Primus Onja Stove Review

cooking al fresco is one of the great joys of the outdoor life

Jen Benson

For us, cooking al fresco is one of the great joys of the outdoor life. We’ll sit and talk about the day’s adventures while a big pot bubbles happily on the stove – it’s always one of our favourite parts of a trip.

We’ve done a lot of camping, and used a lot of different camping stoves too. The one we use depends on where we are, what the weather’s like, what we’re cooking and how far we need to carry it.

Usually, if we’re packing light, we’ll take a small, powerful single burner, whereas if we’re based in one place we’ll cook up more leisurely meals on a bigger, heavier double burner.

Our priorities, especially with two kids running around, are that it’s stable, efficient and straightforward to use. The new Primus Onja looked like it might tick all of our boxes – and more.

Straight out of the box its looks are striking: a cool, clean design with black canvas sides, high-quality white steel surround and a lovely oak lid that doubles as a chopping board.

perfect for a day out at the beach

Jen Benson

It’s fairly lightweight (3KG) and carries easily with a wide shoulder strap – perfect for a day out at the beach.

We’ve used Primus kit before (in fact we’re the proud owners of a limited edition OmniFuel Ti) so were expecting the stove to work well, but even we were impressed by the power of the burners.

Once lit they roar impressively, boiling water fast. Although powerful, there’s plenty of adjustment so you can simmer or stir fry happily, depending on your needs.

we’d advise using an additional shield for best performance

Jen Benson

The body of the stove opens out to form a solid base that also acts as a windshield. It works well but if it’s particularly windy we’d advise using an additional shield for best performance.

Pans sit securely on top and there’s little movement throughout the unit even at a rapid boil.

The chopping board is pleasingly solid and slots into the top for carrying.

a Duo valve version of the stove fits most valved gas cartridges

Jen Benson

The Onja runs on 100g, 230g or 450g canister gas; although this is definitely more convenient than using larger canisters it’s also more wasteful, so we’d highly recommend Jetboil’s CrunchIt recycling tool so at least your used canisters don’t go straight into landfill.

Primus also make a Duo valve version of the stove that fits most valved gas cartridges, ideal if you’re travelling abroad.

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the canisters are held away from the ground, so you’ll lose less heat

Jen Benson

The Onja is also a great choice for colder weather cooking, as using smaller gas cylinders means you can go for a butane/propane mix which works much better when it’s cold. Additionally, the canisters are held away from the ground, so you’ll lose less heat.

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Here are some quick stats about the Onja:

• Height (mm): 290

• Width (mm): 140
• Burn time: 34 min on 230 g gas (200 g/h per burner)
• Length (mm): 430
• Season: 3 Seasons
• Effect (W): 2800×2
• People: 1-4
• Ignition: No
• Weight (g): 3000

About Primus: Originating in the 1890s, Swedish brand Primus is known for its multi award-winning, fuel-efficient stoves in the outdoor market.  The new Primus CampFire range, designed and manufactured in Europe, is the result of two years of R&D in conjunction with consumers and retailers alike. You might also like the other products in the campfire range, all equally beautifully-presented, including stainless steel pots, prep set and cutlery.