TOAKS Titanium Pot Review

Overview

TOAKS makes the pot that ultralight hikers tend to own before they know they want a pot. It is a plain, uncoated, pure-titanium cylinder with a lockable-handled lid, folding pot handles and a mesh sack, sold in sizes from 550 ml to 1600 ml. The line is built for boiling water for freeze-dried meals, coffee and ramen. It cooks real food only grudgingly, and that is the trade-off.

Key Specs

Spec	Value
Weight	72–158 g depending on version (the 1600 ml figure is pot only; 194 g with lid)
Capacity	550–1,600 ml
Material	Pure titanium, Grade 1/2, uncoated
Wall thickness	0.35 mm on the 900 ml D115 (0.3 mm on the 550 ml Ultralight)
900 ml D115 dimensions	115 mm diameter × 92 mm tall; 92 g pot only, 116 g with lid
Includes	Lockable-handled lid, mesh storage sack
Gradations	Fluid ounces and milliliters, inside wall
Handles	Fold-out, uninsulated titanium

Performance

Boiling

This is the job the pot was made for. Thin titanium passes heat quickly, and the wider bodies, especially the D115 and D130 900 ml pots, give the flame more surface to work on. Owners on multiple forums report faster boils than with narrower pots, and the gap holds as temperatures approach freezing. For a boil-and-pour routine, the pot has few real rivals at its price.

Cooking

Titanium spreads heat poorly, and these pots do not pretend otherwise. Hot spots form directly over the flame, so pasta, rice and anything with sugar in it will scorch unless the burner stays low and the spoon keeps moving. CleverHiker’s testers, reviewing the closely related 750 ml, made the same point: the pot suits hikers who put weight savings ahead of cooking performance. Simmering a sauce or sautéing is better left to a thicker pot.

Heat Retention

Heat that enters fast also leaves fast. Hikers report that in subfreezing weather only the last few bites go cold, but the pot cannot be set down while the meal is eaten at leisure. A cozy cut from scrap foam pad fixes most of the problem and adds almost no weight.

Durability and Shape

Walls are thin, 0.35 mm on the standard-gauge pots, so a loaded pack can put a little give into the rim. Thru-hikers have reported the squat 900 ml D130 drifting from round toward oval over a long trail, while the taller D115 appears to hold its shape better. One REI reviewer cooked hundreds of meals in the 900 ml over everything from a canister stove to an open fire. That owner reported no dents or scratches. Titanium will not corrode, and with no coating there is nothing to peel.

Handles and Lid

The lid handle clicks upright for grabbing mid-boil and folds flat for packing. The pot handles run cooler than the body while pouring, but they are bare titanium, unlike the insulated handles on pricier options such as the Evernew Titanium UL or Snow Peak Trek. A hot pot still wants a little respect.

Cleaning and Nesting

Internal oz/ml markings are raised, so bits of food can lodge in them. The narrower D115 is also a tighter fit for a scrubbing hand than a wide pot would be. On the plus side, the D115 holds a 220 g fuel canister, or a 110 g canister with a compact stove and lighter. The pots also nest in one another. The D115 slips inside the 1300 ml and 1600 ml pots, the D130 inside the 1350 ml and 1600 ml, and the 550 ml Ultralight can sit inside the D115.

Choosing a Version

550 ml (72 g). The Ultralight 550 is a 95 mm × 80 mm pot with 0.3 mm walls. TOAKS lists a 110 g canister as a fit, and a 32 oz Nalgene bottle slides inside. At 18.6 oz it holds one freeze-dried pouch’s worth of water and little more. One owner who moved up to the 750 ml found the 550 too snug for a canister plus stove. Best for solo boil-only hikers who count grams first.

550 ml Standard, POT-550 (99.2 g). About 27 g heavier than the Ultralight 550, in standard-gauge construction. It suits hikers who want the same capacity with a sturdier feel and can spare the weight.

900 ml D130 mm (104 g). At 130 mm wide and 68 mm tall, this is the short, stable choice on top of a canister stove. Retailer descriptions stress its fuel efficiency, and it nests inside the 1350 ml and 1600 ml pots. The tradeoff is the shape-holding concern above. Good for hikers who cook on a tall stove and want the widest base.

900 ml D115 mm (116 g with lid, 92 g pot only). The reference version: 115 mm × 92 mm, roomy enough to stir a full solo dinner, with the canister-nesting trick. It is the best fit for most solo thru-hikers and the one this review leans on.

1600 ml (158 g pot only, 194 g with lid). A 145 mm × 106 mm pot that holds 1,750 ml to the rim. It is the choice for two people sharing a meal, melting snow, or a solo hiker who nests a smaller pot and a stove inside it. For one person it is more pot, and more weight, than a typical dinner needs.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 72 g to 194 g across the range, with the popular 900 ml at 116 g including lid
• Fast boils thanks to thin walls and wide bases
• Lockable lid handle and folding pot handles
• Uncoated titanium: no peeling, no seasoning, no corrosion
• Internal oz/ml markings and a mesh sack in the box
• Pots nest with each other and with canisters
• Priced below most titanium competitors, around $30 to $53 at retail

Cons

• Hot spots make scorching easy when cooking real food
• Thin walls lose heat fast in cold weather
• Handles are uninsulated
• Rim can flex when crushed in a packed bag, and the D130 can go oval
• Raised measurement marks trap food residue
• No non-stick surface

Who Should Buy This

The ideal buyer is a solo thru-hiker or weekend ultralighter whose kitchen is a canister stove, a pot and a long spoon. The 900 ml D115 suits most of them, and the 550 ml suits those who only boil. Couples will want the 1600 ml. Anyone who wants to simmer, sauté or fry should look at a thicker, coated pot. So should hikers who are rough on their gear.

Verdict

TOAKS delivers what it advertises: a light, fast-boiling, durable titanium pot at a price that undercuts most of the field. The hot spots and heat loss are real, but a low flame and a foam cozy contain both. For boil-and-eat backpacking, the 900 ml D115 is the sensible default.