Reviews You Can Rely On

Light My Fire Original Spork Review

An over engineered utensil reminiscent of plastic fast-food cutlery
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light my fire original spork spork review
Light My Fire Original
Credit: Amazon
Price:  $7 List
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Manufacturer:   Light My Fire
By Leslie Yedor ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  May 18, 2018
36
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#10 of 10
  • Eating - 35% 3.0
  • Durability - 30% 2.0
  • Cooking - 20% 5.0
  • Cleaning - 15% 6.0
RELATED: Best Spork

Our Verdict

The Light My Fire Original takes the typical hybrid utensil one step further by integrating a serrated knife edge. Made of a BPA-free plastic called Tritan, this product features a spoon on one end and a fork on the other with a serrated outer edge of one of the tines. While aiming for improved utility with its blend of the classic cutlery trifecta, this product, unfortunately, failed to outperform any of its competitors in all of the categories we tested. Most notably, it broke during regular use and failed to progress to our more advanced durability testing. For an equally low price, there are alternative durable models.
REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
Minimal weight
REASONS TO AVOID
Serrated edge rough on fingers/mouth
Breaks easily
Product Updated

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

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards  Editors' Choice Award  Best Buy Award  
Price $7.00 List
$7.95 at Amazon
$9.95 at REI
Compare at 2 sellers
$8.95 at REI
Compare at 2 sellers
Check Price at Amazon$5.00 List
$4.95 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
36
86
79
65
56
Star Rating
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Bottom Line An easily breakable hybrid utensil combining a spoon, fork, and knifeThe best model for your on-the-go meal needsA great option for the backcountry due to its comfortable and lightweight designThis sturdy plastic model offers the best price to performance ratioAlthough lacking in durability, this product is comfortable, lightweight, and highly packable
Rating Categories Light My Fire Origi... Snow Peak Titanium... Toaks Titanium humangear GoBites Uno MSR Folding
Eating (35%)
3.0
9.0
9.0
6.0
7.0
Durability (30%)
2.0
9.0
7.0
6.0
4.0
Cooking (20%)
5.0
7.0
7.0
7.0
6.0
Cleaning (15%)
6.0
9.0
8.0
8.0
5.0
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

Our Analysis and Test Results

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.

Performance Comparison


light my fire original spork spork review - a clever combination of a spoon, fork, and knife, this product fails...
A clever combination of a spoon, fork, and knife, this product fails to deliver in performance.
Credit: Leslie Yedor

Eating


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.

light my fire original spork spork review - the spoon ended outperformed the serrated edge when cutting cheese.
The spoon ended outperformed the serrated edge when cutting cheese.
Credit: Nicky Bunn

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.

light my fire original spork spork review - take note of how close this product is the bowl. any higher and the...
Take note of how close this product is the bowl. Any higher and the noodles slide right off.
Credit: Leslie Yedor

Durability


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.

light my fire original spork spork review - the lightmyfire was the only model that didn't survive general use...
The LightMyFire was the only model that didn't survive general use during our testing period.
Credit: Leslie Yedor

Cooking


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.

light my fire original spork spork review - the serrated knife edge is rough in hand when trying to cook with...
The serrated knife edge is rough in hand when trying to cook with the spoon end.
Credit: Leslie Yedor

Cleaning


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.

Value


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.

Conclusion


With so many high scoring alternatives on the market, the Light My Fire Original earned its spot in the very back of this metaphorical silverware drawer. Whether for backpacking or everyday use, there are better options to choose from.

Leslie Yedor