Convenient, capable, and compact — but not cheap.
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Sometimes you just need a portable electric cookset. Maybe it’s during a major power outage when everyone’s huddled together over the warm glow of the family power station. Or maybe it’s at a tailgate party or picnic. In my case, it’s anywhere I decided to park my van over the last few months while testing two cooking systems from Stoke Voltaics.
Most portable cooksets are powered by a liquid fuel like propane. It’s inexpensive and readily available in canisters of all sizes. But sometimes you’d rather not deal with an open flame, pollutants, and the noise and smell that comes with it. Stoke Voltaics’ gear is powered by electricity, which can be easily supplied by a solar generator and replenished by the sun.
I tested the company’s new $219.99 Nomad Cooking System and existing $99.99 Joulle Kettle Pot. They’re not cheap, but portability and convenience rarely are.
Let’s start with the Joulle which is just an electric JetBoil — the ubiquitous “flash cooking” camping stove launched two decades ago. The size, graphics, insulated sleeve, handle, lid with integrated filter, are very very similar, right on down to the little pot’s ability to act like a French press for coffee. JetBoil even sold its own Joule variant at one point, which is perhaps why Stoke Voltaic promotes Joulle as the “Kettle Pot” on its website. Joulle does distinguish itself with a popcorn setting, so… take that, lawyers.
Each of the Joulle’s three settings pull different amounts of AC power. Move the slider to “Drink” to boil water at max power before automatically shutting off unlike the flame on a JetBoil. Move it to “Eat” to slowly bring a stew up to a simmer. “Pop” varies the power to ensure nearly every kernel placed inside becomes popcorn and then automatically shuts off to conserve power.
In my testing, I was able to boil about eight ounces (240ml) of water for coffee or tea in 3 minutes and 42 seconds while consuming 28.06Wh. Slowly heating up 19 ounces (570ml) of a hearty soup to a simmer took 8 minutes and 30 seconds and used 40.2Wh, while a single serving of popcorn took 7 minutes and used 16.69Wh. So that’s about 85Wh on any given day, or over 10 days of use from a solar generator with a modest 1kWh capacity.
I like that the Drink and Pop modes shut off automatically so I can just set it and forget it, without worrying about unnecessary power usage. Eat mode can require a bit of stirring to prevent things sticking to the bottom of the stainless steel surface. Joulle’s a bit bulky to wash (especially when using it as a French press) since the sink in my van is relatively shallow and I have to be extra careful with the water since it’s an electrical device.
Nevertheless, Joulle is so convenient that I’ve gone days without using my induction cooktop and pan on solo tips.
While Joulle integrates the heating element right into the pot, the Nomad Cooking System is modular. It comes with the AC-powered heating base, lid, clip-on handle, and two stackable aluminum pots with non-stick surfaces: one large 50-ounce pot for “bubbling” and a smaller pot for frying. The 8.5-inch diameter pots slot into the 6.8-inch diameter heating base using a proprietary connector.
The on / off button lets you dial up the power from 200W to 1000W in 200W increments. Yeah, they could have just done a 1-5 setting, but I like knowing how much power I’m pulling. The button also shows how long the unit’s been running. The electric base can only be turned on when a pan is inserted and shuts off when the pan is removed. Pressing the button will pause cooking while holding it in will turn off power completely.
I like that the pots heat up quickly and uniformly and cook enough food for one to two people. The pots also stay in place, which isn’t guaranteed with portable induction cooktops, especially when parked on a slope. The Nomad handle is also grippy and easy to attach and detach from the pans. The whole system is also very compact allowing it to be easily stowed away in a drawer, especially when using the carrying bag (which also helps prevent rattles while driving).
I do have some minor gripes. Washing up the Nomad pots requires hand-washing like the Joulle as they can’t be submerged in water. The system is also proprietary so you can’t use the base with other pots, and the Nomad pots won’t work on a gas stove or induction cooktop. And it’s kind of annoying that you can only use one Nomad pot at a time since you only have one base.
Stoke Voltaics’ gear might not be cheap, but the Nomad Cooking System and Joulle Kettle Pot are both super convenient and capable cooking systems that tuck away nice and small when not needed. If you can afford them, I can recommend both for anyone seeking gas-free portable cookware.
