Why has it become more difficult to find decent but inexpensive small stainless or aluminum pots with bail handles lately?
They used to be very common, however I don't see many of them anymore, not even in the camping stores.

Chickenlittle,

Since cooking on open fires is seldom done in camping today, the bail handle is of little use. Many newer (since the 70's) campers have never used an open fire for cooking. The stove has outdated the bail handle. Even though I still use wood fires (where legal) I have, thanks to HikinJim, moved to a Caldera Cone TiTri for cooking and don't use the pots with bails often anymore.

Respectfully,

Jerry

For the poster that was asking, here is a good article on the history of the Sierra Cup.

I have had mine since the early 70's.

I've never understood the appeal of the Sierra cup, especially after taking it on a few adventures.
-Blast

Blast i get the impression that the cup was one of the first,if not the first,to have a heavy wire around the rim.the wire dissipated the heat so you could drink hot stuff without burning your lips.i gave up on metal cups and took a heavy coffee cup on camping trips.
nice cup but a old idea.

I agree Blast. It never held enough to be useful except for coffee. I'll stick with my ss USGI cups for drinking coffee, and cooking in.

I've got an assortment, but I always come back to my USGI canteen kit. Inexpensive, durable, the perfect size to boil enough water for coffee and a meal, works on a stove or a campfire, easy to diy a lid and insulation, nests perfectly with the canteen and there's the bonus canteen stove. Love that thing so much that I've got one in all my kits, including my tackle box.

Classic! You gotta love the humble coffee can and wire bail. We've always got one when I camp with the family. Hard to beat!

i have that exact set barbakane, and so far I am loving it. I still keep the cups nested inside for coffee. And coincidentally for those of you who mentioned a lid for the sierra cup, if it is the right size cup, the lid off the stanley cooker fits right on the sierra cup, at least it does on mine anyway. Well, mine is not a genuine sierra cup, it's one of the generic ones from wal-mart. I add the cup to my set as it nests right under the cooker, and i can be eating/drinking from the sierra cup whilst heating up more water for others in the group if needed.

no affiliations other than as a happy user of the product(s)

Same here. The Sierra cup is from a by-gone era. I switched to an insulated plastic mug 25 years ago and haven't looked back. Sure I can't heat anything in it but any liquids, etc. stay warm so much longer. First thing I do when making a meal is boil water and pour into the mug for tea/coffee, then let it steep until the rest of the meal is made.