Walking Equipment and Accessories

Primus PrimeTech 2.3L Stove Set | Review

This award-winning camping stove is the perfect companion for multi-day hiking missions.

What should you look for in a good camping stove? First off you want something that’s lightweight and packs down small. Second, you want something which cooks quickly whatever the weather and third, you want a stove which uses gas efficiently – the more economical your stove, the less gas you’ll have to buy and the fewer canisters you’ll have to carry.

The Primus PrimeTech 2.3l Stove Set meets all three of these criteria brilliantly and then some. It’s small wonder then that this won one of the most coveted prizes in the Outdoor industry earlier this year, picking up a Gold Award at the massive ISPO Outdoor Tradeshow in Munich.

“The PrimeTech uses only about half as much fuel as traditional camping stoves.”

What struck us first when unpacking the PrimeTech Stove set was just how much kit Primus had managed to fit into it. Like Mary Poppins’ magic carpet bag, the implements just kept coming out of the neat little storage sack.

There are two pans, the PrimeTech pan with its built in heat exchanger fitting neatly inside a slightly larger anodised aluminium one. Inside this you have the stove itself, with its gas regulator, the pan handle (which cleverly doubles up as a pair of tongs), a sheet of foldable aluminium to protect the grass you’re cooking on and a piezo lighter. Topping all this off is the saucepan lid, which also doubles up as a strainer for pasta or rice.

The integrated heat exchange built into the bottom of the pan fits snugly in the wind shield and helps maximise efficiency. Photo: Chris Johnson

The windshield helps maximise efficiency. Photo: Chris Johnson

The innovative pan handle doubles up as a pair of tongs. Photo: Chris Johnson

Essentially this is a mobile kitchen designed to fit into a backpack, and it’s lightweight too. All told all of this kit weighs just 870g, or slightly more than a standard loaf of bread. Primus also sell a smaller version, which contains all the same bits of kit, just with a 1.3l capacity (suitable for 1-2 people’s dinner). It retails for £115 and weighs a shade over 700g.

The design of the stove is particularly clever – either pan will fit snugly onto the supports over the burner, but they also fold out in case you want to cook on something larger like a frying pan. The built-in wind guard will protect the flame from the elements. Combined with the built in heat exchanger, this also helps preserve energy, so Primus reckon the PrimeTech uses only about half as much fuel as traditional camping stoves.

Water boils quickly in both pans, but we found the one with the built-in heat exchanger was particularly impressive. If you need to melt snow or make a revitalising hot drink fast, this is the perfect tool for it.

Another great feature is the gas regulator, which keeps gas flowing to the burner at a steady rate even when the cylinder is starting to run low. This improves the stove’s performance when you’re running out and helps you get the most out of every canister.

All this focus on fuel efficiency means you will spend less on gas, but also you’ll have to carry fewer cylinders with you. This will save you space and weight, making this the ideal stove for hiking, camping, ski touring or any number of outdoor activities.