Primus Lite+ Review

The Lite+ is a very fuel-efficient integrated canister stove. It has several other features that are both unique and innovative. Backpackers who are willing to take on some extra ounces might really appreciate the feature set.

Performance Comparison

Fuel Efficiency

The Lite+ is one of the most fuel-efficient stoves in our review. It is impressively competitive, even when compared to other integrated canister stoves, a category well known for fuel efficiency. Part of why the Lite+ aces this metric is that it has a very well-protected but low-octane (4500 BTU) burner. This means it doesn't have to work as hard to burn hot., and it doesn't waste fuel with an unnecessarily high output burner.

To ensure that our measurements were accurate, we tested the Lite+ twice and recorded the averages of both scores. In our windless test, this stove used only 0.25 ounces of fuel to boil 0.5 liters of water. This is less fuel than any other stove in our review. Shockingly, when situated adjacent to a box fan blowing a constant 2-4 mph of wind, it used even less fuel — 0.14 ounces — than in the windless test. This is the reason we decided to run the test a second time. So what gives? The lower fuel usage for the wind test is likely because we do the wind test first, and fuel canisters become less efficient as they empty over time. Either way, this is an impressive feat. We think this is because the burner head and piezo igniter are recessed in the overall stove design.

To evaluate overall fuel efficiency, we determine the percentage of fuel used per test and take the average of these two scores (which we averaged between two tests). The Lite+ only used 4.15% of a 4-ounce canister per boil test. That said, bear in mind, when comparing this stove to other integrated canister stoves, that this one can only safely accommodate 0.5 liters of water, while we tested the other stoves in the review with 1 liter of water.

Weight

The weight of your gear is an essential consideration for backpackers. With a 14-ounce “essential” weight (which only includes the stove, pot, and lid), the Lite+ is on the heavy side for integrated canister stoves. This is especially true considering that it's only available with a 0.75-liter pot, so its weight is not an apples-to-apples comparison with the other integrated stoves we tested, most of which have 1-liter pots. That said, its small size does mean that it takes up less space in your pack than stoves with 1-liter pots.

Simmering Ability

The Lite+ is decent at simmering, but you probably won't use it for slow cooking a rich sauce. Because this kind of backpacking stove is designed for fast boil times and fuel efficiency, we don't expect much in this metric. The valve of this model is easy to use at the low end, with little to no “spring.”

Ease Of Use

This stove has some of the best pot and burner mating of the integrated canister stoves we tested. Instead of the typical dimple and groove design, there's a wire integrated into the burner that firmly grips the pot. We were never worried about picking this stove up when it was running.

The piezoelectric igniter lit the stove on the first try most of the time. Other times it sometimes took 6 or 7 pushes, though it did eventually light.

The handle on the pot cozy of the Lite+ flips over the lid and hooks on the other side. Combined with the included cord, it makes hanging this stove really easy. This is the only stove in our review that comes with all the odds and ends necessary to hang it, a nice touch in a big wall or alpine setting.

The Lite+ has a tiny spout in the lip of the pot for pouring. There seemed to be a small amount of spilling whether we used the spout or poured from the other side of the pot. This is messy at best and can cause burns at worst.

Boil Time

The Lite+ had reasonable but not inspiring boil times. In our windless test at 5,000 feet, it boiled 0.5 liters of water in 4 minutes and 45 seconds. In our 2-4 mph wind test, it boiled 0.5 liters of water in 4 minutes and 3 seconds. In previous tests at 8,000 feet in elevation, the stove boiled 0.5 liters in a windless environment in 3 minutes and 19 seconds and 4 minutes and 7 seconds in the 2-4 mph wind test. If these numbers seem a lot lower than those of the other stoves in our comparison chart, remember that this pot has a lower capacity, so we used less water in our test. Other stoves were tested with a full liter of water.

Should You Buy the Primus Lite+?

This stove is a great option for certain outings. When your adventure plans entail preparing lots of small and simple meals in inclement weather, then the Lite+ is probably a great option. It is heavy and has a smaller pot, but it is impressively fuel efficient and quick to boil. Couple these features with the ability to hang the stove, and it could be a great option for solo big wall adventures or winter camping.

What Other Backpacking Stoves Should You Consider?

If you've read this far, you're probably keen on an integrated canister stove. For a similar price but a higher volume pot and an almost as fuel-efficient burner, we can easily recommend the staff favorite JetBoil MiniMo. However, if you would prefer a lightweight stove that is almost as fuel efficient and boils quickly regardless of wind, we would recommend the Soto Windmaster.