Burn Time
The F1 UltraLight has a very easy to use fuel adjustment knob on the side, just below the burner. It consists of large rubber knob, with a metal "turn key" loop, almost like small carabineer. Just as I stated in the assembly, it's like everything is designed to be big and easy to operate with numb fingers. After closing the fuel vale I connected my MSR fuel cartridge to the F1; it connected very smoothly with just a few rotations. Crack the fuel adjustment knob back open just a hair; apply some flame and presto, the unit sprung to life.

And sprung to life it certainly did. Even on the lowest possible setting I could adjust to, it was a deep rich blue flame, ready to scorch anything in its path. As the heat was now on, I filled my titanium pot with water to boil and quickly placed it on the tri-pod style pan supports. Any fears I had of the weakness of this 2.7 oz power house was washed away. This was no small pot, yet the pan supports didn't so much as creek as I set it atop the F1. If anything, the ensemble became more stable with the added weight.

With the water coming to temperature, I began to play with the fuel adjustments. The flame has a wide adjustable range, from the minimal simmer used to keep hot a pot of stew or brew of coffee, to a roaring butane devouring blue beast at full throttle. The F1 puts out some considerable heat and noise, much of it waste heat at full tilt. Personally I don't see the need to use this stove, or any other, at full throttle. It simply devours butane and the time savings you'll achieve at full throttle versus low heat is minimal. If you're running through the woods being chased by a crazed band of blood thirsty wolves, yet need to stop for a quick snack, then I could see cooking at full throttle. Otherwise keep the fuel adjustment on low and enjoy the silent efficient heat of the F1 UltraLight.

Post-cooking Impressions
After cooking my lasagna with beef, noodles, and cheese smothered in a Italian tomato sauce, I decided to examine the unit for any stress or heat related damage. With the lifetime warranty I expected none, and aside from a normal slight discoloring of the burner surface, I wasn't disappointed. The unit cooled off extremely quick and disassembled just as fast as it was put together. The unit is small enough to be placed in virtually any nook or cranny of your pack, or even in a pants pocket. At 2.7oz, you'll never know it's there.

Verdict
Small, light weight, yet extremely powerful. Aggressively priced solution for emergencies, weekend trips or even day trips.

With the compact size and weight of this unit, I'm personally not settling for a cold sandwich at the top of my local mountain peaks anymore. There is no reason to not cook a hot meal in just a few minutes with a product like this. The only potential down side is that the stove burns on butane/propane, which doesn't perform well in below freezing temperatures. Isobutane fuels (like the MSR used in this test) tend to perform slightly better, however do now except performance or even functionality at near 0 F.

The Coleman F1 UltraLight deserves every bit of praise I've bestowed upon it, and is now marked as a Treknologies Essential Resource.

Available direct from Coleman, REI, or your local camping supply store.