

Overall Impressions
For us this pot is great for saving space while being able to cook soups, boil water, make pasta or grains and use as a salad bowl.
Awesome space saver
Efficient at boiling liquids
Lid has built in strainer
No need for hot mits
Easy to clean
Not great for sautéeing veggies
Not sure if silicone is good for long term use
Lid deteriorated within one week of use
2.8L may be a bit large for two people
Our Review
At the time of this review we have been on the road for three months and the Sea to Summit X-Pot 2.8L has had its fair share of use and abuse. We cook 5-6 nights per week and this pot is used about 1/3 of those times, so all in all we have used this pot about 30 times.
We chose the X-Pot for a number of reasons:
(1) SPACE - needed to fit in our kitchen space
(2) DURABILITY - we’re estimating 2 years of consistent use
(3) PERFORMANCE - does it perform for a wanna be gourmet chef in the bush?
I would classify this as a stockpot style pot used for cooking liquids (aka soups, stocks etc) and boiling water for pasta and grains. We wanted to have a pot that could do these things since we are living on the road for a couple of years. As a backpacker, I would opt to not carry this pot for cooking, but as overlanders this pot is a great choice. It fits great in our kitchen drawer and we can nest our MSR Apline plates and Sea to Summit X-Kettle in it with the lid on top. It folds down to 1.5” inches thick and 8.4” wide.
The X-Pot itself has shown to be quite durable and we have not seen any wear or tear after 30+ uses. However, the lid fell apart within a week of use. It started with tiny little cracks and grew to giant crevases to the point that the little silicone tab in the middle no longer had anything to hold on to. We contacted Sea to Summit about getting the lid warranted and they were quick to remedy the situation by shipping out a replacement lid. They would not ship it internationally so that proved to be problematic as we were in Mexico at the time of the warranty. Eventually, we figured it out and got the replacement. We’ll post an update with how the new lid it holds up.
**Update 10/11 Sea to Summit tried to ship the lid, but it took 14 business days and it missed the deadline for getting it to our destination. Long story short, if you need a replacement lid you cannot be in a hurry or mobile. At this point we are lidless, but our MRS plate works well as a replacement lid.


How well does it perform?
Well it’s not the nice thick stainless stockpots I am used to using at home, but it gets the job done. It is effiecient at boiling water and cooking pasta and grains. It does tend to burn quite fast when liquids dry out, so I don’t recommend using this for cooking veggies directly in the pot. I have other pans that are more suitable for use as a sauté pan. However, if push came to shove and you wanted only one pot for all your cooking needs you could get by with this one.
We cook mainly with our Cook Partner Steel stove and an MSR Dragonfly. The flame adjustability of both stoves is key for being able to use this X-Pot. If the flames travel too high around the edge of the pot you risk burning a hole into the side wall. We haven’t had this issue with either stove.
Tips for use:
1. If you are cooking grains, like rice or quinoa, I have found that it’s easier to boil on a low simmer until most of the liquid is gone and then turn off and keep covered. This will ensure you get a more fluffy grain rather than a sticky or burned result.
2. With pasta dishes, I usually cook the pasta in X-Pot, drain it and add a little oil. When the other ingredients (veggies, meat and sauce) are done I add those at the end with a tablespoon of water and reheat for a minute or two. This way the bottom doesn’t burn.
3. For clean up, I just add a little water while we eat and when I return to do the dishes the pot is easy to clean.
Technical Specs
Best Use |
Backpacking
|
---|---|
Liquid Capacity (L) |
2.8 liters
|
Liquid Capacity (fl. oz.) |
94.5 fluid ounces
|
Dimensions |
8.4 x 4.7 (1.5 collapsed) inches
|
Cookware Material |
Silicone / Aluminum
|
Material(s) |
Silicone
|
Nonstick Surface |
No
|
Includes |
2.8L pot with lid
|
Weight |
11.5 ounces
|
Collapsible |
Yes
|