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Item #9 in the top 100 in: Sports & Outdoors- Camping & Hiking- Camping Cookware

Coleman Aluminum Mess Kit

Coleman Aluminum Mess Kit

Made by Coleman

Sales Rank on Amazon.com: 411

Lowest Price: $6.99

Average Review: 2.5 stars

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See more items in: Sports & Outdoors: Camping & Hiking: Camping Cookware

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Amazon.com Reviews

Average Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Stars

The following review received 12 helpful votes out of 12 total votes:
Review Date: 2007-05-15
"A great surprise!"

I bought this item almost as a joke because it was so cheep and so lightweight that I thought it would be junk. I figured that even if it was useless I wouldn't feel bad about throwing it out because of the price. What I found was that this little set actually works very well. I was impressed with the weight and it cooks a great steak and cleans easily. It packs up pretty small too.

My only two concerns with this product was that

1. Because the frying pan is two pieces and aluminum the handle tends to bend with too much weight. Long term I think bending will greatly weaken the handle.

2. The handle of the frying pan can get a little hot if left on the heat for more than a few minutes. Still easily handled with a towel or shirt sleeve.

These are the prices you pay for the very light weight and cheep price. All in all though, a great bargain that really works. 4 stars
The following review received 10 helpful votes out of 15 total votes:
Review Date: 2007-09-13
"Complete rubbish. 'Mess' kit is the right name for it..."

Quite simply, this kit is rubbish. And dangerous too.

It is so crude and flimsy that you will have an ordeal trying to boil a cup of water for tea, let alone cook anything, and will quite likely burn yourself in the process.

Say you try to boil a cup of water. You use the included tiny, tiny pot with handle. First of all, the handle hangs down at just the right angle to get red hot in the stove's flame. Next, when you lift the pot (using tongs... the red hot handle will burn through gloves), it tips right over and dumps the boiling water everywhere. It just hangs freely from that wire handle and since it's so crudely made, is unbalanced and tips its contents out as soon as its lifted.

After you've burned yourself and lost all your boiled water, you might try to cook something in the frying pan. First you try to assemble the handle, with the screw and wingnut.. problem is that the metal of the handle and mounting tab is so thin that you can't even tighten the bolt fully, so the pan flops about from side to side. Good luck tipping anything out of the pan without a mess. Next, if you put anything in the pan that weighs more than an ounce or two, the handle simply bends. Even a 1/2" of water is enough to bend the handle.

The whole kit is absolute rubbish. Oh, and the handle of the mug gets too hot to handle if you succeed in sloshing any hot water into it.

Don't waste your time or money. 1 star
The following review received 4 helpful votes out of 4 total votes:
Review Date: 2007-08-09
"Aluminum Mess Kit"

I wanted a very light, easy to carry frying pan. Anything that came with it was extra. This unit fit that bill. All 4 pieces weigh less than half a pound, but feel quite sturdy. NOT non-stick, but I didn't expect that. Just fry the bacon first! ;-) 4 stars
The following review received 3 helpful votes out of 5 total votes:
Review Date: 2008-06-12
"Poor Quality"

Coleman products are almost always great, but this is not one of them. Made out of cheap aluminum, it is not sturdy and has no non-stick treatment, so cleaning is a pain. It basically can be used for one person for cooking a meal, but at a little more than a pound, it's not worth it. I wouldn't even buy it as a beginner set for the new camper. I recommend the "Open Country Sierra 5-Piece Nonstick Backpacker Cooking Set". It is treated with a non-stick coating on all sides and is lightweight. You really don't need more than two pots for cooking a meal for one to four people. Always remember - you get what you pay for. 1 star
The following review received 2 helpful votes out of 3 total votes:
Review Date: 2007-08-21
"Make sure you're alone"

I didn't pay much attention to the dimensions of the items in this kit, I should have broke out the measuring tape. This stuff is tiny! It might be good for very small meals for one person or child but for two adults its just too small. The largest piece may be able to cook 4 eggs at best, and the pan might be able to cook a can of something as long as its a normal can not one of the jumbo cans of beef stew or something.

I gave it three stars, for three reasons, it's dirt cheap, it probably would be perfect for one person who doesn't eat much, and it all fits into itself in a great little compact item which would be perfect if you're trying to save space.

3 stars