User Review: Jetboil Personal Cooking System

Jetboil Personal Cooking System
Above: The current Personal Cooking System, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Rating: rated 2 of 5 stars
Price Paid: $79

I give it one star for ease of use, and one for both its efficiency and its weight.

The first time that I used Jetboil was the last time that I will ever use Jetboil, that is, that I will ever use Jetboil with the cozy-covered aluminum cup. I will now use Jetboil only with the pot stabilizer sold by the manufacturer.

Why? In a word, I don't like to drink coffee that tastes like metal. Yes, I washed the cup several times before using it; and I boiled five 'pots' of water before I boiled water in it for coffee. No luck. It seems too many molecules of aluminum find their way into the water that is boiled. (I drink my coffee black, and I have drunk my coffee black for decades. Never do I detect a metallic taste when I brew it at home. I always drink it from a ceramic mug, and, when on the road, from a mug made of hard plastic.)

It may be difficult or impossible to detect a metallic taste in food prepared with water that has been boiled in that cozy-covered aluminum cup made by Jetboil, but I for one will not kid myself, and pretend that my food is aluminum-free. The human body is not made to metabolize aluminum. I plan to use a titanium pot when I use the Jetboil burner for cooking, unless I can find a really light Pyrex pot, which is probably the safest thing to use for boiling water and for cooking in general. My advice is, don't kid yourself.

By the way, I never sweeten my coffee with anything.

Also, I would never take a Pyrex pot on a backpacking trip, and did not mean to imply that I would. I use my Jetboil (with the pot stabilizer and a titanium pot) at work. (I work outside.)

You Might Prefer...

Where to Buy

Buy Online We found the Personal Cooking System at 10 online stores:

StoreProduct DescriptionPrice

Moosejaw
3 purchase options:
Personal Cooking System (Spring 2008)$89.95Buy Now
Personal Cooking System w/ Pot Support & Stabilizer (Spring 2008)$99.95Buy Now
Personal Cooking System w/ Companion Cup (Spring 2008)$124.95Buy Now

Backcountry.com
4 purchase options:
Personal Cooking System$80.96Buy Now
PCS Bundled w/ Coffee Press$89.96Buy Now
PCS w/ Java Kit$89.96Buy Now
PCS Bundled w/ Companion Cup$107.96Buy Now

Altrec Outdoors
5 purchase options:
Personal Cooking System$89.95Buy Now
Personal Cooking System with Coffee Press$99.95Buy Now
Personal Cooking System with Support and Stabilizer$99.95Buy Now
more Personal Cooking System choices from Altrec Outdoors

CampSaver.com
3 purchase options:
Jetboil PCS Stove - Camo$89.95Buy Now
Jetboil PCS Stove Java Kit$109.95Buy Now
Jetboil PCS Stove w/ Extra Cup$124.95Buy Now

REI
3 purchase options:
Personal Cooking System$89.00Buy Now
Backcountry Gourmet Cooking System$109.99Buy Now
Personal Cooking System with Extra Companion Cup$124.00Buy Now

RockCreek
2 purchase options:
JetBoil Personal Cook System$79.95Buy Now
Java Kit$99.95Buy Now

Powderfin.com
2 purchase options:
- Personal Cooking System (PCS) Java Kit$79.99Buy Now
- Personal Cooking System (PCS)$89.95Buy Now

EMS
2 purchase options:
PCS (Personal Cooking System)$89.95Buy Now
Java Kit Gift Bundle$109.95Buy Now

Gear for Adventure
2 purchase options:
Personal Cooking System (PCS)$89.00Buy Now
PCS with Java Kit$109.90Buy Now

US Outdoor Store
Personal Cooking Set$84.95Buy Now

Compare
See how the Jetboil Personal Cooking System stacks up against the competition: read more stove reviews or more about Jetboil.

Contribute
Have you used a Jetboil Personal Cooking System or a similar product? Write a gear review.

Discuss
Still have questions? Answers? Opinions? Join the converstation in the Trailspace Forums.