Questions and Answers

Esbit originally stands for „Erich Schumm Brennstoff in Tablettenform“ (Erich Schumm fuel in tablet form).

Erich Schumm was a German entrepreneur and inventor of numerous products. He developed Esbit solid fuel back in the early 1930s. Whether camping or hiking – the solid fuel is ideal for boiling food or water on the go and has been a popular product for outdoor equipment ever since. Today, our Esbit brand stands for much more than just solid fuel: innovative and practical products for on the go – in the city and in the great outdoors.

Under the traditional Esbit brand, we sell quality products for preparing, storing and consuming food and drinks on the go. Starting with our product classics – the solid fuel and pocket stove – we have continuously expanded our range. We offer a wide range of pots & cooksets , as well as cutlery and other camping utensils for outdoor cooking. For all those who like to have their drinks or refreshments to hand on the go, we also have high-quality drinking bottles and vacuum flasks as well as food jugs in our range. Whether for everyday use or the next adventure trip – the demands on our range remain the same. They are durable, reliable and tested to the limits.

Esbit Compagnie GmbH was founded in 1949 and is a Hamburg-based family business. The brothers Philip and Robert Paap are the third generation to run it. The Esbit range is designed to give adventurers more independence. Because when you’re out and about, you’re bound to work up an appetite sooner or later. With Esbit products, food is always ready at hand when you’re on the move. Either already prepared and packed or ready for the outdoor cooking experience in nature.

Our sales markets include Africa, America, Asia and Europe. Internationally, we work with distributors who supply retailers in their respective countries. You can find retailers who sell our products in each country in our retailer search.

Our Esbit solid fuel consists of a special mixture of mainly methenamine & wax.

For our other products we use materials that are robust and durable. The main components are predominantly 18/8 stainless steel, hard anodized aluminum or titanium. Plastic and silicone parts, for example for closures or lids that come into contact with food, are 100% BPA-free and phthalate-free.

We offer single-walled and double-walled drinking bottles. Single-walled bottles are lighter than double-walled bottles, but have no insulating function. Double-walled bottles, as the name suggests, have two stainless steel walls with a vacuum between them. This means that these stainless-steel bottles keep cold drinks cold for longer and hot drinks hot for longer.

We also have sports bottles in our range for quick use. These have a cap that is particularly easy to open by pulling up the mouthpiece.

In addition to insulated drinking bottles, we also offer classic vacuum flasks. Their lid also serves as a cup. Most sizes also include an additional drinking cup under the lid. This means you can share tea, coffee or a cold drink with your companion when you’re out and about.

The second drinking cup is included with all vacuum flasks of the Esbit CLASSIC series. It is also included with MAJORIS and SCULPTOR vacuum flasks for 750 ml and 1000 ml.

Our insulated drinking bottles and classic vacuum flasks reliably keep their contents hot or cold. On the individual product pages, you will find an indication of the heat retention capacity. This indicates how hot the contents are likely to be after 6, 12 and 24 hours. For ideal results, we recommend preheating or cooling the bottle with hot or cold water for at least 5 minutes before use.

However, the heat retention capacity of our vacuum flasks also depends on other factors such as the ambient temperature, filling quantity or the size of the respective flask. The temperature is also maintained for longer if you only open the bottle as little as necessary on the go and close it again immediately after pouring.

No. As carbonated drinks can create excess pressure, we do not recommend storing them in Esbit bottles.

Our vacuum flasks are made of high-quality, double-walled 18/8 stainless steel. To ensure good temperature retention, we use a copper coating in the inaccessible, vacuumed part of the bottle. The inside of the bottle, which comes into contact with drinks, is not itself coated.

You can find information on the dimensions of the products on the respective product page on our website.

All Esbit closures (except for the sports closures) are 100% leak-proof.

The sports cap is designed for particularly quick use of the stainless-steel drinking bottle and can be opened simply by pulling up the silicone mouthpiece. To equalize the pressure when drinking, the cap also has small air holes that are covered on the inside with a “silicone plate”. Even when tightly closed, small drops can come through these holes. We therefore recommend closing PICTOR sports drinking bottles, e.g. in a backpack, with the loop closure, which is also included in the scope of delivery.

We recommend cleaning our bottles thoroughly by hand with warm water and a mild detergent, then rinsing and drying them. The conveniently large opening makes the vacuum flasks and drinking bottles easy to clean, e.g. with a bottle brush. When not in use, store open so that air can circulate.

On the Esbit accessories page you will find our replacement caps and information on which drinking bottles or vacuum flasks they are suitable for.

Esbit as brand has always stood for products that you can use to prepare or heat food in the great outdoors. As a useful addition to this outdoor equipment, we quickly had another product category in mind. One that makes it possible to take prepared food with you. The result is a wide range of thermal containers in different colors and sizes.

All Esbit food jugs insulate and keep their contents hot or cold for hours. Whether for meal prep for hiking, camping or as a lunch box during your break – with the reusable containers, refreshment on the go is always at hand.

You can find more information about the Esbit food jug selection on our food jug world. You can use our shopping guide to click your way to your ideal food jug in just a few steps.

Our food jugs reliably keep their contents hot or cold for hours. On the individual product pages you will find an indication of the heat retention capacity. This indicates how hot the contents are likely to be after 6, 12 and 24 hours. For ideal results, we recommend preheating or cooling the thermal container for food with hot or cold water for at least 5 minutes before use.

However, the heat retention capacity of our insulated containers also depends on other factors such as the ambient temperature, filling quantity or the size of the respective food box. The temperature is also maintained for longer if you only open the insulated container as little as necessary when you are out and about.

Our thermal food containers are made of high-quality, double-walled 18/8 stainless steel. To ensure good temperature retention, we use a copper coating in the inaccessible, vacuum-sealed part of the food jug. The inside of the insulated container, which comes into contact with food, is not itself coated.

You can find information on the product dimensions of the insulated containers on the respective product detail page under “Dimensions”.

All Esbit food jugs are 100% leak-proof.

Thanks to the pressure release button, thermal containers for food can be opened easily at any time. We recommend a pressure release button, especially if you are taking very hot food with you. This is because a vacuum can develop in the container – similar to a jam jar. This makes the food container more difficult to open. This vacuum can be released using the pressure release button.

Esbit solid fuel is a fuel in tablet form that you can use to cook water or food effectively in the outdoor kitchen. It consists of a special mixture of mainly methenamine & wax. “Made in Germany”: Esbit solid fuel is manufactured in Germany.

Due to its characteristics, it is not only outdoor enthusiasts who use it as part of their outdoor equipment. Some aid organizations and NATO member states also use Esbit solid fuel to heat food.

We offer the solid fuel in various tablet sizes.

You can find more information about solid fuel in general ***here or on our YouTube-Channel.

Solid fuel is light, compact and easy to handle. It is therefore also suitable for longer hikes and camping trips where every gram counts. It has a high calorific value and can be lit quickly and easily, e.g. with matches or a lighter.

Solid fuel is reliable and also works in sub-zero temperatures and at higher altitudes. Unlike the use of gas cartridges, for example, only a small amount of easily stowable packaging residue remains after the solid fuel has been used up. This is because Esbit solid fuel burns down cleanly and leaves hardly any ash residue.

Packaged waterproof and stored in a dry place, Esbit is durable.

You can heat food and drinks on the go with Esbit solid fuel. It is also suitable for boiling water – for example for preparing trekking food.

Solid fuel and Esbit stoves are particularly suitable for all those who attach great importance to low weight and small pack size on their tours.

Solid fuel is also a good choice for tactical use – for example in bushcraft. This is because it burns quietly and produces no visible smoke.

Due to its durability and reliability, it can also be used as part of survival equipment or for emergency backpacks. The fuel also works as a firelighter.

You can find recipe ideas for our solid fuel cooksets and Esbit stoves on our ***blog.

Esbit solid fuel has a high calorific value: approx. 28,400 kJ/kg. Depending on the tablet format, the burning time is approx. 5 – 15 minutes. What does that mean in concrete terms? For example, 0.5 l of water boils in approx. 5 minutes* using Esbit solid fuel

If necessary, you can add a tablet to the Esbit stove. If you are looking for a camping stove with a longer burning time, take a look at our alcohol burner cooksets.

*(tested with 1 x 27 g tablet in the pocket stove with windshield Art. 00222700 with stainless steel pot Art. PT1000ST).

Solid fuel can be kept for many years if stored dry and correctly. There is no specific expiration date.

Most Esbit solid fuel tablets are packaged in waterproof packaging to protect them from atmospheric oxygen and moisture.

Solid fuel should be stored in a dry place and away from potentially flammable sources. With the exception of our 4 g tablets, all our solid fuel sizes are packaged in waterproof packaging. This means they are protected from moisture even when on the move.

According to EC Regulation No. 1272/2008, Esbit solid fuel is not classified as a toxic product.

You are not allowed to take Esbit solid fuel on the plane in your hand luggage. Please check with your airline in advance whether solid fuel is permitted in checked baggage. It is best to have the UN number for Esbit solid fuel to hand. It is: 1328

If you are looking for a camping stove with a longer burn time, a cookset with alcohol burner is a good choice.

The ***alcohol burner, which is included in every Esbit spirit cookset, is suitable for a 70 ml filling of methylated spirits. Depending on the ambient conditions, the burning time lasts up to 30 minutes.

What does that mean in detail? For example, 50 ml methylated spirits will bring 900 ml of water to the boil within approx. 10 to 15 minutes.

We only recommend the use of methylated spirits for our spirit stoves.

The Esbit AB300BR alcohol burner is leak-proof. This means you can take the burner with you in your backpack with one fuel filling. Please ensure that the silicone ring in the lid is seated correctly.

In addition to the information in the instruction manual, there are a few helpful tips that you can follow.

For example, you can reduce the formation of soot on the spirit burner by adding a little water to the methylated spirits in a ratio of 9:1. On cold days, you should also bear in mind that methylated spirits are more difficult to ignite at low temperatures. However, it helps if you carry the filled burner close to your body when you are out and about so that it does not cool down due to your body temperature.

In our OUTDOOR range you will find stoves and cooksets for use with alcohol or solid fuel.

A few tricks can help you to use fuel particularly efficiently when you’re out and about. Firstly, the ambient conditions play a role. The more sheltered from the wind the place where you cook, the better. Esbit cooksets have a stand that also works as a windbreak.

On the other hand, you can also optimize outdoor cooking with a few simple steps. For example, cut the ingredients particularly small. Then they will cook through faster. When cooking, you should also close the pot with the lid so that the contents heat up faster and less hot steam escapes. You can also take hot water with you on your trip in a ***vacuum flask. This means you need less fuel to bring it to the boil on site.

The pot and stand of every Esbit cookset are perfectly matched. For example, the pots of cooksets have an extra rim on the base of the pot, which gives them a stable hold on the stand. Pots that are available individually do not have this rim and are therefore not compatible with the cooking sets. Smaller outdoor pots can also be used in combination with our pocket stoves.

On the underside of the lid of many of our outdoor pots, you will find a stainless-steel hanger that you can use to hook the lid onto the rim of the pot. This leaves your hands free when cooking. The lid also stays clean because you don’t have to place it on the ground.

Our ***spirit stoves for 985 ml and ***pots for 1000 ml have a lid instead, which also serves as a second, smaller pot.

The solid fuel tray of the CS985HA cookset is currently only included in the scope of delivery of this item and is not available as a spare part.