Safety warning/product recall - Portable 'Lunchbox' cookers

[schoey]

It seems the product safety certificate for a whole bunch of the portable lunchbox cookers has been suspended, which means they can no longer be sold and advice is to stop using them.

More info here:
http://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/1069239
http://www.elgas.com.au/blog/1461-accc-recalls-portable-butane-stove-cookers-lunchbox-cookers

I know I use one that is on the list (Gasmate PC1070) to make yeast starters and know a lot on here do as well. Has anyone had any problems with them? I use a BBQ side burner for my 5L flask but it's way too big for the 1L and 2L flasks, what other types of burners are people using?

 

[wambesi]

We continue to use ours.

This has been a much heated debate on many camping forums over the last few weeks but it seems most of the problems with them (explosions) is from using oversize pots on them and trapping the heat ending up bad.

I personally will continue to use ours, but use it properly on smaller pans etc.

 

[sp0rk]

I'm still using mine to boil my yeast starters and I won't be stopping
Explosions be damned...

 

[spog]

I'm still using mine to boil my yeast starters and I won't be stopping
Explosions be damned...

Ha,as I read your post the Aerosmith song Living on the edge sprang to mind.

 

[Bribie G]

Apart from the oven, rice cooker, sandwich press or microwave I do all my cooking on a double burner lunchbox cooker. Have done so for several years and never a problem. I initially used two singles then went a bit upmarket and bought the double. They are excellent as a domestic cooktop and beat the shit out of my pathetic ceramic top, as well as costing half the price to run on the canisters.

So some poor guy in Casino or wherever blew up his caravan so the Nanny State bans the item. 11 million have been sold in Australia and maybe three people have blown themselves up. Well maybe we should ban cars, cigarettes and booze which no doubt have a far worse safety record.

Feckwits. Dickheads. Kernts.

Long live the stove.

 

[Burt de Ernie]

HAHA...love the safe canister storage.



Can I have your stuff when you die?

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Will watch as for how they can make these foolproof. As there will always be fools. Who spoil it for everyone else.
Very handy them little cookers. I'll be keeping mine especially now the may be less obtainable. Because of fools etc...... :blink:

 

[Bridges]

Helped a guy this morning who could well die due to the burns his airway suffered due to one of these stoves exploding. This is real, and newer ones with a better regulator setup are now available. Stay safe people.

 

[Bribie G]

Helped a guy this morning who could well die due to the burns his airway suffered due to one of these stoves exploding. This is real, and newer ones with a better regulator setup are now available. Stay safe people.

Commiserations to the guy.
Any links re the new models?

I find that with mine (I believe it has cut-out features that were not available on earlier models) rather than the canisters heating up, they actually get colder and colder during the cooking session due to the exact same principle that your refrigerator runs on, and on occasion I've had to remove a canister and put a new one in to get full heat for a wok or steak fry up.

The explosions normally happen when someone covers the whole stove with something like a BBQ plate, which is definitely prohibited in the instructions.

 

[Bridges]

I think this sums it up and details the gas approval numbers for the stoves that shouldn't be used. I'm not sure what the changes made to the newer stoves are. These things have to be made idiot proof as people don't read instructions, sometimes due to language barriers or other reasons.

 

[schoey]

Went to Bunnings to get some gas canisters and saw the new ones on the shelf. Spoke to a staff member and he said they just turned up without any warning. They are a new model (Gasmate brand) which I would assume meets the safety standards.

 

[Bribie G]

Onya schoey I'll be heading out that way tomorrow, will try and get some new ones. I'll post my old ones to Burt de Urnie plus a few spare canisters, and he can entertain his kids with recreated scenes from Schwarzenegger movies.

 

[Bridges]

The guys shed is now about a metre bigger all round. And has a custom curved look to it's walls.

 

[Golani51]

Does this mean that if returned, they will be replaced free with stuff that won't explode?

 

[Bridges]

I assume they'd require proof of purchase, recall site states same. New ones are probably more exxy so retailers might not want to give you a new one.