I am a big fan of the Primus range. The quality is always superb, and everything is cleverly thought out. This cookware set falls into the same category, and is a decent lightweight kit (727g) for one to three people. There is a larger version (2.3l) for only £10 more which would be best for a group of five.
In the box
The main burner part of the set has an integrated windshield around it, and the internal pot stands are adjustable should you wish to use it with a different pan – a frying pan for example, that might be wider than the burner unit. The whole thing is quite stable, even on rough ground, and the metallised gas pipe is long enough to keep the canister well away from the heat.
The two pots are the same size (1.3l), but one has a heat exchanger built on to the base, making it much more fuel efficient. The heat exchanger consists of a series of fins which help distribute the heat better (a bit like a radiator does). Things like soup or water don’t take long to get to the boil, and it’s nice to have the ceramic non stick coating – food just slips onto your plate, and leaves the pot almost clean. Both pots have markings on the sides for measuring.
The plastic lid is a good fit, with a strainer and gap for attaching the pot gripper or handle. This is an upgrade to a previous Primus version I have, as it is lockable. Not sure how useful this was to me though. There are are plastic pot protectors where the gripper attaches to the pot, but although these prevent the non stick surface from damage, if the pot is too hot, then they can melt. Mine suffered a wee bit on the first use, and I swear I didn’t leave the gripper attached too long.
The piezo igniter is a nice touch, as it saves the need for matches, but it shouldn’t be relied on. You should always carry an alternative, such as a butane lighter or firesteel. 
Features:
- One regular 1.3l pot
- One 1.3l non-stick pot with heat exchanger
- Lockable pot gripper
- Piezo igniter
- Transparent lid with integrated strainer
- Windscreen with integrated burner
On test
I must admit, I had a bit of a false start with this cookset. I thought it wasn’t working at first, but the lever at the valve end needs to be turned at least two full revolutions before the gas starts to come through. Once it does, you just need to ignite it using the sparky Piezo tool provided, and get cooking.
I’m not Gordon Ramsay when it comes to campsite cooking, so I was pretty much heating things up. I was making a curry (leftover takeaway), so I added rice to my now boiling water. The flame can get quite fierce, and it took a while to figure out the optimum heat for simmering. My water kept boiling over. It didn’t extinguish the flame fortunately, as there is a hole in the base of the windshield should this happen. Having the two pots meant I could keep my rice warm in the one I cooked it in (using the supplied insulated carry bag), while I heated up the curry in the other. But you already know these tricks. I did manage to warm my naan bread over the burner though which I was quite pleased about.
It was easy to strain water through the perforated lid – it didn’t clog, and the nifty red silicone tab on the lid doesn’t get hot so you can easily hold it while straining.
The gripper handle is perforated so it won’t transfer any heat from the pots, which get hot very quickly. It’s useful having a detachable handle like this, as it means the pots could be used on an open fire.
I guess you could do some quite sophisticated cooking, but I didn’t get much further than sausages and beans, or heating up various leftovers cooked at home. If you do want to get all fancy, there are plenty of campfire cooking hack sites which have hundreds of ways to eat gourmet style on the hill.
As I said before, the non stick surface just shrugs off the food, and there’s very little washing up needed. Try to do it straight away though, as there’s nothing worse than having to wash a pan up before you have your porridge in the morning!
Primetech stove set 1.3l, RRP: £125
