I bet the process of cooking rice would explain some of the design?

prouboy

Yes db, that's the varmint! Thanks for the photo. Now, you can see those little plastic things that hold the lid on, I removed them cause for my use I don't want anything that would melt. But that they were included makes me think of some sort of lunch bucket? And yes the little pan works with the lid alone but there's nothing to get a grip with to lift it.  I agree that little lift bar on the lid is hard to get a hold of when hot. For my pot lifter I use the smallest size channel-lock pliers and they work most times to get the lid up.
But I'm still puzzled; for all of it's curious features it's well made of a slightly heavier gauge stainless steel than we find on most of our outdoor gear. Not, I would suggest, the normal run of the mill pot that comes from that part of the world.
Thanks again for the photo,
Best Wishes, Rob

I'm gonna guess it's not kimchi.

This guy?
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My asbestos finger tips would be more concerned with what's on the lid. The bail looks huge and hot whatever it's orientation but yours sounds like a good solution to keep it upright. Does the little one work as a standalone with the lid?

I bought two Zebra pots from bensbackwoods.com (nice guy to deal with) and I knew that the pots were made in Asia for some purpose particular to there. That being said they are well made and sturdy and very usable for camping. What I'm wondering is does anyone know what their original purpose was, maybe some kind of lunch box or something?
And more to the point, that small pan that insets under the lid (something like a small double boiler) has anyone found a practical use for it while you are camping?
I do have something useful to contribute; The bail handle flips freely and by and large I'd just as soon it remain upright while I'm cooking. The bail is held on with  rivets and there is a space there where you can wedge in a thin washer with a gap cut out of it, to slip over the shank of the rivet. With a washer on both sides the handle is nice and snug and remains where I put it.
Best Wishes, Rob