Primus ETA Express review

A compact gas cooking system designed for solo trips, the ETA Express kit comprises a gas burner unit, 1-litre non-stick pan with integral handle, windshield, transparent plastic lid with silicone grip, a plastic bowl and storage bags for both the stove and burner.

The whole kit weighs about 450g and a 100g gas cartridge can be stored inside the pan. Initially the system feels quite heavy but this is partly due to the superb build quality of all the components. The ETA compensates for this with very low fuel consumption and quick burn times. This comes from the excellent windshield along with the heat exchanger which is integrated into the base of the pan. Primus say the stove is for 1-2 people, but in my opinion it’s ideal for two people; my partner and I shared it on a recent 3-day trip and managed comfortably on only one 100g gas cartridge. Sharing was also made easier because one of us could eat from the plastic bowl and one directly from the pan. The integrated pan handle and silicone lid grip are well designed and a handle strainer is conveniently built into the side of the lid. I’ve used the old version of the ETA and this system is a significant improvement.