The four Jetboil Cooking Systems are light and compact, saving the traveler on storage space. The heating unit uses push-button ignition, providing instant fuel-combustion and fast cooking start time. All systems come with a fuel canister stabilizer for added unit support.
FluxRing technology is Jetboil's trademark closed, high-heat system designed to concentrate heat and minimize heating time. According to specifications, the system can boil one cup of water per minute.
The Jetboil systems are ideal for backpackers and campers that like to travel lightly. Units are easily stored due to the small size and few components. For those systems with the Jetboil brand pots, the lids can serve as plates. The Jetboil systems are quite fuel efficient, and therefore ideal for users that are accustomed to using camping stoves and want to save money on replacing fuel.
The original Jetboil Cooking Systems include the Personal and Group Systems (referred to as the PCS and GCS, respectively). These systems can use Jetboil's 80/20 isobutane and propane mix or a standard butane canister. As these units are very fuel efficient, you won't be wasting fuel. Jetboil sells two different fuel canisters: 100 grams and 230 grams. The 100 gram canister of fuel will boil 10 liters of water; the 230 gram canister boils 230 grams of water.
The PCS comes with a 1 liter insulated cup with an insulated drink-through lid. The burner and fuel canister fit into the PCS cup, making for easier storage.
The GCS comes with a 1.5 liter Jetboil brand pot. With the included universal pot support attachment, you can turn each system into the other; purchasing a separate 1.5 Jetboil brand pot for the PCS will essentially turn it into the GCS. However, because the pot support attachment is universal, you can also use any small pot or pan with the system.
Each system comes with an adjustable FluxRing burner, but the fuel is sold separately. The fuel canister is located underneath the burner, which makes each system stand-alone rather than having the fuel canister as a separate attachment on the side. This makes more efficient use of space. With the canister stabilizer, the entire unit should be secure on whatever platform you are cooking on.
The Personal and Group Cooking Systems are rated for use in temperatures as low as 20 degrees F. The PCS has a suggested retail price of $99.95, with the GCS being $119.95 (as of 2009).
The Helios Systems use standard butane canisters separate from the burner. With this particular system, evaporation does not occur inside inverted canister and does not require priming or preheating like liquid fuel. The Helios System is designed to be of use with higher capacity cooking vessels, which require higher fuel performance. Due to this higher performance, the Helios Systems are slightly less fuel efficient than the standard Jetboil Systems. The trade-off, however, is that the Helios Systems are rated for use in temperatures as low as minus 10 degrees F.
The basic Helios system has a suggested retail price of $149.95 and comes with a 2 liter pot. Purchasing a separate 3 liter pot turns the system into the Helios Guide package, which itself carries a suggested price of $199.95 (as of 2009)
Each system comes with a windscreen to provide additional protection for the FluxRing burner. Unfortunately, the universal pot support attachment is not available for use with this system, which means the Helios is not compatible with regular fry pans.
Jetboil Cooking Systems are extremely good for boiling water quickly, making it easy to prepare beverages like coffee and tea as well as dehydrated foods. With the larger pots, you can make things like eggs, soups and stews.
Jetboil Systems are available mainly at specialty stores. Visit Jetboil's website to find a dealer near you. Places like REI carry Jetboil systems both online and in-store. However, Sports Authority is listed as a local dealer but no Jetboil products can be found on their site. Therefore, it's best to use Jetboil's online dealer locator so that you can contact each individual dealer directly.
Online retailers, such as Altrec.com and Backcountry.com, amongst many others, make purchasing a Jetboil system even more convenient (see Resources). Sites such as these not only allow you to purchase Jetboil systems and accessories, but you can also read customer reviews and other comments regarding the usage of Jetboil products.
