Wild CampingAlpkitCooking System

Alpkit BruKit review: the quiet all-in-one stove that does more than boil water

A roomy, versatile integrated cooking system with a pleasantly quiet burner and the option to use your own pan. It isn’t the quickest boiler, and the regulator only goes so far.

Plenty of stoves shout about speed. The Alpkit BruKit just gets on with the job. We’ve used it on Dartmoor day hikes and overnight camps for coffees, noodles, boil-in-the-bag meals and even a tin of beans, and it has proved a dependable all-rounder, particularly for solo trips. It isn’t the fastest integrated system around, but its performance is perfectly adequate, and we’ve come to appreciate how quietly it works.

✓  RecommendedAlpkit BruKit Capacity1 litre+IgnitionPiezoRRP£54.99 The good✓  Quieter burner than some rivals
✓  Just over 1 litre, marked to 1 litre
✓  Reliable piezo ignition
✓  Pot support for your own cookware
✓  Tension-lock folding handle
✓  Packs inside the pot, canister too
The not-so-good✗  Not the fastest boil
✗  Regulator has limited fine adjustment

Check out the Alpkit BruKit →

At a glance

Overview

The BruKit is an integrated cooking system built to make hot drinks and meals simple out on the trail. With a capacity of just over a litre, it’s big enough to boil water for a brew, prepare dehydrated and boil-in-the-bag meals, or heat up something more substantial at camp. The burner screws onto a compatible gas canister, a small blue tripod-style base adds stability, and the pot attaches directly to the burner assembly.

What sets it apart from a simple water-boiler is flexibility. The supplied pot support lets you cook in a different pan if you’d rather, and the whole system is happy heating a tin of beans as much as boiling water for noodles. It’s made by Alpkit, and it’s a practical, sensible piece of kit rather than a showy one.

A note on price

The BruKit sits in a competitive corner of the market, so its value depends on how its capacity, versatility, weight and performance stack up against the alternatives. In our experience it’s been reliable and practical, and it offers more flexibility than a basic water-boiling setup, particularly with the option of alternative cookware. It costs £54.99 direct from Alpkit at the time of writing, which we think is fair for what it offers.

How we tested

We’ve used the BruKit on numerous occasions on Dartmoor, from day hikes to overnight camps. On day hikes it did regular duty at coffee stops and for boiling water on the move, which showed us how straightforward it is to assemble, operate and pack away.

Over several nights of camping we used it for hot drinks, noodles, boil-in-the-bag meals and, more recently, expedition meals, plus more conventional food such as a tin of beans. That gave us a good feel for its capacity and cooking options in a proper camping environment. 

Features and performance

Ease of use

The BruKit is easy to set up. The burner assembly screws onto the canister, the pot attaches directly to the burner, and the integrated piezo ignition has worked reliably, without any issues. The gas regulator moves between lower and higher outputs, and it does the job, although it doesn’t offer quite the same degree of adjustment as some competing systems.

There are a few thoughtful details. The handle has a tension-lock mechanism and folds back around the pot for storage. The lid has a built-in strainer and a small heat-resistant handle, and volume markings inside the pot make measuring water easy, up to one litre.

Capacity and cooking

For solo use, just over a litre is plenty for the cooking we tend to do on overnight trips. There’s room for a couple of folded boil-in-the-bag meals with enough water to prepare them, and it will comfortably boil enough for a brew, a meal or general camp use. If you want to save weight and keep things simple, you can leave the pot support at home and cook in the integrated pot alone; if you’d rather use your own pan, the support makes that possible.

“We don’t mind waiting a little longer for the water to boil if it means a quieter moment at camp.”

Boil time and noise

Boil times are perfectly reasonable, and we’ve never found the BruKit lacking in everyday use. There are certainly faster systems, including some in the Jetboil range, but speed isn’t everything. The burner is noticeably quieter than some of its competitors, and that’s something we genuinely appreciate. There’s something quite nice about sitting at camp with a bit of peace while the water comes to the boil or your food warms through.

Packing and storage

The integrated design keeps things together. The burner and regulator assembly pack neatly inside the pot, with room for a small gas canister too. One small tip: pop a microfibre cloth inside the pot when you pack up, as it stops the components rattling against one another while you walk. The BruKit is a little taller than some alternatives, but its relatively slim profile is appealing, and we’re keen to see how that translates to carrying it on a bike.

The catch: speed and flame control

The BruKit isn’t perfect. It isn’t the fastest system on the market, and the regulator doesn’t give quite the fine control that some rivals manage. Neither has been a real problem for us, and for the type of cooking we do both are easy to live with, but if you want the quickest possible boil or the finest control over a simmer, it’s worth knowing.

How it compares

The Jetboil range is the obvious comparison, and the Jetboil MiniMo is the one most people will weigh the BruKit against. It weighs 415g against the BruKit’s 585g, boils a little quicker by Jetboil’s figures and gives finer, more incremental heat control than the BruKit’s lever, which does turn down but has less range, but its £184.99 RRP is more than three times the BruKit’s £54.99, even if it’s often discounted to well under £150. The OEX Heiro is lighter again at 370g, claims a two-minute boil for 500ml and comes with a regulator, for roughly £45 to £60 depending on the retailer. Its pot is only 600ml, though, so it suits a single brew or pouch meal better than a bigger cook. The Fire-Maple FMS-X1 is another budget option at 511g with a one-litre pot, but it has no regulator, and one review notes you may want to buy a canister stand separately. All three are lighter than the BruKit. But for solo trips where we want room to cook, the freedom to use our own pan and a burner that’s quieter than some rivals, at a modest price, the BruKit is the one we’ve kept reaching for.

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Our verdictA dependable, versatile stove that does what we need, quietly.If you want a cooking system with enough capacity to boil water, prepare boil-in-the-bag meals and cook something a little more substantial, the BruKit is certainly worth considering. It’s straightforward to use, it’s quieter than some rivals, and the option of alternative cookware gives it more flexibility than a simple water-boiler.It might not be the quickest system on the market, and the regulator doesn’t offer quite the same level of flame adjustment as some competitors. But it does what we need it to do, and it does it well. For solo hiking and overnight camping, we’ve found it a good fit.Check out the Alpkit BruKit →

FAQs

How fast does the Alpkit BruKit boil water?Fast enough for everyday use, though not the quickest system around. There are faster options, including some in the Jetboil range, but we’ve never found the BruKit lacking.

Is the Alpkit BruKit quiet?Quieter than some competing systems, and that’s something we like. It makes waiting for the water to boil a more peaceful part of camp life.

Can you use your own pan with the BruKit?Yes. The supplied pot support lets you use a separate pan or other compatible cookware, and you can leave it at home if you’d rather cook in the integrated pot.

How much does the BruKit hold, and does it pack away well?The pot holds just over a litre, with markings up to one litre. The burner and regulator assembly pack inside it, along with a small gas canister.

Is the Alpkit BruKit worth the money?In our experience it’s a reliable, practical system with more flexibility than a simple water-boiler. At £54.99 direct from Alpkit at the time of writing, we think it’s fair value for what it does.