Sea to Summit  Alpha Pot - 1.9 Liters

The pot itself is great, only problem, is the little locking tab to keep the handle from accidentally coming unlatched, broke on the first use. I don’t see it coming unlatched as long as your careful. Just poor design IMO.

Added this pot to my collection. I chose this size for winter backpacking and mountaineering when I need to melt snow for water. It's light, the lid rests well on the pot, and the handle is insulated so I can hold with my bare hands. I used this for simmer cooking on the PCT last summer and I was happy to be able to stir food while it's bubbling in the pot without the food spattering out of the pot. It was perfect for my "pot roast" and "enchiladas" recipes that can get messy.

Received my pot today. Locked in the handle and now I'm unable to pivot it back without warping the pot and breaking something. The locking mechanism moves out of the way, but the metal part won't budge, so it's stuck there. I watched a few videos to see if I I'm doing something wrong, and no I'm not. I just sent an email to Sea to Summit and after sending it, I got a notice that said it may take a few days for them to get back to me. I don't have a few days! I've already spent my budget on supplies for a backpacking adventure I'm going on with my son and this is very inconvenient. This is obviously a pretty important piece of equipment for us. I'M SO BUMMED.

Fairly light and a good size for two people. Handle stays cool enough. Handle lock down seems overly complicated and requires enough force to deploy that the pot bends. Oh well, pot was easily bent back into shape. I would recommend using the same confusingly awkward motion to both deploy the handle and to put it away. (Not sure how many times an aluminum pot can be bent before it cracks...) Also, the handle lock is completely unnecessary given the amount of force it takes to put the handle in place. Anyway, despite the bendy-ness and weird handle this is a really good pot. Not much else out there this light that isn't non-stick (yuck) or titanium (terribly uneven heating and the handles burn you)

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I'm extremely happy with my Alpha 1.9L. I purchased and returned all the big names equivalent pots both in anodized and titanium ultimately choosing the Alpha. What was I looking for you ask? 1. Large enough but not too much so as to be able to nest another brand's universal fuel stove and pump. 2. Comparable weight to similar sized pots 3. Tight fitting lid with strainer and a practical lid grab 4. Solid handle (system) Bonus: it also locks down the lid and keeps contents tight inside pot when in travel 5. Volumetric markings The Alpha met and exceeded my needs, and I can highly recommend purchasing it.

This is a great standard lightweight backcountry pot. Overall I'm happy with my purchase and I believe it will serve me well for a long time. The pot has a locking handle system but I sometimes have a hard time engaging the additional plastic locking system piece. I'm interested to see how long term wear on the handle attachment and swivel unit affects it over time. I also like to pack my pots with the lid off to put a water bottle inside it or other larger items, with this design that isn't possible becuase of that attached handle swivel system. It's a great sized pot for 1 eating a large meal or two squeezing down or for light eaters. Definitely enough for two coffees in the morning!

Lighter than I expected, but sturdy. You'd guess it was titanium. Can boil enough water for 2 meals at once, so it's nice if you have a partner with you, and you can eat at the same time. Handle folds to secure the lid, so you can carry stove and fuel inside.

Putting the handle in place is a two step process. Step 1: snap it into place. Step 2: latch it securely in place. I forgot step 2 on our last trip. The handle came unsnapped and I spilled boiling water all over the place. It missed me and my son, but it could have been a lot worse. This pot has a design flaw of looking like it’s fully assembled when it really isn’t, and being able to sort of be used when the handle isn’t fully secured. I’d recommend a different pot until they get the handle latch down to a one step process. I’m buying a different pot.

I have the 2.7L pot. Very useful to cook for 2-4 people. Good volume. Sits on the liquid fuel stoves (MSR Dragonfly and Optimus Polaris) well. The diameter is not too big or too small. The problems I have are 1) the rubber knob on the lid is tearing off after several years of light use (2-3 trip/year, <5 days each). This is purely due to swinging handle over the knob when it is moved over the lid for storage. So, it is a design flaw. If the knob completely falls off I cannot pick up the lid! 2) the lock mechanism on the handle is not clear when it is locked. It may look locked but actually be unlocked. So, when you are pouring boiling water the handle may suddenly collapse with very painful consequences. Other than that, pretty good.

The anodized coating started to come off the pot the first time we washed it. Now there's a dull gray powder coming off into our food. Who knows what effect that chemical may have on your body. There's a tiny 0.25 inch warning on the bottom of the packaging not to put the pot in the washer. Easy to miss. Recommend you pay close attention. For this price point, I do not expect the pot to fall apart immediately like a cheap discount store special. Do not recommend. Would not buy again. Would consider to avoid the Sea to Summit brand entirely.