The Light My Fire Orginial Spork now comes in a "Bio" version made of biobased, BPA-free plastic. It is commonly sold in a 2-pack, so that's what we're linking to above.
April 2020 This Product
Light My Fire Original Spork | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  | |||
| Price | Check Price at Amazon | $7.46 at Evo Compare at 4 sellers | $8.95 at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $3.50 at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $5.00 List $4.95 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Inexpensive, minimal weight | Familiar feel, long lasting, versatile | Great texture, least expensive of the titanium options | Durable plastic, excellent value | Compact, lightweight, inexpensive |
| Cons | Serrated edge rough on fingers/mouth, breaks easily | Too short for deep pots | Does not reach bottom of dehydrated food bag, not as durable | Uncomfortable to hold, not very sanitary | Prone to melting & breaking, difficult to clean |
| Bottom Line | An over engineered utensil reminiscent of plastic fast-food cutlery | This model is a utilitarian, familiar, and practically indestructible on the go utensil, earning it our favor over all others | Sufficient for backcountry travel due to its design features including a smooth bowl for improved mouthfeel and textured handle to enhance gripping while you refuel | This durable plastic utensil performs well across the board and boasts an inexpensive price tag | Both comfortable and functional this model is a great collapsible utensil but some added care is needed to avoid breaking |
| Rating Categories | Light My Fire Origi... | Snow Peak Titanium... | Toaks Titanium | humangear GoBites Uno | MSR Folding |
| Eating (35%) | |||||
| Durability (30%) | |||||
| Cooking (20%) | |||||
| Cleaning (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Light My Fire Origi... | Snow Peak Titanium... | Toaks Titanium | humangear GoBites Uno | MSR Folding |
| Material | BPA-free Tritan plastic | Titanium | Titanium | High-temp nylon | Nylon |
| Measured weight (oz) | 0.3 oz | 0.6 oz | 0.6 oz | 0.5 oz | 0.4 oz |
| Length | 6.75" | 6.5" | 6.625" | 6.5" | 8"/4.5" |
| Dishwasher safe? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes - Top rack recommended | Yes |
The Light My Fire Original is an exceptionally lightweight on-the-go utensil, weighing in at only 0.3-oz. Made of Tritan, its available in a wide variety of colors. While unique in design as a combination of a spoon, fork, and knife, this model was also without-equal in its low scores.
One of the biggest drawbacks of this product is its serrated knife edge combined with the double-ended design. Located on the outside of one of the tines, the knife is sharp in both your mouth and your palm. As with all double-sided models, keeping both ends clean is a challenge. If you plan to switch from using the fork to the spoon end, expect hand grime in your food and food on your hand.
Spreading and slicing with the serrated edge performed worse than using the bowl for the same purpose. Overall, the addition of the serrated knife edge is a great example of over-engineering.
The spoon end did hold a large amount of fluid, so if you can get past holding a plastic knife edge, it works well as a soup spoon. You can forget about eating ramen noodles though, as the slippery plastic let them slide right back into the bowl.
We're sad to say this is the only model we tested that did not survive regular use. It snapped while cooking breakfast potatoes one fateful morning. One of our testers works as a backpacking guide, and his company provided this product to its participants. This utensil failed to survive for the majority of backpackers on every trip.
Although still uncomfortable to hold, this model's one redeeming quality lands in this category. It was the only spork we tested that did not scratch a non-stick pan. That said, over time, sauteeing causes the tip of the spoon to deform due to the heat.
Cleaning this utensil proved surprisingly difficult. The constriction at the base of tines is angular rather than rounded making it hard to get food out from between tines. A sponge is necessary to get it thoroughly clean. As with the other plastic models, the protein in eggs adheres to the material, making breakfast clean-up a bit more involved.
This product is inexpensive, but don't expect it to last for long. Unless you don't really intend to use it out the house, it is worth paying more money for a more durable product. You don't need to spend much to secure a better deal.
GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers. No sponsored content. No ads. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison.
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