Camping Cookset review: MSR Flex 4 review

We asked Caravan Ambassador Paul Mcpherson to review the MSR Flex 4 Cookset system.

I have to say at face value the cost of £120.00 seems somewhat eye watering! However, we found this to be of excellent quality and a very competent piece of kit, which is brilliant for feeding a family.

It is a small cook set, measuring a mere 23.4cm x 14.7cm when stored. It is hard to believe that this will not only provide four polypropylene deep-dish plates and four 12.5oz stainless steel mugs that have an insulated sleeve to keep your drinks hot yet comfortable to handle.

It also gives you two aluminium saucepans into the bargain, a 3.2-litre nonstick pot and a 5.3-litre hard anodised pot both with brushed aluminium lids with integrated strainers.

The 5.3-litre pot has built-in handles whereas the 3.2-litre pot has a Talon pot handle, which attaches to and removes from it. All the components of this set, nest within the 5.3-litre pot for efficient packing.

Feel the quality

All of these have a feel of quality especially the non-stick surfaces and the ease of cleaning them. The MSR Flex 4 Cooking system is an incredibly well thought out piece of kit which packs in a quality feel into a tiny size. The four plates have a deep-dish edge, which is great to prevent spills, especially with young children whether it’s pasta or soup.

Good insulation properties

The four cups have lids that provide high insulation and prevent large spills if knocked over, cleverly they are colour-coded to avoid mix-ups. The two saucepans are of superb quality yet remain lightweight, the pan's handle not only folds when packing away but is also detachable, yet it remains sturdy and doesn’t get hot when used on the gas hob.

Both of these saucepans are a great size for families we cooked for five using both pans and found them of generous proportion.

Great, but is it good value?

In summary, then, it’s a great piece of kit, compact, sturdy and excellent design both practically and aesthetically. The one stumbling block, on face value, is the price at between £105.00 to £115.00 online. In retrospect though we spent £50 on a four-piece melamine set and that doesn’t include the cost of two saucepans.

If you want a quality cook set that is minuscule in its dimensions yet vast in its quality, then the MSR Flex 4 cookset is definitely for you.