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Backpacking stoves are notorious for scorching the center of pans in a blowtorch-like fashion. This may do if your aim is to boil water, but I prefer to cook fresh foods when on short weekend trips. To this end, the Primus performed adequately, if not better than most. While there was a noticeable hot spot, I was still able to prepare a respectable meal of pancakes and eggs in skillet I'd purchased separately. Precise flame adjustment can be a bit tricky however, as the valve does have some play in it. On the downside, there is no skillet in the kit, and the plastic lid is impractical to use while cooking. As far as stowage is concerned, the aluminum wind screen adds some annoying extra bulk. While it is possible to partially coil the screen so that it fits compactly into the bowl along with the stove, great care must be exercised to avoid damaging it. In the end, I found it easier to leave it outside the bowl. Overall however, the Eta Packlite is a good practical stove at a great price, offering performance equaling or exceeding that of higher priced competing models.