To make sure that you get the most out of your outdoor cooking experience, ask yourself the questions below and think about how you will primarily use the gear.

• How many people are you cooking for?
• Are you boiling water or cooking food?
• Will you cook over open fire?
• How important are weight and space?
• Do you want a compatible coffee-press for your stove?

No matter your preferences, Primus has the cookware that suits your needs.

Pot set or single pieces

Primus offers complete cookware sets as well as single pieces.

Our pot sets consist of pots, pans and lids that nest neatly together. They are made from the same durable and lightweight material but have different coatings depending on what type of cooking they are used for.

Most Primus pots can be bought as individual pieces. This way you can build the perfect set of cookware for you or you can replace an item if needed. The downside of buying individual pieces is that they might not nest/pack together, thus taking up additional space when you pack.

Material

Stainless steel - a lasting classic

Primus Campfire

Pots and pans made of stainless steel are robust and offer great durability and pair well with metal utensils. The stainless steel has a high resistance to rust. Our stainless steel range can be used over a standard stove burner or over an open fire as it handles high temperatures.

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• Sturdy, wear and scratch resistant
• Can be used over open fires
• Nonreactive (pot or pan doesn't react with the food being cooked; problem foods typically feature ingredients that are acidic)
• Completely recyclable
• Dishwasher safe

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• Heavy
• Do not conduct heat uniformly - uneven cooking due to hot spots

Anodized Aluminum - lightweight and affordable

Primus Essential

Products made with naturally anodized aluminum, a thin layer of oxidization. Aluminum conducts heat effectively which makes it ideal for lightweight pots and pans.

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• Lightweight
• Corrosion free
• Good heat conduction, heats up and cools down faster
• Affordable

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• Soft material, more prone to denting
• Reactive and not suitable with acidic foods

Hard-anodized aluminum - durable and fuel efficient

Primus PrimeTech, Primus LiTech

Hard-anodized aluminum has a thicker oxidation layer which makes the pot harder and more resistant to wear, and can be easily recognized by its dark grey finish. Like the anodized pots, aluminum conducts and distributes heat effectively in a lightwight material which makes it ideal for backpacking pots and pans. Hard anodized aluminium (with ceramic coating) can handle higher temperatures and can, with care, be used over open fire. This essentially means that the pot must not be heated while being empty.

Our PrimeTech pots include a heat exchanger on the bottom of the pot which increases heat transfer by 50% when compared to conventional pots. This saves fuel and shortens the boil time.

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• Lightweight
• Sturdy, wear and scratch resistant
• Corrosion free
• Good heat conduction, heats up and cools down faster
• Coating makes cooking and cleaning easier

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• Less durable coating - requires plastic or wooden tools and protection during transport
• More expensive

Coatings

A non-stick coating is practical when searing or frying and makes cleaning easier. We use two types in our aluminum pots and pans:

PTFE (Whitford) Non-stick Coating

We use a PTFE coating from Whitford for some of our non-stick coating. PFTE offers low friction and can handle high temperatures, making it great a great option when you need something that is non-stick. It is however a bit sensitive to scratching and too high of a cooking temperature will ruin the coating. The PTFE used in our products is PFOA free. PTFE is the best choice for most standard meal preparation and temperature-sensitive ingredients like eggs.

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• Great non-stick properties
• Easy cleaning

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• Degrades when temperatures get too high

Primus products with PTFE

Essential Stove System (pan only)
Essential Pot Sets (pan only)
LiTech Pot Sets
LiTech Coffee Kettle
LiTech Trek Kettle
Campfire Griddle Plate

Non-stick ceramic coating

Ceramic coating is a great choice for outdoor cooking as it is tough and can handle the high heat of a gas flame or open fire safely. Ceramic coating is the best all around choice for cooking and heavy frying.

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• More scratch resistant than PTFE coating
• Can handle high temperatures
• Easy cleaning

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• More expensive

Primus products with ceramic coating

Essential Trek Pots (pan only)
Primtech Stove System (pot with heat exchanger only)
Primetech Pot Sets
Trek Pots
LiTech Frying Pans
Kuchoma (grill grate only)

No coating

Anodized aluminum without coating is used in our pots where the intended use is primarily to heat or boil water, without searing or frying. Note that these pots should not be used with highly salty or acidic food as those will break down the material. This is the best choice for water boiling.

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• Affordable

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• Acidic and/or alkaline food causes corrosion
• Not made for searing

Primus products without coating

Essential Stove set (except pan)
Essential Pot Sets (except pan)
Lite Stove System
Lite Plus Stove System
Lite XL Stove System
Lite XL Pot

Now that you understand a bit more about the different options available when cooking outside, all you have to do is decide what type of pot or pan suites your cooking style!