Primus Primetech Stove Set Review
By Dave Roberts
Primus Primetech Stove Set Review
Dave Roberts reviews the Primetech Stove Set, a cookset for up to three people that includes an efficient stove and the pots.
The Primetech Stove Set from Primus is an all in one solution for solo or small groups for wild camping cooking. Including the pans, windshield and remote canister stove – as well as a strainer and pan grabs. This means that you don’t have to spend hours deliberating on what camping stove to buy as well as what wild camping cookware you need to go with it!
Primus describe it as:
A gas stove with low fuel consumption and consistent effect, but with full performance. A compact cooking set with integrated burner that makes it very easy to use and transport.
The Primetech Stove Set includes with two 1.3 litre pans, one of which includes the heat exchanger that improves efficiency. There’s a metal disk, which we realised was a ground protector – something that is essential with an efficient stove that keeps the flame under the pan and so things do tend to get rather warm under there. There’s a clear lid that doubles as a strainer, a pot grab (Primus call these ‘tongs’) and a tidy bag that holds the whole lot snugly in place. Finally, to light the stove there’s a separate piezo ignition wand that’s something we liked, but others might prefer it as part of the stove. For us – an ignition on the stove makes them more difficult to use in a Backpacking Oven and another thing to go wrong, though we do find them convenient.
The Primetech Stove Set weighs in at just over 900g, which depending on your style of camping, might be a tad excessive. However, for a group of 3, that works out at a more modest 300g apiece, which while its still more than a compact stove and titanium mug (say an MSR Pocket Rocket and Titan Kettle which would weigh in at around 200g)- you’ll be gaining a much more serviceable camping kitchen. That might not be a main selling point for a quick overnight wild camp, but for longer trips the option to be able to cook more varied meals can really make the difference. For that reason, we think that the slight weight penalty is worth it for two or three people. For one person, this would without doubt be a luxury – one that might be justified if it came with a frying pan. Of course, you can always take just one pan if you’re out solo – especially if you want one cookset and stove to use for solo trips and small groups.
The cookset is compact when packed, so keep an eye on how it’s put together when you unpack it or you’ll end up with a 3D jigsaw puzzle to solve! As you’d expect from Primus and at this price point, the build can only be called excellent and you’ll be buying this sort of kit with the expectation that it will be serviceable for years to come. While we obviously can’t predict the future, we’d expect these to last you years. The pan grab is excellent, actually locking onto the pan. This is one of those safety features that once you see, you won’t want to go back to the old style of pan grab that depended on you keeping the pressure on the handle at all times.
The Primetech runs on the usual screw fitting gas canisters. One advantage of remote canister stoves is that they’re stable and low profile. That makes them safer and easier to used. Another thing you can do with a remote canister stove is, and this probably isn’t recommended, is tip the canister upside down when it gets low on gas. In winter, you can keep the canister warm by keeping it under an arm, which is impossible with a canister top stove. While that may be a desperate measure, it’s simply impossible with other types of gas stoves.
All that’s great, but how well did it perform in the wilds? While we didn’t go all scientific to measure exactly how efficient it is, we know that these types of stoves with heat exchangers are generally regarded to improve fuel efficiency and the inclusion of the windshield makes it more so. Primus claim that the stove can boil 1 litre of water in 3.5 minutes which we tried out in typical Snowdonia conditions and found we got it boiling in around 3.5 minutes, but a few more seconds to get it to a rolling boil.
The regulator on the stove, which controls the gas flow, is easy to fine tune and you should be able to warm up your beans in this without too much fuss. That’s good to find in a stove such as this where the ability to be able to cook different types of food is one of the main selling points. The silicone handle on the lid also ensures you don’t inadvertently grab a hot metal handle.
We also found that it was difficult to tell when the stove was actually on, as it was so quiet. You won’t be waking your wild camping buddies up with this stove!
Our Verdict
The solo wild camper would need to carefully consider the weight and space this takes in the pack, against the benefits the set brings. However, the Primus Primetech Stove Set is a difficult product to fault for those looking for an all on one wild camping cooking solution for two or three people. You can easily add capacity in a small group if someone brings their own small pot, especially if you’re like me and like to eat out of the cooking pot to save on the weight of a bowl as well as washing up.
Features and specifications
What Primus Says about the Primetech Stove Set
- For 1-3 people.
- Perfect for long hikes, skiing trips and other outdoor activities.
- Wind guard with integrated burner.
- Regulator for fine tuning and enhanced performance.
- A PrimeTech pan with heat exchanger and ceramic non-stick coating.
- A saucepan made of hard anodised aluminum.
- Lid with integrated strainer and handle made of heat-resistant silicone.
- Tongs.
- Piezo lighter & easy to light.
- Isolated storage bag.
- Gas not included.
nice review @dave-roberts those pot grabs thingys look cool, a litle vid/gif on how they work would compliment the review well