Review: Primus Tupike Stove

A superbly stylish, portable and lightweight two-burner stove for camping, glamping and wild cooking.

If you’re looking for one of the most stylish camping stoves on the market right now then look no further than the Primus Tupike Stove. Complete with oak laths and brass details, this two-burner stove is also one of the most portable and lightweight stoves around. But is the relatively high price tag worth it from a performance and practicality point of view? Read on to find out.

Primus Tupike Stove: The stats

Features of the Primus Tupike Stove

Burners

There are two burners on the stove top that put out 10.2 BTU (British Thermal Units) of heat per burner. This is fairly standard for two-burner camping stoves. The burners are low profile and give a good spread of heat for efficient boiling as well as simmering and sauteing.

Drip tray

The stainless steel drip tray is easy to remove and a breeze to clean. There are no awkward angles for food to get stuck in. Plus, it’s dishwasher safe! The tray has a cleverly designed slanted angle that grease can collect in.

Gas dials and ignition

Each burner has its own Piezo ignition and heat control dial. The ignitions work very smoothly, lighting up the gas instantly on the first push of the button. The control dials have a graphic next to them to indicate high and low temperature, but no gauge as to how high or low you need to turn the dial.

Pot support

Like the drip tray, the coated metal pot support is removable for easy cleaning. The support slots into holes in the edges of the drip tray and is placed face down for storing and carrying. Flip it over for cooking on and it has teeth positioned over the burners which help to grip the pots when cooking on uneven surfaces, or for extra stability.

Carry handle

With an oak lath for extra protection (and style!), the carry handle pivots for easy carrying. When in the carrying position, the lid of the stove is locked closed. When the handle is up the lid will open. And for compact storage, fold the handle right back over the top of the lid to lock again.

Legs

The stove has two fold away legs featuring skid proof material for stability. There are also tough rubber pads to support the stove securely when the legs are folded away. The legs don’t lock into place when they are folded out, so ensure they are properly in place before you start cooking.

Windshields

Like the legs, the windshields don’t lock into place. However, they pivot on hinges to put them in the most appropriate position. They do a good job at protecting the cooking area from the wind, however, it would be better if they locked into place for better protection on the really windy days.

Gas regulator

The hose and gas regulator tuck neatly underneath the stove when not in use. The regulator can only be used with portable propane / isobutane gas canisters, further adding to the portability of the whole setup. An adapter kit can be purchased separately so that the stove can be used with a refillable Campingaz canister. This is certainly recommended for longer car camping trips when portability isn’t really an issue.

Griddle pan

The Tupike comes with a small, lightweight die-cast aluminium griddle pan. This has a folding handle that locks into place and has a non-stick coating. It comes in its own protective case and fits into the stove when storing and carrying.

Oak laths

The handle and top of the stove feature oak laths that are secured into place with brass fittings. These add an element of style and class not found in many other camping stoves. But they also add a layer of practicality too, protecting the top of the stove and acting as a serving platform to place your pots of food on once cooked.

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Primus Tupike Stove review

Many car campers and glampers don’t need to worry about the portability or size of their camping stove. However, if you have a small car (like we do) or a large family, every inch of space in the car is precious. So much so that we usually take a small backpacking stove when car camping, prioritising space for a portable BBQ/firepit. It’s a mega space saver yes, but not very practical on trips that are longer than a couple of days. And we both love cooking, so unless we cook most of our meals over the fire/BBQ, we have to stick to basic one pot meals.

So the mega streamlined, slim and lightweight design of the Tupike has been a bit of a revelation when planning meals and packing for car camping. With a little bit of jigging around of our camping gear in the car (and prioritising better meals over multiple board games!), we have the space to take our Kamoto OpenFire Pit (as always) AND a two-burner stove: The Tupike!

But where its portability and low weight really come into their own for us is in everyday life. We live a stone’s throw away from the sea where we love to spend as much time as possible, including cooking with a sea view. During the summer months we try to eat as many meals as possible gazing out over the Atlantic. Sometimes we cook at home and pack up our meals in lunch boxes. But since we’ve had the Tupike we’ve started cooking way more meals on the cliff tops.

The Tupike fits easily inside my 30 litre backpack, along with a small gas canister, food to cook, pots and pans, plates, cups and even a couple of beers! I have to secure my little camping chair on the outside of the pack, but that’s no biggie. This compact cooking setup enables me to clamber down the cliffs to the most sheltered cooking spot for the day. It means I can get all the way down the beach (which is 3 miles long) to cook dinner. And best of all, it means I can cook really great food in all these beautiful and remote places.

Performance

Primus’ claim of a 4.33 min boil time for one litre of water is pretty accurate. And so far this has stayed consistent even as the gas dwindles. This is thanks to the hose regulator which does a really excellent job at ensuring a consistent gas output. Additionally, the power of each burner isn’t altered at all when both burners are on.

The burners are powerful! To start with I struggled to get a low enough burn for gentle simmering and sauteing, but it is certainly possible. My struggle was mainly down to the fact that there is no indicator on the gas dial as to how low the dial can be turned. I was always worried about turning it too low and putting the flame out altogether without noticing. With a little use and practise this has become easier to judge, but something to be aware of to start with.

What I love the most about the Primus Tupike Stove

The portability of the Tupike is the most appealing feature for me. As mentioned, we do a lot of cooking at the beach or on the cliffs near to where we live. So to be able to fit it into a backpack, or just carry it by the handle, makes wild dining a weeknight feature way more often than it used to. I also really like how cleanable it is. After every use the drip pan just goes in the dishwasher and it’s done! On camping trips the pan wipes clean with a cloth or gets a thorough wash-up, depending on how messy the meal (and the chef!) is.

One more thing that is hard not to love about the Tupike, is the way that it looks. It really is a thing of beauty that I appreciate and admire every time I use it.

What I don’t love so much about the Primus Tupike Stove

There’s no getting away from the high price of this stove. Yes, it’s an excellent performer, is mega portable and looks gorgeous. But when you’re paying almost twice as much as other good quality stoves I’d rather there were no other negatives about the stove… which there are (albeit small ones!).

Firstly, there’s no gauge on the fuel/gas dials. Even just a dot on the dial to see how far round you’ve turned it would be useful. But as it is, you have to rely on the sound of the burning gas to determine how far you’ve turned it up or down.

Secondly, when the stove is folded up, you have to be a little careful when transitioning from carrying to placing it down. At the wrong angle, the handle can slip from the locked position to the open position easily.

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Verdict

Yep, it’s a pricey little thing. And yes, there are a couple of minor design flaws that may put off the very picky campers out there. But if low weight and portability are important to you then you’ll struggle to find another stove that compares with the Primus Tupike Stove in this department, without compromising on performance. Plus, there is no better option around if you’re after a stylish stove to complete your glamping setup.

Find the latest price at:
Primus | REI

Disclaimer: Cool of the Wild received this product free in return for an honest review. We only recommend gear that we love from companies we trust and we are under no obligation to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are that of the reviewer and we are in no way influenced by the brand or company.

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