Originally Posted by
cyccommute
I understand the principle but doubt the practice. Putting a plate between the pot and the fire isn't the same as a cladding that is bound to the bottom of the pan. With only a loose connection between the two metal surfaces, the heat distribution to the pan is going to be minimal. If it weren't, we wouldn't use cladded pans at home but just a big distribution plate on our stoves. All a distribution plate on a camp stove is going to do is provide a way for the heat to be directed away from the pan (and food) to be radiated uselessly into the world. A 'distribution plate' made of fiberglass is going to be even more useless.
The thing here is to "focus" as much of the energy of the flame into the pot and eventually the food or water. I can see how something like the Jetboil's "heat exchanger" Fluxring concept might work, but for most stoves the critical thing is to keep the flame within the circumference of the pot's base and to use a good windscreen. Cranking up a stove so that the flames roar up aronud the sides of the pot might cook/boil things faster, but it will use more fuel than a smaller flame. Matching flame diameter to pot diameter and a good windscreen are two simple and critical factors to get right if you want to maximize the efficiency of your cooking system.