Jetboil Flash 1.0L Cooking System review

Chris Townsend considers updates and improvements to the first-of-its-kind heat exchanger stove system, the Jetboil Flash 1.0L Cooking System.

Twenty-one years ago, Jetboil launched the first ever stove with a heat exchanger pot that fitted onto the burner. The Jetboil Flash 1.0L Cooking System is the direct descendant of that stove and has been popular for many years.

Quick Specs
Price: US$144.99 | £100.59 (available from Base Camp Food) Weight: 406g complete Accessories: 0.6 litre pot with heat exchanger & insulated pot cozy, 0.3 litre bowl, piezo igniter, canister stand Fuel: butane/propane canister Packed Dimensions: 18.5 x 10.7cm Burner Diameter: 3.8cm Burner weight: 124g Power: 5300 BTU Boil time: 2 min 36 seconds Fuel used: 8g www.jetboil.co.uk

This year Jetboil has updated the design with several significant changes to make it easier to use, the main ones being an integrated ignition and burner control and a grip zone below the burner. The pot is the same tall narrow aluminium one with a pot cosy round it, a thermochromic heat indicator on the side, a webbing handle, and a plastic lid. The heat exchanger under the pot now has three rather than two dimples for attaching it to the burner to give a firmer fit plus markings showing which way to turn the pot to release it from the burner. The volume, as the name suggests, is 1 litre. However, the instructions say ‘do not fill above maximum fill line’, which is marked inside the pot as 600 ml, as doing so may cause the contents to boil over. This makes it best for solo use.

The new burner looks very different. There’s a rubberized safe grip zone which protects your hand when holding the stove whilst lit. The long wire foldout flame control has been removed, as has the push button that activates the piezo igniter. Instead, there’s turn-and-click ignition consisting of a dial with a short control knob, a much neater and easier to use system. The igniter now has a ceramic casing for protection and to keep it in place. As with the original, there is a plastic cup that fits over the base of the pot, and a canister stabiliser. The burner and a 100g canister can be packed inside the pot. The total weight (measured on my digital scales) is 406g complete, 386g without the stabiliser, and 347g without the cup and stabiliser. This is comparable with similar stove systems.

The Flash is a tall unit, 30cm high with a 100g canister and stabiliser so it needs to be used on a level surface to avoid it toppling over. I prefer to use a 230g canister as this is wider and more stable, although it does weigh more and won’t fit inside the pot. The Flash boils water fast and is fuel efficient. In my tests with a full canister it averaged 2 minutes 36 seconds to boil 500ml of 4.2°C water in an air temperature of 5°C with no wind, using 8g of gas. My most severe test of the Flash was on a camp where the temperature fell to -2°C overnight. The stove was used with a half-full canister that had been on the ground all night. It lit immediately and boiled 400ml of water in three minutes, which I think is fine. There was a slight breeze, which didn’t affect the flame. As with the earlier version, it does need shielding from strong winds.

The burner is unregulated and Jetboil says the stove is “boil only”. The flame can be turned down a bit but for cooking food you need to keep stirring or it will stick. The tall narrow pot isn’t the best shape for cooking or eating from anyway. The new Flash is an improvement over the previous model. The grip zone and turn-and-click ignition are excellent. It’s great being able to hold the stove securely while switching it on or putting on and taking off the pot. For boiling water for hot drinks and cook-in-the-pouch meals it works fine. For simmering and cooking I’d choose something different. The price is low for a stove system, making the Flash good value for money.

Testing conditions

Chris tested the Flash in the Cairngorms during the 2025 winter on both high and low camps