Cooking Amongst The Kovea Spider

The Kovea Spider (KB-1109) is a relatively novel remote canister stove.  I latterly wrote a review of the Spider.  The Spider has a relatively modest burner head, which is proficient inwards that it makes the stove compact, but obviously there's some trace of piece of job organisation out at that topographic point that the modest burner caput powerfulness brand the Spider a pitiable cooking stove (perhaps modest caput = modest flaming = a burned spot inwards your food?).

Now the fact of the affair is that the burner caput angles the flames outward which gives a good distributed flame.  No "hot spotting" here.

The flaming on a Kovea Spider is good distributed.

But the "proof of the pudding is inwards the eating" every bit they say, thence let's practise some actual cooking.  It's Sabbatum morning, thence how most a delicious breakfast omelette?  Yum!  Let's larn started.

First, the ingredients.

The makings of a prissy omelette

For today's omelette, I've brought along:

• Boxed milk of the type that needs no refrigeration.
• Some leftover bacon in addition to ham
• Five eggs
• Some shredded cheese
• A flake of olive petroleum (to grease the pan)

And for the cooking, we'll demand the proper tools.

The tools needed for cooking an omelette

For today's cooking, I'll live using the following:

• MSR Blacklite pan (aluminum, non titanium or stainless steel)
• A Jetboil spatula
• A set of Open Country pot grippers

Note that I'll live using an aluminum pan.  For existent cooking, I accept a potent preference for aluminum cookware.  Aluminum conducts oestrus far amend than stainless steel or titanium in addition to does a actually proficient project alongside foods that demand low, fifty-fifty oestrus -- similar an omelette.  I suppose i could role cast Fe every bit well, but shall nosotros say that cast Fe is none likewise low-cal to carry.

Well, then, let's fissure the eggs.

Our eggs, set out nicely inwards a bowl

And add together our milk.

Milk makes for a actually proficient omellete

I similar to add together most 25ml of milk per egg.  Milk gives an omellete a rich, creamy taste.

Next, rhythm out the eggs in addition to milk alongside a fork until good blended.

Beat the eggs in addition to milk to every bit reasonably uniform a consistency every bit you lot can

There are those who say that the whites should live "beaten until stiff" in addition to thence the yolks should live "folded" in.  What a lot of unnecessary faffing about!  You desire everything blended together inwards the end.  Go at that topographic point directly.  "Beating the egg whites until stiff" is the say of those who sit down at habitation in addition to accept no appetite!  I similar to roam most the countryside inwards the out-of-doors.  "I'm hungry, let's larn on alongside it!" is my philosophy.

I thence pour the blended eggs in addition to milk into my pan which I accept already greased alongside a flake of olive petroleum in addition to sprinkle inwards the cheese.

Eggs inwards our pan alongside the cheese sprinkled on.

Yes, I add together the cheese before I get-go cooking.  I similar my cheese good melted, in addition to I similar all my ingredients proficient in addition to hot out on the trail.

Next, I interruption upwards a flake of bacon.  Today I brought bacon cooked before that day, but a packet of bacon bits from the marketplace position industrial plant quite good in addition to is to a greater extent than oftentimes than non to a greater extent than practical for the trail.

Bacon, added to the mix

Lastly, a special process for today, I add together some ham.

Ham, added to the mix

There nosotros are!  Now, we're ready to get-go cooking, thence let's set upwards our piddling Spider.

The Kovea Spider, legs deployed.

Now, I know what you're thinking:  "How are you lot going to ready a proper omelette on that piddling thing?"  Ah, skeptical reader, acquit alongside me, in addition to you lot shall see.

I similar to add together a piddling disc of aluminum underneath.  The aluminum disc volition reverberate oestrus upwards in addition to also forbid whatever scorching of the picnic tabular array I'm set upwards on.  The disc doesn't come upwards alongside the stove, but it's slowly plenty to purchase or brand one.  The disc I accept is from Flat Cat Gear in addition to has a modest hole punched out inwards the rattling middle where the disk folds.  This hole prevents trigger-happy at the crease, which is a prissy feature.

An aluminum disk reflects oestrus upwards to your pot in addition to protects the surface you're working on.

Next, I enclose the stove inwards a windscreen.  Here, I'm using a criterion MSR windscreen, but whatever windscreen volition do.  Whereas the aluminum disk is pretty much an optional extra, a windscreen is not.  H5N1 windscreen volition allow you lot to role less fuel in addition to give you lot greater command over your cooking, especially at depression flame.  I recommend using a windscreen whatever fourth dimension you lot cook.

Recall also that i of the benefits of using a remote canister stove every bit opposed to the to a greater extent than typical upright canister stove is that you lot can role a fully enclosing windscreen.  Use a amount windscreen alongside an upright canister stove in addition to your canister powerfulness only overheat in addition to explode.

So!  Eggs on, let's larn cooking.

Cooking the omelette

To start, I role a medium heat.  I desire the eggs to get-go bubbling.  Recall that you lot want the milk to boil.  It is the boiling milk that puts all those piddling bubbles into your omelette, giving it that light, fluffy texture.

Eggs, only starting to bubble.

However, only every bit shortly every bit things get-go to bubble, you lot desire to plough the oestrus downwards to rattling low.  I've got 5 eggs hither inwards a relatively modest pan.  In fellowship to ready things all the means through evenly without having a burnt bottom, I'm going to accept to role a rattling depression heat.  Now, this ought to live a proficient seek of the Spider.  Will that piddling burner caput give me a burnt bottom?  Will it give me a band of blackened eggs inwards the middle of my pan?  Or volition it live able to give me a nice, fifty-fifty oestrus in addition to ready all parts of the omelette properly?  Let's see.

Looks similar things are coming along nicely.  The toughest business office of the omelette to larn to ready properly is the rattling top.  Here, I've pushed the border of the omelette inwards a flake on the left manus side in addition to allowed whatever remaining liquid eggs to menses into the resultant gap.  Perhaps that's "cheating," but I hold off at that every bit beingness strictly a practical mensurate to ensure amount cooking of that final piddling flake of liquid egg that ever remains on top -- fifty-fifty when I ready omelettes at home.

Almost done now.

There!  Done at last.  And how did nosotros do?  Let's force it out of the pan in addition to accept a look.

The completed omelette.

Looks good!  Let's force it out of the pan in addition to accept a closer look.

Looking at the omelette, border on.

The omelette is fairly slowly to pick upwards in addition to move, which shows proficient cohesion -- important that it's cooked all the means through.  The edges hold off good, showing a prissy flake of golden brown.  They're done only precisely right.  The eggs accept fluffed upwards nicely; the omelette is a proficient flake thicker than my thumb.  I'd say our piddling Spider has passed alongside flight colors, but let's travel along to examine our omelette.

Looking inside, I run across that the eggs are fluffy in addition to even thence moist but are definitely fully cooked.  All of the cheese is fully melted in addition to has made a prissy topping.

A rattling prissy omelette indeed!

The omelette slices cleanly yet easily indicating that piece it is fully cooked, it is non overdone.

Sliced, the omelette holds a proficient ege in addition to reveals it's fluffy inner texture.

Let's flip over a piece in addition to accept a hold off at the nether side.  Looks prissy in addition to golden brown.  No burning on the bottom.  Nice.

Flipping over a department of the bottom, nosotros run across a low-cal browning.  Looks good!

And our pan?  Not that at that topographic point was whatever question, but:  no burning.

No burnt on nutrient on the pan.

Well, I for i am fully satisfied alongside the cooking capabilities of the piddling Kovea Spider.  I've been able to whip upwards a publish of tasty dishes.  I promise this volition dispel an thought that the Spider's diminutive size volition somehow forbid it from beingness a proficient cooking stove.  I honor that though the burner caput is small, it's good designed in addition to does a proper project on cooking tasks.

Personally, I honor that a remote canister stove is a cook's stove, far to a greater extent than than whatever upright canister stove that I've used, including ones alongside larger burner heads.  H5N1 remote canister stove permits the role of a amount windscreen which allows me to role a rattling depression flaming without worrying most the flaming beingness blown out.  The windscreen also creates a rattling hot surroundings nether that pan, in addition to surroundings that allows me to accept a lot to a greater extent than command over the oestrus of cooking than I would accept alongside a typical upright set upwards which is opened upwards on the sides.  H5N1 remote canister set upwards also gives me a rattling stable cooking platform alongside a lower middle of gravity than an upright setup.  I actually similar a remote canister set upwards if I desire to practise some existent cooking.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some eating to do.

I give cheers you lot for joining me on some other Adventure inwards Stoving,

HJ

Time to eat.  (it was most delicious, I assure you)