Our Primus Trek Pot Set Review details a well designed and beautifully manufactured cooking set. Please do read on to find out more.
Like many outdoor activists, our cooking needs change according to the nature of the trip. Sometimes we just need to heat up water to rehydrate our dehydrated meals and prepare drinks. At other times we want the flexibility to cook more creatively. If we are on a solo mission our needs might be different to when we are with a partner.
With all that in mind, offer the best cook system is one that offers a range of options. The Primus Trek Pot Set offers 2 pans of different capacities along with a frying pan. It should fit the bill for many situations. We took one for a test and here is our detailed review.
The Primus Brand
Primus have certainly been around a while. The business started in 1892 when blacksmiths F.W.Lindqvist and J.V.Svenson created the first soot free kerosene stove. As it was the first of its kind, they called it Primus (Latin for first). Since then, Primus stoves have become a benchmark of quality and innovation.
They have also been the trusted companions for all types of adventurer. For just a couple of key examples, Roald Amundsen used Primus stoves on his famous trip to the South Pole and they were used by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary on Everest. Since those early days, Primus have continued to grow and continued to innovate. Their range still includes stoves of all types and uses along with accessories and cookware. Which brings us nicely to our Primus Trek Pot Set Review.
Features
In simple terms, the Primus Trek Pot Set combines one 1 litre and one 0.6 litre hard anodized aluminium pots. The pots feature a ceramic non stick coating and the pan bases feature a spiral pattern to ensure optimum heat transfer and add additional grip. The pots are a little thicker on the bottom than the sides to minimise the risk of burning.
The lid of the 1 litre pot can also act as a frying pan and the 0.6 litre pot includes a lightweight plastic lid with silicon handle and drainage holes to allow it to operate as a strainer. Both pans incorporate a pourer built in to the upper edge.
The set includes three adjustable and removable handles to allow you to cook or transport pots. There are two mesh storage bags. One is sized for the larger pot and one for the smaller one. The packed weight of the set is 410 grams and the set retails for 80 euros (about £68 at time of writing). The packed dimensions are 11.7cms x 14.5cms.
In Use
First Impressions
As with every Primus product we’ve used, the Trek Pot Set exudes quality. The first thing you’ll see is the padded mesh drawcord storage bag which closes with a cord grip. This should do a good job of protecting both the larger pot and the items in your pack. You will also notice the compact footprint. The packed unit won’t take up much space in your pack. Also, one of the handles also doubles as a lock to keep it clamped together. It all feels very well thought out.
Once you open the larger pot, you find the smaller pot stored in a smaller drawcord closure padded mesh bag. This means the whole set fits together very snugly. Primus have done this deliberately to minimise rattling in your pack. We are pleased to say this works superbly because that can be a really annoying sound when walking.
The internal mesh bag also ensures the pans don’t scrape against each other and cause damage to the non stick coating. The smaller pad has a neat plastic lid with built in silicon handle. Holes at one side allow for straining of liquid.
Non Stick Coating
Next, when you examine the pans you’ll notice the ceramic non stick coating. This is on both the pans and the larger pan lid. This feels to be a very good quality coating. The spiral pattern on the base of both pans is also clearly visible and helps prevent the pan sliding around when stood on your stove.
The handles are cleverly designed and are interchangeable between pans. There is a longer one and two shorter ones. The are held firmly in place by a metal clamp. They can be left in place while cooking. The only downside to this is that, being metal, they will get hot.
It may be better if they could be left off until the pan needs to be lifted. Maybe, but this really depends mostly on what is being cooked. If you are using the frying pan it can be better to hold the handle as you move the contents around.
At other times this isn’t needed. In that case you may just want to slot the handle on when you are ready to move the pan. This can be tricky as the spring mechanism makes the handle a snug fit. With practice it is still possible to do this while the pan is on the stove. You just need to get used to it.
Simple & Secure
In every other way the pan handles are a really good design. Secure, simple, strong and relatively lightweight. If you are trying to count the grams you might choose to leave a handle or two at home. The design allows for this.
In terms of doing what a pan should do, everything about the Trek Pot Set works perfectly. They are efficient and simple to use. The tall shape makes them simple to use although they obviously sit quite high when on a stove. A wider base generally makes pans more stable. The tall shape also makes it slightly harder when you need to stir the contents. Not a big problem, but something to be aware of. For the larger pan to also makes sense to have a long handled spoon.
The frying pan certainly works fine, but the tall thin shape of the pans means it is quite small. You might need to chop up your bacon rashers or cut your sausages in half. There is also limited space, so if you are cooking for you and a partner you may need to cook in batches. That all said, it does cook up a great breakfast!
Ideal Uses
So, a final consideration is who is the set suitable for? If you just want to boil water on your adventures then this set may be overcomplicated for your uses. You may just want a single pan. Of course the Trek Pot Set allows for this. You could simply leave one pan at home and take the one best suited to your needs.
At other times you might want to be more adventurous with your cooking. Having the increased flexibility of another pan and frying pan easily allows for this. You can cook up your pasta in one pan and fry up your chorizo and onions in the frying pan. In between, you’ll have another pan for a hot drink.
If that’s your plan, for a full selection of pans the set is very compact and portable. You can even store a small stove and gas canister inside. In the photo below the stove is the Primus Firestick Ti reviewed here. As with most equipment choices, whether it suits your needs really depends on your needs.
Summary
As with all the previous products we’ve used, we are happy our Primus Trek Pot Set Review reveals another high quality and well designed product. It is clear that this set has been designed by people who know what works for outdoor people and know what works well. If you want to up your outdoor cooking standards this will offer some great options.
Primus products sometimes come with a premium price tag and around £70 for a pan set is certainly top end. However, I do think for what you are getting this offers good value. This is a versatile set that will last a long time and serve you reliably. Please do check out the details on the Primus website here.
We have previously reviewed a number of other Primus products. Please check out our review of the Tupike stove here, the Micron Trail stove here and the Omnilite Ti stove here.
We’ve also recently tested the Primus Firestick Ti Stove which works really well with these pans. Please check out this review here.