Sea to Summit Frontier Ultralight Pot Review: For The UL Chef

Introduction

When it comes to backcountry hiking cookware, finding the perfect balance between weight, durability, and real-world cooking performance can be a challenge. While titanium is the lightest material, we think aluminium pots, such as the Sea to Summit Frontier Ultralight series, are a great choice for those seeking a better masterchef experience.

Alloy vs Titanium

For ultralight hiking cookware, titanium is perfect if your goal is to boil water for hot drinks and to rehydrate freeze-dried meals. It is also a manageable option for cooking pasta. However, it transfers heat so rapidly that it creates intense hot spots, making it notoriously difficult to cook with. If you plan on attempting any advanced culinary activity—such as simmering a sauce, sautéing vegetables, or frying off spices—an alloy pot is the more practical option. We’d also recommend aluminium if you plan of cooking rice, eggs, or making pancakes. Its excellent thermal conductivity allows for a much more even distribution of heat across the cooking surface, which lets you actually cook and simmer your meal without scorching it to the bottom of the pot.

Testing

Our review is based on 80 days of hiking, using the 3L Frontier pot as our primary tool for group cooking on our guided trips. On these trips, we don’t use pre-made meals, but rather cook our own food using freeze-dried ingredients. Common meals we like to make include scrambled eggs and hash browns, French toast, pancakes, chicken satay, spaghetti bolognese and apple crumble.

Specs

The pot comes in three different sizes; 1.3L, 2L and 3L. All three are made from hard-anodised aluminium alloy.

Weight:

1.3L: 212g vs 130g for a 1.3L titanium Evernew pot
2L: 255g vs 182g for a 2L titanium MST Titan pot
3L: 304g vs 290g for a 3L titanium generic AliExpress pot

We have found that the 3L pot is the perfect volume to use when cooking for groups of 4 people. For smaller groups, we would recommend using the 1.3L pot for 2 people, and the 2L pot for 3 people. However, it ultimately comes down to personal preference and the meals you plan to make.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Superior cooking performance: Unlike titanium pots that create intense hot spots, the hard-anodised alloy provides even heat distribution, making it far better for simmering and cooking meals.
Excellent handle system: The Click-Safe removable handle is a standout feature. It provides a secure grip when attached for cooking and can be reversed to lock the lid and contents in place for compact storage.
Effective strainer lid: The lid includes an integrated strainer which works very well for draining pasta or vegetables.

Cons

Prone to deforming: The main drawback we’ve observed is that the lightweight alloy can deform over time. This can eventually compromise the fit of the lid, affecting the strainer’s effectiveness and packability.
Overkill for boiling water: If your hiking menu consists of Easy Mac, soaking oats in boiling water, and freeze dried meals, you can save some weight by using a titanium pot. Having said that, the 3L titanium pot market is underserved and there aren’t any compelling options that save a lot of weight.

Discussion

In the field, the Frontier pot proves to be a highly practical and well-designed piece of kit. The handle system is intuitive, making the transition from packed to cooking quick and simple. Additionally, the built in strainer is incredibly useful to make for a safer and more stable pouring mechanism.

The biggest drawback we’ve experienced with the pot is its tendency to slightly change shape over time. When packing in your pack, it can be easy to ‘squash’, deforming the metal and affecting how securely the lid sits.

Conclusion

The Sea to Summit Frontier Ultralight series is an excellent option for lightweight hikers who are interested in doing some proper cooking as opposed to just rehydrating meals on the trail. The pot comes in three different sizes, catering to a wide range of group sizes. While its long-term durability may be a concern for those who are hard on their gear, its performance and low weight make it a top contender in the ultralight cookware market.