Clean pot vs Blackened pot

In this video I do a test to find out if a clean pot heats better than a blackened pot. This is something I wondered about since I was a tenderfoot in the Boy Scouts and now I have a chance to find out.

The other day I did a lab where I used the Firebox I got from Steve over at Firebox Industries. The fuel I was using at the time was wood pellets and it coated the GSI cup I was using with a real hard, black soot. Since I have another clean GSI cup I thought this would be a good time to check it out.

In this lab I'm using a fondue burner in the Folding Firebox stove. I must have been having a brain fart since I didn't mention the name of the stove at the start of the video. Sorry Steve. If you'ld like more info on the Firebox use the link below.

Also sorry about the slanted video. The camera was tilted a bit and I didn't notice it.

Link to my video, Snowtober - 10/29/2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McJdsp1SCQU

You can find more info on the Firebox at the following link:
http://foldingfirebox.com/

Thank you for watching my video,
Hiram

Lab0233

Title: Clean pot vs Blackened pot - Part 1
Room temp: 49° - Note: the 42 I said was the humidity level, not the temperature
Humidity: 42%
Weather condition: Cloudy - Windy
Burner: Fondue burner - alcohol
Stove/Pot stand: Firebox Pot Stand setup for using the Fondue burner.
Pot: GSI Cup
Fuel: methanol
Amount of fuel: NA
Amount of water: 2 cup(s)
Water temp at start: 49°
Time to boil: 11 minute(s) 46 second(s)
Time to run-out: NA
Note:

NA = Not Applicable / Not Available

Title: Clean pot vs Blackened pot - Part 2
Room temp: 49° - Note: the 42 I said was the humidity level, not the temperature
Humidity: 42%
Weather condition: Cloudy - Windy
Burner: Fondue burner - alcohol
Stove/Pot stand: Firebox Pot Stand setup for using the Fondue burner.
Pot: GSI Cup
Fuel: methanol
Amount of fuel: NA
Amount of water: 2 cup(s)
Water temp at start: 50°
Time to boil: 11 minute(s) 50 second(s), Give-or-take
Time to run-out: NA
Note:

NA = Not Applicable / Not Available

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Firebox
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• stand
• fondue
• stove
• GSI
• cup
• wood
• pellet
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• BOB
• bug
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• bag
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[MrBushLife]

I love Sally Ann Shopping, Value Mart, Discount stores, Thrift store, 2nd hand store..shopping rocks.

[MrBushLife]

@KMSCoring check out your batteries for your hearing aid...happens to me all the time..lol

[trailkeeper]

If the carbon/soot coating is too thick, it will act like an insulator as compared to bare metal. I think in the solar industry, they are using black anodized metals such as aluminum, which is a very thin black coating.

[VintageSG]

If your scoutmaster was like mine, we kept the kit as clean as possible to avoid getting soot on the rest of our kit, to force us to clean our tins out so we didn't get the squits and thus to engender an attitude of 'look after your kit and it will look after you'. Tins didn't have to be shiny, but they couldn't transfer gunk onto anything else. I agree your scoutmaster probably had a thing for shiny pots. Mine didn't want someone with the squits on a Kinder Scout two nighter.

[spectralmunchkin]

Inquisitive minds want to know! Thanks for the vid. You make learning fun.

[TheBeebopper]

The blackened pot gains heat quicker from hot coals. It does not work with just a blue flame, there must be a radiant heat source. With a small bundle of twigs to make a brew, the difference could be important to whether your tea is pallatible or not.

[wolfwind371]

I think your scout master know how to keep kids busy

[thecyr]

I wouldn't think it would make a difference, but it's great that you did the test.

[SwitchbackOutdoors]

I painted the bottom of my snowpeak 700 ti black with engine paint. After painting I shaved 30% of my boil time. Wonder why we're getting different results. Where's Bill Nye when you need him. I wonder if theres a difference between titanium and stainless as far as benefit of a coating of smut/paint. Interesting vid as usual!

[EconoChallenge]

I have been waiting for this one. If it makes you feel better I was betting it would make a difference and the pot with the soot would take longer to boil. Still going to try and keep my pot clean but perhaps not shinny! Thank you for posting this.