Optimus Crux Stove & Terra Weekend HE Cook Set Review 2019

Are you looking for an ultralight backpack cook system for serving two-person? If yes, then you can consider the Optimus Crux Weekend HE Cook System. This product is a two-in-one offer, which contains Optimus Tera cookware set along with the Optimux Crux stove. This Cook System offers great service at an affordable price-tag. In this article, we are going to present a detailed review on this product. Hope it helps!

Features of Optimus Terra Cookware set:

Terra Cookware Set:

This cookware set contains two pieces. One is a large cooking pot featuring 0.95 Liter volume. The other item is a frying pan. The larger cooking pot is good both for cooking and boiling. The fry pan can be used for two purposes. First, you can use it as a lid of the larger cooking pot. Second, you can boil water or cook food using this frying pan. The whole cookware set weighs about 222 grams.

Sturdy Construction:

Both the cooking pot and the fry pan are built with hard anodized aluminum. This cookware set is sturdy and durable. Moreover, the aluminum construction assures efficient heat distribution as aluminum is one of the best heat exchanger materials.

Exclusive HE Technology:

One of the most exclusive features of Optimus Terra Weekend HE .95L Pot is that it comes with a special Heat Exchanger (HE) system. On the bottom of this pot, you will find a ring-shaped structure. This is termed as ‘Heat Exchanger Ring’. The first advantage of this HE ring is efficient heat distribution. It helps to distribute the heat efficiently throughout the pot-surface.

This technology won’t allow hot spot areas. As the heat is not concentrated in the middle of the pot surface, you can cook the food properly without burning. And the second advantage is that the HE technology assures faster heating. It can reduce the boiling time up to 20%.

Read, Best Backpack Stove Reviews 2019

Folding Handles:

It is another handy feature of the Optimus Terra Cookware set. Both the Optimus Terra Weekend HE .95L Pot and the smaller fry pan bears folding handles. These stainless steel handles are strongly riveted to their respective pots. Moreover, these handles come with insulated rubber grips. This special construction allows you to touch the cooking pot and/or the frying pan safely without burning hands, even if the inner contents are too warm.

Measuring Marks:

This is an interesting as well as handy feature. You will see some measuring marks on both the inner and outer side of the Optimus Terra Weekend HE .95L Pot. For your convenience, the manufacturer has engraved the measuring marks on the pot-wall in two type units. The ounce-markings are on the left and the millimeter-marking are on the right.

Lip Sprout:

The Optimus Terra Weekend HE .95L Pot bears a lip, which would facilitate you to pour the food and/or liquid without creating any mess. Thanks to the manufacturer for making this set user-friendly and convenient.

Features of Optimus Weekend HE Stove:

Sturdy & Compact:

The Optimus Crux Weekend HE stove-head is built with stainless steel. It is sturdy and durable. The stove unit is composed of several foldable parts. Those are: folding head, folding pot-support-legs as well as folding fuel-pressure-valve. When all of these parts are folded-in, this Optimus Crux HE stove turns into a compact size and shape, which can be easily placed under the fuel canister.

Folding Head:

The most advantageous features of this Optmus Crux stove is that it comes with a stainless folding head. In fact, this is an upgraded feature of the Optimus Crux Weekend HE model. This feature is not available in the Optmus Crux stove’s Lite model, which is a bit cheaper than the HE model.

The benefit of the folding head is that you can easily unfold the stove-head while you intend to cook and/or boil and then after using it again allows you to fold-in the stove-head to bring it into a compact shape.

Faster Heating:

Though the Optimus Crux Weekend HE stove looks smaller, it’s stainless stove-head offers efficient heating service. The manufacturer claims that this Optimus Crux Weekend HE features 3000W.

From the real-life field test, it is found that this stove is capable of boiling about 1 Liter of water within only 2.3 mins. However, the boiling and/or cooking time can vary depending on the status of climate and/or altitude. 

Flame Control Valve:

Optimus Crux Weekend HE stove bears a flame control valve attached below the stove-head. It allows you to control the fuel pressure. So, you can control the strength of the flame depending on whether you need a simmer or quick boil. However, if you turn down the flame at a very low level, it can be turned off.

Folding Pot Support:

Pot support is a must-have option to save the cooking pan get dropped with your food. The Optimus Crux Weekend HE stove bears turbine shape head with serrated designed pot supports. This serrated-pot-supports have folding legs. If you wanna use a bigger pot, then unfold these little-serrated legs. These expanded serrated legs can efficiently serve as a pot support for a larger pan.

Moreover, this unfolded legs can distribute the burner-heat extensively onto the surface of the cooking-pot minimizing the risk of food-burning at different spots. On the other hand, if you prefer a smaller pan, then you can let the serrated legs remain folded as they are. This a great feature of the Optimus Crux stove that many pricier competitors won’t even offer.

Features of Optimus Crux Weekend HE Cook System:

Ultralight:

If you compare this cook system with it’s alternative products produced by some other brands, you will certainly find this unit ultralight. The cookware set weighs 222 grams and the stove weighs 93 grams. And the whole Optimus Crux Weekend HE Cook System comes with an easy-to-carry kit weighing only ounces.

Compact Design:

As stated earlier you can store the compact shape of the Optimus Crux Weekend HE stove inside the neoprene sack. And place it under the fuel canister. Then, you can put both the canister and the neoprene bag inside the Optimus Terra Weekend HE .95L Pot. Next, you have to place the frying pan over the cooking-pot as a lid.

You can also place some other accessories inside this lid, as it is vacant. After that, you can store the whole unit into the mesh bag. This whole unit would take a smaller space inside your backpack.

However, if you wanna use a fuel-canister larger than 8-ounce, then it won’t get fit inside the Optimus Terra Weekend HE .95L Pot and the mesh bag. In that case, you have to carry the canister separately.

Fuel Efficiency:

As discussed above, the Optimus Crux Terra cookware features HE technology offers faster heating, which can efficiently minimize fuel usage. Optimus Crux HE stove works with Optimus Crux fuel canister. This fuel contains a combination of 75% butane along with 25% propane.

If you take an 8 oz Optimus fuel canister, it would offer you a burn time of 90 minutes at it’s optimal level of output. This Optimus fuel is affordable and available both online and offline.

How to Use Optimus Crux Weekend HE Cook System

Technical Specs:

:

• Stove weight: 93 grams.
• Pot weight: 222 grams.
• Boil-time Per 1-liter water: 2.3 mins.
• Burn Time per 8-ounce Canister: 90-minutes.
• Product Dimensions: 2 x 11.2 x 10.2 inches.
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces or .9 pound.

Pros:

• Lightweight.
• Compact design.
• Sturdy Construction.
• Cookpot bears Measuring marks and Pouring Lip.
• Faster heating.
• Heat adjustment option.
• Affordable.

Cons:

• Doesn’t come with ignitor.
• Doesn’t come with a snig-fitted lid.
• Cookware set doesn’t bear nonstick coating.
• Fuel canister is sold separately.
• Suitable only for two people.

Final Verdict:

After a long tiresome day of hiking or trailing, what you need is a good meal, which is made quite effortless by this Optimus Crux Weekend HE Cook System. It can cook enough food for two persons. This simple-to-use stove offers great service both indoor and outdoor. It is available under an affordable price range.

Other Lightweight Backpack Stove 2019:

• Emberlit Titanium UL Compact Stove Review.
• Solo Stove and Pot 900 Combo Review.
• Esbit Stove Camping Cook Set Review.
• Bushbox XL Combination Kit Review.

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