Price: $49.95

Weight: 1.62 lbs (734 g)

Components: 2L pot; 1.5L pot; frypan lid; pot gripper; storage sack

Materials: Stainless steel

Cooking Surface: Stainless steel

Packed Size: 8.2″ x 8.2″ x 4.4″

Boil Time: 3:50

Best Use: Backpacking, Camping

What We Like: Low price, Highly durable, Packable

What We Don’t: Cooks unevenly, Tendency for hot spots, No skillet, Inconvenient pot grabber

Mountain Safety Research was established in 1969 by an engineer and mountaineer with the purpose of developing safer climbing gear, and over the past half century that philosophy has expanded to include a wide range of outdoor gear like snowshoes, hiking poles, tents, water-treatment devices, and several popular camp-cooking items. This includes cook sets and kitchen utensils as well as backpacking stoves like the MSR PocketRocket 2 and WindBurner.

MSR has become a go-to name when it comes to camp cookware, with the Alpine 2-Pot Set being a notable inclusion. This $49.95 stainless steel set includes a 2L and a 1.5L pot, along with a frypan lid and pot gripper, all wrapped up in a storage sack. The Alpine set is highly durable with a straightforward design that makes it easy to operate, and it has an attractive price considering it could last you a lifetime with the proper care. However, the Alpine is far from flawless, and there are other cook sets in our review that scored higher marks on cooking ability (namely, MSR’s Ceramic 2-Pot Set).

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Cooking & Cleaning

The materials and cooking surface for the Alpine set are stainless steel, which is not our favorite substance for a couple of reasons. The main issue is that stainless steel does not conduct heat all that well, so it will generate hot spots where the pots are in contact with the heating element. This can easily lead to burnt food if you’re not watching over it carefully. If you’re planning to scramble up some eggs before breaking camp, make sure you keep them well stirred or you’re likely to have some runny eggs. We’d also recommend you avoid cooking anything under high heat to avoid burning your meal. As a result, we would not advise using this set over a campfire, as the high heat will almost certainly lead to a burnt dinner.

For two cups of water, boil time for the Alpine 2-Pot set is roughly 3 minutes 50 seconds, which is right around the average. There are sets in our review that can beat this time, but the difference is not substantial enough to warrant the additional price, at least for this particular metric. This set should perform well for brewing coffee and making hot water to prepare MREs.

Our issues with stainless steel are further amplified due to the lack of a nonstick coating like ceramic or Teflon, which leads us to the other notable weakness of the Alpine 2-Pot Set: cleaning. Burnt food on a nonstick surface will not be the easiest to remove, so be prepared to do some scraping if you end up cooking your meal a bit too quickly. On the plus side, due to its rugged stainless steel and lack of nonstick coating, you can scrub away as hard as you like without needing to be overly concerned about compromising the cooking surface or damaging the set in general.

Weight & Packability

The Alpine 2-Pot Set weighs in at 1.62 lbs (734 g), with a packed size of 8.2″ x 8.2″ x 4.4″. There are certainly lighter and more packable sets available, but for its $50 price tag, the Alpine is an acceptable choice for a backpacking excursion and also large enough to be sufficient for car camping. The 1.5L and 2L pots nest together very well, leaving tons of room inside to pack additional items; as one might surmise, many hikers will use this space to hold their fuel canister and backpacking stove (with the MSR WhisperLite being a popular choice), as well as miscellaneous camp cookware like sporks and even cups. The set could be packed away inside your backpack or even hung outside utilising the included storage sack, so long as you don’t mind a bit of swinging.

Durability

What makes this set especially packable is its stainless steel construction, which leads us to our next topic. There’s no cause for concern over scratching or denting the inside or outside of the pots when cleaning or packing things away, and many users have stated that their Alpine set has lasted them more than a decade without needing to be replaced. This can easily be a “buy it for life” set if treated properly, and as a result the Alpine 2-Pot Set scored high marks when it comes to durability.

Features

If you’re looking for bells and whistles, the MSR Alpine 2-Pot Set may leave you wanting. For one, there’s no skillet, so it’s not ideal for fry-ups. Some users have tried utilizing the pot lid as a makeshift pan, but we would not recommend this practice unless you prepare yourself for disappointment, as it’s equally difficult to use in both the cooking and cleaning department. If you’re not planning to use the lid when cooking with one of the pots, it does make for a decent plate.

 Both pots share a detachable pliers-style pot grabber (also stainless steel) that’s not quite as elegantly designed as the handles we’ve found on other models. You’ll need to keep a tight grip on the grabber while it’s hooked onto the pot, as this is the only way to keep it attached. The other potential issue with this handle is that due to the fact that there is only one, cooking with both pots at once could be just a bit more complicated.

The Bottom Line

The MSR Alpine 2-Pot Set’s primary strengths and weaknesses are determined by its stainless steel construction. While this material does not cook or clean nearly as well as aluminum or cookware sets that use a coating for the cooking surface, it’s incredibly rugged and can take heaps of punishment. This set could be improved upon with a better handle system, but it’s also quite packable, with a reasonable weight when you consider the low cost compared to higher-end sets. If price and longevity are amongst the qualities you rank highest, this could be a great set that may even be handed down to the next generation of campers. For those who would rather spend a little more for an easier cooking experience, there are several alternatives out there.

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