I field-tested my solo cooking system in the back yard yesterday.

I made a non-field-worthy pot cozy out of Reflectix and masking tape, as a test. Rather than have the bottom free and put a cup-like cozy over the pot, I decided to make a cozy like a sack that the pot goes into. A panel of insulation is attached permanently to the pot lid and stays in place while cooking, possibly helping to improve efficiency even when the full cozy isn’t used. After boiling, mixing etc. I just put the open pot down into the cozy (since the grease pot has no handles it needs to be open so I can use my pot gripper) and then put the lid on the pot.

I decided to use a package of Trader Joe’s white cheddar mac & cheese as a test. It required eight minutes of cooking, a fairly tough test.

I used my grape-juice can stove and one ounce of alcohol. Conditions were calm but with occasional gusts, about 48 degrees F.

Three cups of water didn’t quite boil when the stove went out at ten minutes, so I put the pot in the cozy, and let the stove cool for fifteen seconds or so. Then I added another half ounce of alcohol and relit it, putting the stove back on.

In another minute or so I had a full boil. I added the macaroni, stirred and covered. The aluminum flashing potstand/windscreen weighs more than a foil windscreen, but it shows its value when you need to stir sticky macaroni over heat.

After about a minute I had a full boil again, so I started my timer and cooked the macaroni uncovered at boil for about one more minute, when the stove started to go out. That’s when I quickly stirred one last time and put it in the cozy.

At the eight minute mark the macaroni was nicely cooked. Drained, it easily melted the cheese mix and some garlic butter I added (cheating a bit, there.) Not a bad on 1.5 oz. fuel.

The cozy add about 1 ounce to the weight of the grease pot and I think it’s a winner. If you do any cooking (vs. boiling for freeze-dry) it will more than save its weight in fuel. Next step is to put together a robust version, probably with aluminum tape, and fasten the top insulation to the lid with silicone.