Primus EtaPower MultiFuel

Best for Gourmets


The Crux Lite is a superlight simmer king that’s spec’d out for the hiker-foodie. Its huge burner (at almost two inches across, it’s the biggest of the bunch) delivers enough heat to crank out a quick boil, yet it delicately–and evenly–sautés onions. The lime-green wire flame adjuster is easy to see and grab, and it delivers precise heat control. The stove’s three-inch overall height (the shortest tested) means pots have a low and stable center of gravity. But cold-weather performance is lackluster. “It didn’t bring my water to a full boil in 20°F temps,” said a tester in Massachusetts. Durability was also an issue. We dropped all of the stoves in water, and only this one suffered real damage: It developed swivel-inhibiting rust in the pot-support joints.

Criteria less than 6 ounces; less than $65

Test numbers 120 meals cooked; 50 gallons of water boiled; temps 0° to 70°F; winds up to 60 mph

Ratings scale 5 = Perfect gear, 1 = Save your money (Overall rating is not an average of other scores.)This stove is designed for 4-season backcountry campers wanting to cook for small groups.
– Multi fuel stove will burn liquid fuel (white gas, gasoline, diesel, kerosene) or canister fuel
– Highly fuel efficient design lowers boil times and saves fuel
– 80% fuel efficient
– Primus makes a donation to BaumInvest, and international carbon offset group, for each stove sold
– Comes with a non stick 2.1 liter pot with fry pan lid, windscreen, .35 liter fuel bottle, pot gripper handle, and insulated storage sack
– boils a liter of water in 2.5-3.5 minutes