I would agree that the UK mess tins are difficult to clean and should really only be used to boil water. They are quite good for heating MREs, UK ration foil sachets in boiling water as they fit quite nicely inside. The boiling water is then used for the beverages. I certainly wouldn't attempt to fry your eggs and bacon in one of them. They were designed to be used with a hexamine stove which would soon blacken the bottom of the mess tin to allow greater heat transfer. The handles don't lock, and they can sometimes be awkward to pour boiling water. Just pour the boiling water from the opposite corners from the handle and you will be fine. They are also very cheap to buy.