If it Fits, it Sits: The GSI Pinnacle Base Camper Large Review
by: Sarah Blessington
GSI Pinnacle Base Camper Large–
MSRP: $ 109.95 (BUY NOW)
WEIGHT: 3 lbs. 7 oz.
DIMENSIONS: 10″ x 10″ x 6″
MATERIALS: Non-Stick Coated, Hard Anodized Aluminum, Nylon 6-6, Silicone
INCLUDES: 5 L Pot, 3 L Pot, 9” Frypan, 2 Strainer Lids, Cutting Board, Folding Pot Gripper, Welded Sink
PRODUCT USE: Destination Camping for 4+ People
Stacking non-stick pots and pans… What? This can’t be good, can it? Why yes, yes it can. When pulling my neatly wrapped package out of the impossibly tiny box, my brain was finally starting to register what this whole ‘nForm Destination’ stuff was really about. Any two pots of different sizes can merely fit inside the other, but to have a truly mated set is still boggling my mind. The 2 pots, the 9” frying pan, cutting board, and 2 lids, fit together like the gears of a clock. Everything is perfectly snug together to keep from rattling or scratching each other. I literally had to take everything apart, and put it back together several times just to absorb how awesome it is. Instead of wrapping your new present with paper and a bow, GSI went ahead and included a flexible ‘welded sink’ to just make sure that everything you travel with is actually worthy of coming with you.
Planning out your kitchen equipment is a very crucial aspect of building a tiny house on wheels. As part of the building process of the EEXP, I have been scouring the ethers of the Internet to find the perfect compact and quality kitchen tools. I have had the 10” Pinnacle Frypan from GSI for about six months, and after a solid onslaught of abuse, I have been met with continued success, and minimal signs of wear. In the outdoor world of camp cooking equipment, there isn’t a very large selection of pots and pans that can actually hold enough for two plus people without taking up a lot of space quickly. Sacrificing the deliciousness of your recipe because you simply cannot fit anything else in your cookware, is enough to ruin any cooking experience, let alone any camp cooking one. The Pinnacle Base Camper is going to allow you to have the cooking reality that you demand from your home, in the outdoors.
How is that possible you ask? Well, first off how often do use your 3 and 5 Liter pots at home? Almost every day? I thought so. How about a strainer? Just as much? Yep. In Bryon and I’s previous camp kitchen, we had a run of the mill 1 1/2 quart pot with a 6” frypan from home. If your cooking extends beyond sausages and Pasta-Roni, you might be met with some frustration. Needless to say I was thrilled to be met with the option of cooking without over crowding my food, while not overcrowding my storage.
In the stacking layer between the two pots, you will find a small round cutting board. Honestly, so far I haven’t found myself using this for actual cutting, but for more of a hotplate to protect surfaces or to rest utensils, as I already have a larger cutting board. While that may not seem like much, the snug fit it creates for the rest of the stacking operation, is totally worth its existence. The next mastery is that after the small pot sits on top of the cutting board, you are then presented with the option of tucking a 4-person compact set of nesting tableware inside without taking up any additional space. This is an extra purchase, but in the interest of saving space, this is something to consider (review will follow soon).
GSI was also able to sneak in a 9” frypan into the lid configuration that actually adds to the tight fit that keeps everything from running amuck. This 9” frypan only has about an inch depth, so you’re not going to be cooking any crazy pasta sauce in there, but sautéing some veggies, heating tortillas, and scrambling some eggs for 2 is an easy accomplishment.
Now to the lids. Right on the underside of your two new strainer lids, you will find some stickers that warn you of the dangers of open flame to their well being. While some warning signs can be taken more as guidelines, these made me a bit concerned. I mean, how far is that lid REALLY from my Camp Chef Single Burner Butane Stove’s flame? As it turns out, what that really means is just don’t put it IN the fire. I have had ZERO warping, or melting damage from steaming veggies or boiled over rice. My next fear was of actually using the strainer feature of the lid. On the side of the lid you will find a 3×1 inch patch of tiny holes. While it may not look like much, I am able to strain pasta with my hand on the lid, without burning my hand from the outpouring steam, or from the heat trapped inside. Now you can happily say goodbye to your awkward strainer that doesn’t ever really fit anywhere in your travel set.
The one accoutrement that doesn’t have a perfect home is the detachable handle. This compact foldable piece usually ends up where I store my cooking utensils to avoid putting a kink in this beautiful nesting affair. If you do end up investing in the 4-person table set, placing it inside one of the cups is also a safe alternative. The handle itself has offered itself to be a decently secure apparatus to safely deliver my boiling water into my GSI Java Press without any water droplet casualties, as well as lifting heavy contents. The handle also offers itself to the 9” frypan. The 5L pot has its own side handles that are locking, strong and heat insulated, which makes for easy pot maneuvering without burning your hands. Make sure to have the handles in the upright and locked position when cooking, as the handle covering can melt when coming in contact with hot objects. As far as the 3L pot goes, I will usually only connect the handle when I’m ready to take it off the heat. My frypan use typically requires two hands and some ‘chef-like’ finagling, so I leave the removable handle attached from the beginning. Whenever you do leave it attached, approach it with caution, as it might be too hot to the touch, as it does not have an insulated coating.
The pots themselves have this magic quality of cooling off in record time. I have a bad habit of touching hot things just to “make sure” they are in fact, still hot. My skin to blister ratio has joyfully improved. Almost as soon as I have removed any of the Pinnacle cookware from the heat, they are already safe to be placed on any surface, or to be cleaned. Speaking of the cleaning process, GSI offers the Compact Scraper, which is an excellent way to clear off any of your Pinnacle cookware with no water necessary, while still resting assured that no damage will come to your beloved companions. Also, the shape on this thing has proved handy not only for fitting the curvature of all my pots and pans, but also for cleaning my slotted spatula.
The last aspect of this whole package is the clasping welded sink. This offers you outside protection of your cookware, keeps everything in its rightful snug location, and gives you a mobile place to wash your dishes. As our travels on the road continue, I am sure that I will come up with more inventive ways to use this well sealed, collapsible water bucket. It’s another tool in your box that takes up no extra space, but you’ll be glad you have it when you need it.
Overall, I am still gushing about how much I am in love with this product. Part of this elation is due to how doubtful I was on how successful a stacking pot set could truly be, but the proof is in the pudding. Leave it to GSI to take a need for space conservation and turn it into your most respectable gourmet camp kitchen necessity.
(Disclaimer: GSI provided the Pinnacle Base Camper large for review consideration free of charge to Exploring Elements.)
