Review: Primus Lite Stove

Primus’s Lite stove and heat exchanger pot unit is a simplified version of the Lite+ stove that I reviewed last year. It has the same burner and the same 500ml hard- anodised aluminium pot but a more basic lid, a softer felt pot cosy and handle and no cartridge stand or supports for use with different pots. This results in a less expensive, very slightly lighter unit but with some disadvantages.

The low profile triangular burner fits easily and securely into the heat exchanger on the base of the pot. This is the best system I’ve seen for this connection. However the soft webbing handle doesn’t make holding a full pot very secure and the lid just sits on top of the pot and is easily dislodged. The last means the lid doesn’t stay in place and hold the contents inside the pot when packed either. The £110 Lite+ has a much stiffer handle and a securely fitting lid. I think they’re worth the extra cost.

The 500ml pot is fine for solo use, though I prefer a slightly bigger one, and being shorter is easier to use than litre-size narrow pots. The whole unit is more stable too as it’s not as tall.  The stove is quite powerful and very fuel efficient. The pot cosy attaches with Velcro and Primus says it may deform during prolonged stove use and so should be removed while cooking. I don’t think this is necessary for boiling water and short cooking times though. It would mean you’d need a separate pot gripper too.

For the cost this isn’t a bad unit but the Lite+ is a much better choice if you want a light heat exchanger stove with a small pot.

Reviewed in June 2015 Issue.