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The FlashPan is a portable, solid fuel cooking system |
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Click play to view in English |
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Click play to view in French |
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Click play to view in Spanish |
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1 - Today i got a Flashpan in the mail, thanks Doug (Flashpan) whenever I see new gidgets and gadgets being sold on the internet I am somewhat skeptical as to the quality specially small items like this thing.
I got to say when I opened it up I was pretty impressed it looks like pretty good quality its damn small and wont take up much room in a quad trunk and it ties up into a nice little package with everything you need to cook up something I haven’t figured out what to try cooking in it but tonight I’m making supper just to see how well it works.
It got hot within 2 minutes at least as the sausages were sizzling as soon as i threw them on cooks pretty evenly and with the non stick surface it cleans up really well. It packs up small and all you really have to do is put the handle on it. I used 2 tablets for the sausages and they lasted a good 15 minutes.
I do know a couple of guys that will really enjoy this thing for a birthday gift as they do a lot of weekend hunting trips into the hills. |
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2 - So I picked up the Flashpan from and brought it home. I was quite impressed with the way it is put together. As Mike said in his review this little thing is put together well. The cast trays and pan look like they would withstand a fair amount of abuse and the way the handle easily attaches and disconnects is brilliant. The quality seems to be pretty high and the little legs on it are even adjustable.
First meal was garlic potatoes, ham and eggs. I started out using just one fuel tab and quickly realized I should be using 2. The potato I was cooking were garlic preserved new potatoes that have been pressure cooked so all you have to do is heat them up and get em crispy. This took about 20 mins, same as it would on the stove. I was able to put half a quart of potatoes and 1 and ½ slices of picnic ham in the unit at the same time. The eggs took longer than I expected but this was probably because it was getting near the end of the fuel and I didn't want to put another tab in. All in all the Flashpan worked well for this meal. Steak will be next.
So I picked up a nice rib eye steak to try out on this thing. Sautéed some onions and garlic, threw on the steak to sear it and cooked it for a total of about 13 mins. I ran out of fuel around 8 mins this time which surprised me. Maybe the cold weather at night affects this. The steak was perfectly done at medium rare. I only picked up one steak to try in the Flashpan so unfortunately I had to share with the wife and kids. The Flashpan did a great job on the steak.
The Flashpan is a great little unit. I wouldn't want to rely on this for a week of camping but for a couple of days for just yourself and maybe one other person where you don't have to worry about boiling water for dishes etc. I think it is a good investment. I don't know if I would use this for a "quick" trail side meal as you do have to let the unit cool down for 10 mins before you pack it up, however. With no fuel storage issues, ease of transport, cleanup, and storage it would make a good addition to any camp. |
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3 - Cooked up some hotdogs on it and it worked well. We got hit by a freak storm on the lake so the camera never came out to take pics. It was easy to setup and transport and cleanup. |
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4 - So I gave Flashpan a spin. I wanted it try something different and take advantage of the pan and lid, so I did poached eggs and warmed the English muffins and ham in the second level. You could save the water from poaching the eggs to wash out the eggcups and wipe down the Flashpan. I used 3 fuel tablets and that did the job and got the eggs done perfectly, however the second level wasn't as warm as I had hoped, but somewhat expected with cold air blowing past. Covering with a piece of foil or a third pan/lid addition to the Flashpan when doing multi layer cooking might come in handy.
I also did camp apple pies, you just have to keep away from the center of the pan since your using a sweet dough it burns easily. Was going to attempt chocolate fondue, using the double layer method but figured it would take too many fuel tablets to keep the chocolate warm while we dipped in our strawberries etc.
I found the odor off the fuel tablets bothersome keeping me well away or trying to stand up wind. When you’re done and ready to pack it up make sure to wipe down bottom of the pans that came in contact with the flame as they get covered in a layer of soot. Personally I wouldn't want whatever I was packing it in to be covered with black soot, so I'd pack a non scratch scrubber, to wipe off that soot before packing it away.
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5 - I finally got my Flashpan yesterday. We cooked my birthday dinner with it. Way cool. My uncle was over and was having a hoot with this thing. He is the resident bbq king around our place. He is having all sorts of visions of what we can do with it. I will post pics when we start playing with it more. |
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6 - Yes, the Flashpan seems to work really well and is safer to carry and use on a day-long ride than a grill with a propane or butane cylinder... |
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7 - First thing I noticed is how easily the handle attaches and is quite sturdy. I shook it pretty hard to see if it would unlatch...nope. I also liked the fact that the lid could be used as a shallow pan in case you didn't need the deep dish pan. The fuel tablets were easy to light and give off some serious heat. After lighting two tablets and placing the deep dish over them it only took a few seconds before the pan was hot enough to pace in my mushrooms and onions. After one minute I put in my two portions of minute steak and they started to sizzle instantly. A couple minutes go by and time to add spice and bar-b-que sauce. I look out my little side window and notice two rig crew members with their noses in the air trying to locate the scent like two hound dogs. I quickly shut my window MY LUNCH. Add a little cheese, cover with lid to melt the cheese. Then add some salsa. Beautiful. The bar-b-que sauce caramelized a bit in the pan so clean up was easy as putting a little water in the warm pan then wiping clean. The whole unit was cool enough to handle and clean when I was done eating lunch.
Would I recommend this product after testing it out...Yes. I like that it can be used when there is open fire ban. I don’t need to rely on finding wood that's dry The fuel tablets which come 12 in a box will fit in your pocket It is light and compact I like the overall ease of use, size and how easy it is to clean. It would be nice though if the legs were collapsible. My wife thinks every male should have one of these in our doghouses, then we don't have to sneak in the back door to make a hot sandwich. |
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8 - I have used and love the Flashpan! I even got a blow torch lighter. Thanks for the tip. I went to Seaside Oregon with my family. We surfed the day away. While everyone had fun in the water I stayed on shore and tried it. With the 4 oz pan I prepared burgers for the meat eaters in my family and used the second pan for my vegetarian sister. It was easy, kinda shnazzy and fun! At the beginning of the day my mother said, "there's a lot riding on that thing today because we're not eating out." Well to her amazement we had a feast. Tomorrow is the 7th of July and my co-workers are going to use it as well to heat up their meals for lunch. I'll return with some great feedback. THANK YOU DOUGLAS : ) Wherever I go I have nothing to worry about because it fits in any vehicle I have. Clean up is easy and the left overs go right into the bag. Oh yeah, the inner lining had some food stains but I tossed it in the washer and its ready to go. I'll keep you updated on the journey.
R.S. - Vancouver, WA |
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9 - I just wanted to drop a quick note to say ‘hi’ and let you know that Nicole and her girls and I all went camping several weeks ago and took the Flashpan. We cooked every meal using it and it was absolutely fantastic! I’d only ever used it before for cooking for just Nicole and/or myself but this time we cooked about 4 different meals for 3 people. It worked beautifully. I love it. It cooks so fast!
Shawn - Kelowna, B.C. |
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10 - Our current unit is made up of 20 Parks Officers that police and administer a number of the National and Provincial Parks in Ontario, Canada. I started using my Flashpan unit shortly in April 2008. We also distributed the other 20 Flashpan units to the other Parks Officers. We monitor hunting, fishing ,camping and general conduct within the parks.
I have cooked, frozen hamburger patties, raw sausage, fish filets, pork and beans from a can, wild mushrooms (which were properly identified) leaks and fiddle heads, scrambled eggs (crack some eggs into a ziplock bag in the morning, pour into pan for lunch). The unit is so versatile. The fuel pellets are well constructed with mostly only using two pellets to cook a meal.
My unit holds up very well after constant use over the last 15 months in the field. The pan has kept its shape, no warping, the legs and handle are still functioning as new. The unit is very easy to clean in the summer just add lake water and it cleans like new. In the winter, add snow and boil off. The Flashpan unit rides in my truck and on outings I take it by ATV, snowmobile and by boat.
The Flashpan unit and its accessories are a necessity in the field for me and our park officers. Everyone who has used the Flashpan units is very impressed with the solid cooking we get in the outdoors and emercencies.
We want to thank Flashpan for letting us use this innovative product in the field.
Sgt. Fern Blais, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Conservation Officer
Pembroke, Ontario, Canada |
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11 - We have used the Flashpan and its accessories over the last year and a half with our Rescue and SAVE Teams with great success and satisfaction.
All of our police officers who use the Flashpan units love the accessories such as the new coffee pot attachment and your grills. As you know, our special units work over long periods of time in secluded areas attempting difficult search and rescue operations. Your “quick and easy set up system” with Flashpan allows us to get a hot meal in any weather or situation when we are working on cases……..we can be gone for weeks at a time in summer or winter……….it is currently used with our police cars, patrol boats, ATV’s , Lab RV’s and snowmobiles at present.
Thanks to everyone at Flashpan……it is great product for us.
Constable Andrew Bishop
Ontario Provincial Police / OPP
North Bay, Ontario, Canada
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Here are a few videos of how others use the Flashpan
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