Review on Esbit Ultralight Folding Pocket Stove: 6 14G Solid Fuel Tablets, Steel Construction - Small Size by Matt Morgan

I bought this item simply because I got interested in the latest camping tech. I saw a number of YouTube videos on this product and wanted to try it.I set up my Esbit stove on a concrete block and placed exactly one cup of water in a 9 inch steel saucepan. I also measured off one cup of Minute Rice for an edible trial. When I first got the stove with fuel capsules inside the box, I could already smell the "rotting fish" smell so many people have reported on. The stove was a little heavier than I had expected due to it's sturdy steel construction. It took several matches to light the fuel since the tendency is to smother the match flame by touching the fuel. It works better to place the match flame very near the fuel and it catches easily. Incidentally, in the daylight the flame is initially almost invisible. I didn't think it was burning until after 10 seconds or so, I saw the first yellowish flame. I put my saucepan on the stove and in only a minute or so, I saw steam-like vapor rising in the chilly air. I wish I had thought to time it, but I estimate that the water was quite hot, though not boiling in about 5 minutes. I poured in my rice and began to stir. It worked! I had a hot rice meal in no more than 6 or 7 minutes.There are a couple of small details to report. Despite my fairly large saucepan, I still had open flames occasionally lapping over the edges toward my fingers. Opening the Esbit fuel capsules required a small knife. The capsules are in thin aluminum covers over plastic cups. Ketchup is often packaged this way. Peeling the metal foil off is difficult because there is no way to get your fingernail between the edges. I wish Esbit put a "pull-tab" on the corner which would help a lot. Strangely, after removing the fuel capsule from it's packaging, I put it up to my nose and it smelled less like rotting fish and more like bar soap. I had expected the bottom of the saucepan to be coated with soot but to my surprise it was quite clean. I have heard that a crusty residue is left by the burned out fuel. This is true, but I found that it scrapes out of the stove quite easily. In short, for small cooking tasks in the field, I think this item it excellent.