is because I'm doing the majority of my testing in my kitchen. My wife can't detect the smell of heet being used, it has no lingering odor as compared to denatured alcohol. It's way too cold to be doing a lot of tests out in the garage. My wife does allow me to bake muffin rings using the Jellow Mold technique only if I use Heet as my fuel

I speculate that if I use denatured alcohol with the Cobalt designed for the Heiny pot it will surely boil 2 cups using 17ml of fuel under optimum conditions.

All of the stoves that I have listed in this forum except for two, are capable of boiling 2 cups of 70 degree water with 1/2 ounce of denatured alcohol. The "Ring of Fire" requires 17ml and the "Cobalt" requires 3/4 ounce.

I'll be making up a batch of "Cobalt"(tm) stoves today and I'll be including a maximum fuel gauge line inside the fuel resevoir. I believe the maximum fuel will be 2.5 ounces. I'll be back later with a photo and amount. I think you're right about it being mandatory that a fuel guage line be included in the stove.

optimator, thank you for the kind words about the "StarLyte"(tm) It has turned out to be a super fantastic stove. I'll be making it available on Ebay around the same time as the "Cobalt" If I can find the time, I'll make up a big batch of the "Fancee Feest"(tm) also to be put on Ebay. I hope also to include the EZ-Fold(tm) windscreens.

When the temps heat up in my greenhouse, Ill test the "Cobalt" with denatured alcohol to see if it will do a boil with 1/2 ounce of fuel. Just for the fun of it.

[sclittlefield]

If it's not too much extra work, maybe toss in a couple of fuel lines - 1oz, 2oz, and max fill? It would make it easier for people to guesstimate the amount they need for the weather conditions and meal purposes.

[zelph]

This worked out better than I expected. I poured in an ounce of fuel and it came up to the letter "R" (view the photo to see what letters I'm talking about)

2 ounces comes up to the letter "E"

Maxim fuel level recommended 2.5 ounces comes up to the scribbed line that goes completely around the stove. Easy to see fuel level indicators. Like Bill said, every stove should have these lines to help in determining the amount of fuel that you put in.

With 2.5 ounces of fuel, the stove is going to burn for a long, long time. Melt lots of snow and ice. When I do a test burn for length of time, its going to burn longer than the White Box Stove. Bill, when I do the test I'll post the time for you here.



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