GSI Outdoors Halulite 1.1L Boiler – (A Cook Pot with a Great Locking Handle)

I like to switch to a separate cook pot and canister stove system for shoulder season and early winter camping when the days get shorter. When I spend more time in camp I tend to cook more elaborate meals, such as dried cheese tortellini, which needs to simmer for 13 minutes: add olive oil and sea salt to taste, and eat out of the pot.

• Volume: 1.1 L
• Weight: 8.6 ounces
• Dimensions: 5.00″ x 4.80″ x 5.10″
• Material: Hard Anodized Aluminum

My current canister cook system includes a GSI Outdoors Halulite 1.1 liter “boiler” pot which has a great locking handle that folds up over the top of the pot and locks it in place when packed. The locking handle on this pot is 4 and 3/4 inches long, insulated, and much sturdier than pots with wire handles, making it easy to pick up a pot full of hot water or eat from the pot.

The pot lid has an insulated silicone tab that can be flipped up and will stay upright, making it easy to peek inside the pot while cooking. In addition, there are easy-to-see embossed liquid measurements on the inside and outside of the pot in 8 oz and 250-milliliter increments. The only thing missing is a few strainer holes in the lid to help prevent boil overs.

I can even fit a large isobutane canister and a stove inside the 1,1 L boiler (a Kovea Spider), providing me with lots of fuel for long simmer times or group cooking.

My only real criticism of this pot, which at $30 is an excellent deal, is the way that GSI Outdoors markets it, which I find confusing and disingenuous. GSI Outdoors says that the pot is made out of Halulite, which is a made-up brand name for anodized aluminum, to make consumers think they’re buying something more than it is. GSI also claims that Halulite pots (anodized aluminum) are lighter weight than titanium ones, which is simply not true. It’s very off-putting and reflects badly on the company, which otherwise has very good products.

While anodized aluminum pots are not as lightweight as titanium ones (they’re not *that* much heavier), anodized aluminum is a much better material for cooking than titanium because it heats up so evenly. That’s important if you want to do more than just boil water, a point that GSI Outdoors can compete with titanium on, as well as price, without resorting to confusing marketing mumbo-jumbo.

Disclosure: GSI Outdoors provided Philip Werner (sectionhiker.com) with a sample Halulite 1.1l Boiler for this review.