REVIEW – While I continually look for ways to simplify my overlanding gear, I’ve found that a lot of compromises need to be made. With limited space and payload, weight and portability are prime considerations for everything I bring along. Always complicating matters is the unknown quotient of food and cooking supplies. Cooking fuel, in particular, is always difficult to plan for, and I’ve yet to go on a trip where I didn’t return with several unused or half-empty propane tanks.
Those issues are in the past after testing the Stoke Voltaics Nomad Cooking System. Powered solely by electricity, the Nomad requires no propane, only a decent-sized power supply or access to a vehicle’s inverter, both of which I always have handy. Priced reasonably at $249.99, the Nomad is aimed squarely at competing with the more expensive and popular Jetboil Genesis Basecamp System. The Nomad doesn’t quite rise to the quality and durability of the Genesis, but it’s a much more affordable, versatile alternative.
What is it?
The Stoke Voltaics Nomad Cooking System is a portable, electric-powered outdoor cooking setup. The Nomad includes an electric cooktop, known as a “Cooking Reactor,” along with a durable pot, pan, lid, and detachable handle. As a safe alternative to propane-fueled cooking systems, the Nomad is compatible with power supplies ranging from 200W to 1000W, such as car inverters, fuel generators, and portable power stations.
The Nomad ships in a plain brown cardboard box.
The product box is stylish and covered with pictures of the Nomad system in action, along with detailed specs. All of the components are packed safely within, secured in foam.
What’s included?
- Cooking Reactor
- Sizzling Pan
- Bubbling Pot
- Interchangeable Lid
- Detachable handle
- Power Cable
- User manual
Tech specs
- Model: NCS001
- Power: 1000W
- Voltage: 120V
- Materials:
- Pot, pan, and lid: Aluminum alloy
- Reactor body: ABS+PC
- Bases: PA66+30%GF
- Heating Levels:
- 200W: Simmer
- 400W: Low
- 600W: Medium
- 800W: Medium – High
- 1000W: High
- Product Dimensions:
- Pan: 8.65 in. x 3.5 in.
- Pot: 8.56 in. x 5.55 in.
- Reactor: 6.8 in. x 2.5 in.
- Capacity:
- Pan: 45 oz. (1400ml)
- Pot: 50 oz. (2400ml)
- System Weight: 6lbs (3kg)
Design and features
The Stoke Voltaics Nomad Cooking System has a cool, utilitarian design, with a matte grey finish on the pots and lid along with orange highlights. While stylish, the design is clearly meant to replicate the exact look and feel of the Jetboil Genesis Basecamp System. This makes sense since the Nomad is a viable alternative to the propane-fueled Genesis, but I would’ve preferred the Nomad stand on its own merits without copying the Genesis.
The Nomad Cooking System comes with a “sizzle” pan and a “bubbling” pot. Both are heat-resistant up to 482°F and have a durable non-stick interior coating.
The interior of the pan also has ridges to assist in effective grilling and for channeling oil away from your ingredients.
The base of the pans is made of PA66+30%GF, a material combining Polyamide 66 (PA66), a durable plastic known for its thermal stability, with 30% glass fibers for enhanced strength and temperature resistance. The center of the base holds the round metal coils that interlock with the reactor during operation.
The “bubbling” pot has a similar design to the pan but is a larger, deeper container.
Able to hold about 50 oz., with a safe fill level of 34 oz., the pot is suited for cooking larger meals like soups or stews.
The pot also has a convenient curved spout for spill-free pouring.
Both the pot and pan have a Stoke Voltaics logo on the front along with a bright orange stripe around the base.
The base of the pot is identical to that of the pan.
There’s one lid included with the Nomad that works for both the pot and pan. The lid has the same matte finish with five small vent holes.
The small knob on the lid is matte black with a slight texture for better grip. The big issue I have with the lid, though, is that the raised section in the center makes it very difficult to hold the lid without burning my knuckles, which always make contact. A larger, longer knob or handle would’ve been much better.
At first, I thought the notch on the lid was meant to line up with the spout on the pot, but it turns out that notch is for the detachable handle.
Both the pot and pan can be used with the detachable handle that comes with the Nomad system.
When the switch on the handle is in the lock position, the clamp on the handle’s end is closed tightly in place.
By moving the switch to the unlocked position and pressing the single button on the handle, the clamp opens and can be used on the pot or pan.
The clamp is spring-loaded and has thick rubber ridges to help hold it securely in place.
The handle can be placed anywhere along the edges of the pot or pan.
As I mentioned before, the notch on the lid lines up with the handle for full integration.
The workhorse of the whole Nomad system is the electric cooktop, referred to as the “Cooking Reactor.” The reactor has a few safety measures built-in, like an auto-pause and resume, which activates when the cookware is lifted or returned. It also automatically shuts off after 60 seconds if the pan or pot is not returned and shuts down after any three-minute pause during cooking. Each component of the Nomad is also equipped with dual temperature sensors and a fuse for overheat protection.
The reactor is made of black, textured ABS plastic with a raised center ring designed to match the bases of the pot and pan.
The single knob on the front of the reactor has a built-in LED screen for displaying status, time, and temperature.
The knob is clickable for pausing and resuming cooking. Rotating the knob allows the user to select the desired power level from 200W for simmering to 1000W for high heat.
The power port on the rear of the reactor is protected by a thick rubber plug.
Included with the Nomad is a standard three-prong power cord.
The Nomad is designed to be modular, with all the components fitting inside the pot and pan for easy transport and storage.
While everything does sort of fit together, it isn’t a perfect fit.
The lid never quite closes fully no matter how the pieces are arranged, and no carrying case is included, so the user is left to find their own solution. This is a big fail, in my opinion; it wouldn’t have taken very much effort to get these pieces to fit together snugly and to include a simple case or strap at the very least.
Assembly, Installation, Setup
After unpacking the Nomad and washing the pot, pan, and lid with warm soapy water, it’s time to get cooking. Make sure not to use steel wool on any of the components and avoid submerging the cookware in water or using a dishwasher, as that would cause serious damage.
Connect the reactor to power, place the pan or pot on it securely, and start the unit by clicking the knob. The timer starts automatically when the unit powers on.
Make sure that the vents along the edges of the reactor are clear of all obstructions.
Rotate the knob to select an appropriate power level and setup is complete. The Nomad is powered up and ready to cook.
Performance
The Nomad Cooking System works well for a variety of cooking tasks, from boiling water to frying and stewing. During my testing, I made a few of my favorite meals that I’d most likely enjoy while out in the wild with the Nomad.
First up, I boiled water, mainly because the easiest meals to cook when overlanding are ready-to-eat ones. These meals are cheap, easy to pack, and only require the addition of hot water.
The Nomad boiled a full 34 oz. pot of water surprisingly fast. I used my handy temperature scanner to confirm the heat levels in and around the pot.
Checking the edges of the handle, the part closest to the pot was hottest, obviously.
Luckily, the outer handle was a much cooler temperature and safe to hold.
Next up, I made my favorite camp breakfast of bacon and eggs. While I’ve been on a strict diet lately and getting great results, I was willing to sacrifice my progress for the sake of science.
I set the Nomad to its highest setting of 1000W in preparation for sizzling some delicious bacon.
As soon as the pan heated up, I placed some bacon inside. The size of the pan is just large enough to fit about four thick-cut bacon strips.
While the bacon sizzled, I prepped the rest of my breakfast, fresh eggs, and thick-cut fresh-baked bread.
As with the water, I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the Nomad got up to heat and cooked the bacon. I did find that there are certain areas of the pan hotter than others, most likely due to the placement of the interior coils. To compensate, I made sure to move the bacon around to cook it evenly. After a few minutes, each piece was crispy and well done.
Next up, I dropped in the eggs, and in no time they were cooked to perfection.
After lightly toasting the bread in the pan, breakfast was served. All cooked quickly, thoroughly, and exactly to my liking.
For the biggest test of the Nomad, I first hooked it up to the Bluetti AC200MAX Power Station that I reviewed back in August 2023. The AC200MAX is my primary power source out on the trail and will be what I use to power the Nomad on trips. Since steak is always my dinner of choice when given a choice, I picked a nice cut from my local butcher.
The AC200MAX was at about 80% full when I started cooking, which is typically the level I store it at.
At its 1000W setting, the Nomad drew about 960W of power from the AC200MAX and fluctuated a bit but never peaked at 1000W.
I placed the lid on the pan and gave it a few minutes to get up to a heat high enough to sear my steak.
Using the temperature scanner as a guide, I waited until the pan was just over 450°F before dropping my steak in.
The Nomad pan is just deep enough to keep hot oil from popping outside of the pan and shallow enough to allow easy access while cooking.
After about four minutes per side, the steak was done, seared perfectly, and ready to eat.
After about ten minutes of using the Nomad at the 1000W level, the AC200MAX dropped from 80% to 73% full. This wasn’t entirely unexpected, but it does mean I need to keep an eye on my power levels over the course of a long trip using this configuration.
Overall, the Stoke Voltaics Nomad Cooking System met, and in some areas, exceeded my expectations. While it may not be the best choice for every trip, it definitely warrants inclusion in my overlanding kit. Best of all, testing the Nomad’s output was absolutely delicious.
What I like
- Portable, modular design
- Consistently heats up very fast
- Allows for cooking in areas where flame cooking systems aren’t appropriate
What needs to be improved
- No included carrying case
- Lid poorly designed
- Can only cook in one pot at a time
Final thoughts
The Stoke Voltaics Nomad Cooking System is a terrific alternative to propane-based cooking setups, especially in situations where flames are prohibited or when cooking inside. The modular, portable design makes it easy to pack, and the materials are sturdy enough to handle jostling on the trail. Plus, being able to cook meals using a portable power station, as opposed to traditional fuel, adds to the system’s versatility. When comparing it to a system like the Jetboil Genesis Basecamp System, which the Nomad is obviously meant to resemble, the Nomad does fall a bit short. It doesn’t allow for cooking on two burners at once, nor does it have a convenient carrying case like the Genesis. However, at $249.99, the Nomad is $150 cheaper than the Genesis and offers a comprehensive alternative solution for outdoor cooking.
Price: $249.99
Where to buy: Stoke Voltaics and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Stoke Voltaics. Stoke Voltaics did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
