Snow Peak Takibi Solo: First Impressions
Got the Solo yesterday. Here are my initial thoughts. I have not used it yet.
Very nice unit; drips with typical SP quality. The Japanese (or Chinese, depending on where this was made) are masters of stainless steel. Just gorgeous, and of a nice gauge. Sturdy, without being excessive. It’s not light, but it’s SS, and just bombproof.
Brilliant design. The basin rests in notches in the legs, and are held captive by the extended rods thru holes in the legs. When the legs are folded downward, the basin is pinned in place. But the holes are precisely placed; they limit how far inward the bottoms of the legs can travel. This is key, as the bottom heat shield/tray hooks over the bottom cross brackets of each leg set. The tray pulls the legs in, against the tension of the basin pins pushing the legs out. When the tray is hooked in place, the entire unit becomes very rigid, much more so that a SP Pack and Carry fire pit. This is nice, because one can easily move this unit around your site (with gloves, obviously, if burning). Moving a P&C can be a bit tenuous.
The form factor of the Solo makes it a little more stable, in my opinion. While I’ve never tipped a P&C, I’m damn careful with wood placement. With the Solo, the bottom length is longer than the fire box, and the wood sits pretty low (although after looking at the pictures, not as low as I thought). Very nice. As with the P&C, the sloped sides probably radiate and reflect heat pretty well; I’ve always been impressed how a P&C can throw off heat. Plenty of slots and holes in the Solo sides for makeup air to be drawn in, especially down low, which is important. The instructions say the slots are to limit warping of the sides.
The integrated grill support on the Solo also makes for great handles. However, the grill is a fixed height, unlike that of the P&C bridge/grills. You’ll have to adjust temperature with the amount of wood, not by adjusting height of cooking surface. I like that they used an existing grill net, as there are other SP pieces that are the same size. You could probably rest larger pans or griddles on the tops of the legs, as long as the unit was level.
One of the reasons I got this was that I like the idea of being able to use longer pieces of firewood than a small P&C, and yet still have a small unit overall. It seems perfect in that regard. The bottom of the firebox measures 9.5” long, while the top is 13” long. The box is 8.5” wide at the top, and about 4.5” deep.
Cleaning the Solo might be slightly harder, mainly because the P&C is astoundingly easy. I carry these small dustpan/brush units everywhere. I probably have 10 of them between the shop, camper, cabin, and trucks. Slim and handy, the brush makes quick work of sweeping out a P&C before folding it up. The Solo might be a bit harder, although I like the idea of flipping up an end panel and sweeping it out. We’ll see in actual use.
As far as setup and breakdown, the P&C can’t be beat; it takes mere seconds. The Solo is measured in minutes; maybe 2 or 3.
Weight is probably a draw. My P&C all have the cast iron bedplates, and my medium P&C also has a Large bedplate for when we use lump charcoal to cook; you get a larger hot surface area, with an even layer of coals as compared to firewood. So my P&C’s are no lightweights.
The Solo might also lend itself to tabletop use, something I would never try with a P&C. Somebody on the SP site suggested you could even flip the unit upside down for use as a table, since the bottom tray is captive. I did try to see if an IGT stove unit would fit; the grill net is sort of the same size. I tried the Baja and the Flat Burner. The short answer is no, and probably by design, although the Flat Burner could work with a little surgical cutting of it's frame. Dealing with the knob and fuel canister would also be a challenge. Maybe a future project.
In summary, it would be hard to recommend one over the other. They both have their strengths, and since they’re both SP, you’ll be happy with either. Or better yet, both.
Don't judge. I'm almost embarassed to admit I have two others as well. The medium gets the most use by far, and we've probably had it 10 years:
Relative heights:
All-important locking joint:
You can flip up the end triangles for dumping or sweeping out:
My handy brush. I use these things everywhere: