Personal cooking systems have become increasingly popular over the last many years and with travelers of every kind. For those with tight size and weight restrictions, the efficiency of a solo cooking system is tough to beat, and even for those with ample storage space, the convenience is reason enough to buy a compact cooker. Primus, arguably the most storied and well known purveyor of backcountry stoves, has their own solo system, the Primus ETA Lite+.
At only 14 ounces with a packed size of just 4-inches by 6-inches, it is slightly smaller than a one-liter Nalgene bottle making it just a tad more compact than many of its contemporaries. The entire system includes a .5-liter cooking vessel, a burner, lid, leg supports, and even a very simple hanging kit. Designed to accommodate a 100 gram Isobutane/Propane fuel canister, everything nests inside the cooking pot for easy transport.
The key to these small systems is not just the design of the burner, but how well it works in conjunction with the cooking vessel. The ETA Lite+ has one of the most ingenious pot/burner interfaces I’ve ever seen and used. The triangular retainer on the burner is designed to mate perfectly with the triangular recess at the bottom of the pot. Once in place, a simple rotation of the pot locks it in position for secure cooking. It’s a fluid process whereas other stoves seem to require more fiddling and care to get everything locked tight.
The base of the cooking pot features a heat exchanger ring, something we’ve come to see as a standard feature in solo cooking systems. The Primus heat exchanger appears to be stoutly built and contributes to the stove’s 2:30 minute average boil time.
One of the attributes I appreciate most about the ETA Lite+ is the solid construction of the burner. It has a stout feel to it that other stoves fail to achieve. It is built like a genuine backcountry tool ready to endure adventure’s worst. The piezo igniter has yet to fail to light the stove and the estimated one-hour burn time of a 100 gram cartridge seems to be right on the money.
The cooking vessel has an insulated cover, again, made considerably nicer than most, with a full size handle and easy to use lid. The strap features three threaded posts that can be removed from the handle and threaded into the top of the burner to serve as very small, but completely functional, pot supports for use with any standard flat-bottomed pot. That––is pure genius.
Although I haven’t had much time to use the ETA Lite+ in the backcountry, the few times I’ve used it I have been completely impressed. It fires up every time on the first click, boils water quickly, has excellent control of the heat settings, and will undoubtedly live up to the brand’s reputation for reliability and performance. Fitted with the optional French press kit, it will forever earn a spot in my backpack or motorcycle pannier.
