Open main menu

Sea to Summit X-Pot 1.4L

rated 4.0 of 5 stars
photo: Sea to Summit X-Pot 1.4L pot/pan

I have been looking at these collapsible type pans for a couple of years. Good camping kitchen gear has to be lightweight and packable (in my mind) and should endure the abuse of camp stoves.

I have to admit the Sea to Summit XPOT 1.4L was an impulsive purchase last week when I visited the new Bever outdoor store in Hoofddorp.

I have tested this product in my back garden right after purchase and have used at my seasonal campsite with the same stove to cook rice. Both times it performed very well.

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Folds flat
  • See-through lid with strainer holes
  • Works well with backpacking stove

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Can’t be used over a campfire
  • Extra care is needed to make sure it retains the integrity of the silicone

I normally would not buy something like this for € 49. For a camping pot it seemed like a crazy amount of money. I  hoped it lived up to all the positive reviews. 

First, I needed to determine if it would work on my backpacking stove. I judged the base to some of the stoves at the store but my Coleman FyrePower has a larger cooking base and sometimes doesn’t work well with some cookware. I determined that the base of the pan on this 1.4 liter model would work well with my stove.


FzatICMRRAecWdIKp2kRLw.jpgI started reading all the precautions and care instructions, I was then a bit worried that my purchase was made in haste.

A2F74745-6997-4905-8EC9-88D0F9A6A30D.jpg

I followed the instructions and cleaned the pan in warm water before use.

SLQ0-kxfRtO-gWcDmMvgPA.jpg
It took about four minutes for the pan to boil water. I feel that the pan has a great heat distribution as the boiling water was even throughout the bottom of the pan.

The see-through lid made it easy to determine when the noodles were done. The silicone lid handle was cool and easy to lift without getting steam burns.

dykCsiSOSmCT4ZNR8YhCnA.jpg

This pan cleaned up easy. Did not appear to get scratched on the surface bottom by the camp stove and was simple to use. The fact that it folds down flat makes it easy to carry on my backpacking trips or in the canoe.

Would I recommend this purchase—Yes!

Sea to Summit sucked me into this purchase not with their price mark but with the packability of this product.

The bright orange color matches my kayak. OK… maybe, the marketing team didn’t know that I have an orange kayak.

dFXO7wfeSw-pO8QNslTIzA.jpg

Background

I have only used this product for the last couple of weeks. Once to product test to see if lived up to all the reviews (it did). Once at our seasonal campsite here in The Netherlands cooked rice and it performed as tested very well. It is stable on the cookstove. Cooks fast and uniformly. Doesn't seem to have sticking food issues I have had with other camping cookware.

My concern is the long-term wear and tear of this product under rigors of backpacking and canoe trips. Will it hold up? Reviews say it will, I will be a loyal Sea to Summit customer if it does.

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: € 49.95

This is a very functional and packable pot for camping and backpacking. It's lightweight, collapsible, the perfect size for one- or two-person cooking, and durable with quick heat up on the camp stove.

Pros

  • Collapsible
  • Lightweight
  • Size
  • Does not retain heat long
  • Lid doubles as a strainer

Cons

  • Does not retain heat long
  • Can retain flavor from previous recipes


image.jpgWe loved several of the great features of this pot: it is lightweight and collapses to a very packable disk to toss into the backpack. I also like that the lid (so glad it has a lid!) can double as a strainer (for those times you add too much water, or if you need to drain off water from pasta) and is held on by the pot handles.

The pot handles are multifunctional in that they are both handles and secure the lit for packing. I was pleasantly surprised that food did not get stuck in the "ridges" where the pot collapses, and that the pot was fairly rigid when cooking.

A simultaneous pro and con is that the pot does not retain heat long after it comes off the camp stove. This stinks if you want your food to stay hot long, but is great for quick cleanup and breaking camp. The base of the pot, the part that comes in contact with your heat source, seemed to be nonstick inside and didn't scratch. That being said, I don't suggest you use your knife to stir your rice.

We had no problems with the silicon (I use some silicon pieces in my own kitchen at home), but I've heard of others having difficulties with the sides or lid melting a bit. If you make sure your stove flame is smaller than the pot bottom you should be OK. This is NOT meant for open campfire use.

We did have some flavor retention that I don't think was due to poor cleanup, though cleanup was a breeze. After a few days the flavors faded, or melded with others so we didn't notice anymore. The bright orange color of this particular size (different sizes are different colors) made it easy to find in my pack.

I liked this product enough that I'm thinking about adding another size to my backpacking kitchen arsenal.

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $44.95

Your Review

Where to Buy

Help support this site by making your next gear purchase through one of the links above. Click a link, buy what you need, and the seller will contribute a portion of the purchase price to support Trailspace's independent gear reviews.

You May Like

Specs

Price Historic Range: $40.93-$49.95
Reviewers Paid: $44.95
Weight 9 oz / 250 g
Dimensions 7.5 x 2.5 in
Volume 1.4L
Product Details from Sea to Summit »

Recently on Trailspace

Nalgene 32oz Wide Mouth Ultralite HDPE Bottle Review