Modifying A Cup As A Stove

I have carried a titanium Snow Peak Solo Pot for many years. It came with a small cup that fit over the bottom, but was too small for my use as a coffee cup. I liked the fact that it fit over the pot, but just didn't have enough depth for a real coffee cup. Looking at it one day, I though if it was modified, it could be used as a stove, using Esbit tabs or an alcohol stove, or even be used as a small wood burning stove. Of course you could use any stainless steel cup for this purpose, but then it doesnt fit over a cup or pot, like this old titanium one did. But then you would still have a stove.

I started with cutting a rectangular shaped hole on one side for feeding the stove, and then drilled four holes on the back side for draft. On the top, I made a large round hole in the middle, leaving enough room to place a set of smaller round holes around the large hole.

After trying it out, it didn't work real well as it seemed to smother the fire. However, if I held the pot up a small distance from the top of the stove, it worked great. So, back to the drawing board. I decided to add stand-offs on the top by using three small washers, held in place by steel rivets.

Well, that solved the problem and the stove worked well. For use with Esbit heat tabs, I cut a round piece of flashing that fit inside the stove when not in use. It is used to place on the ground on which you place the Esbit heat tab. The stove is then placed over the round flashing.

Here are some pictures of the completed project.

This is a view of the rectangular opening for feeding the stove.

This is a view of the backside with the four vent holes.

This is a view of the top with the large hole surrounded by smaller holes and stand-offs.

The round piece of flashing used to place an Esbit heat tab on under the stove.

The round piece of flashing can be stored in the stove when not in use.

A view of a Guyot Stainless Bottle in the Snow-Peak Titanium Pot, inside the modified
titanium cup as a stove.

You can see that the stove also fits over an Alpine mug as it is designed
to fit over a Nalgene bottle.

A view of an Esbit Tab on the flashing under the stove.

A view of the pot setting on the stove using an Esbit tab.

A view of a Trangia Spirit alcohol burner in stove.

A view of the pot setting on the stove using a Trangia Spirit alcohol burner.

As you can see, the stove made from a titanium cup works real well. The problem is, in order to make one exactly like it, you would need to buy a Titanium Snow-Peak Solo Pot set, as they don't sell the little cup separately. However, there is another way. The top can from LaChoy® Chow Mein (It is a two can unit with the smaller can which holds the meat on top). That smaller of the two cans fits nicely over a pot or mug designed to fit over a Nalgene bottle. It won't be as sturdy as a regular metal cup, but it would certainly work. I'm sure there are many other cans out there that are the same size. Give it a try!

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Copyright © 2018 by John D. McCann