The PowerPot V review

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There are lots of people like me that like to bring gadgets with them while camping.  Although I try to disconnect a bit, it’s nice to bring my cell phone and a few battery packs with me.  Wouldn’t it be great to to use an item to charge my mobile devices while I cook at a campsite? I recently had the opportunity to review the Power Pot V, by Power Practical, which can do just that.  Originally a Kickstarter project in 2012, the Power Pot is a thermoelectric generator that converts heat into DC electrical power.  Let’s take a look!

Note: Images can be clicked on to view larger size.

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The PowerPot V bundle that I received came with the PowerPot, 5V PowerPot Regulator, 3-in-1 fast charging cable, 4-LED USB light, and green spork.The-PowerPot-03

The PowerPot is made of hard but lightweight anodized aluminum.  The pot alone measures 4.5” x 5.5” and weighs 12.1 oz.  With the included lid it’s 4.5” x 8” and weighs 18.2 oz.

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All you need to do with the Power Pot is add water to the pot and place it on a flame or heat source to boil the water.  It will start to charge the USB device that is connected to the pot!   The generated output is 5W maximum at 1A.

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This is the USB port on the other end of the regulator cable.

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You can plug in the included LED light or the 3-in-1 charging cable.

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The 3-in-1 charging cable comes with a 30-pin iPhone, microUSB and miniUSB connectors for various devices.

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The green spork that came with the Power Pot is pretty nifty.

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I decided to test this on a gas stove. We added some water in the pot, then put it to boil. As soon as the flame was on, the LED USB light  immediately turned on. Pretty cool!

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We also tried my Nexus 4 cell phone, and that charged right away as well.  I didn’t leave the stove on for a long time, but the advertised average charging time for a cell phone is 60-90 minutes.

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I wanted to see if the light/cell phone kept charging after we turned the flame off, and it did stay on for a bit. As the residual heat died down, the LED slowly dimmed.

I really like the Power Pot and can see it being very useful in a time where there is a power outage in my house or if I go camping.  It can charge almost any USB device, including cell phone, cameras, GPS units etc.  The Power Pot V is available online on their website for about $149 for just the Power Pot V, or with various bundles that go from $169 – 189.  There are also many accessories available, including battery banks and a PowerPot Stove.  There are also stores in the USA, Canada, and the United Kingdom that stock the Power Pot.

 

Product Information

Price:$149 and up
Manufacturer:Power Practical
Requirements:
  • Flame or heated surface to boil water/liquid
Pros:
  • Quick charging via USB as soon as heat is applied
  • Lightweight
Cons:
  • Only outputs 5V 1Amp - not enough for tablets and bigger portable devices

5 thoughts on “The PowerPot V review”




  1. Gadgeteer Comment Policy - Please read before commenting
  2. You all should review the BioLite stove that you’ve mentioned in news items before. My brother-in-law gave one to all of his siblings, and it’s pretty neat.

  3. most of the time it looks that, for electricity another source of energy is used .
    I don’t know much about conversions of heat energy into electricity.
    Is there a way to use ROADS as source of heat to generate electricity. this won’t make use of fuels (petrol,gas,deasel,etc)

  4. When I read this article my first thought was if this product was used in a camping situation which most likely entails a decent sized open fire wouldn’t the heat/flames coming up around the pot melt the cords.

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