Go Systems Sirocco Gas Stove

How well is it built?

Its piezo auto-start ignition is a steel and brass system, and metal parts there should stand up well to damp mornings and condensation. The burner head sits on three serrated arms, and a braided hose with brass fittings runs out to the cartridge connector.

It's a simple, practical layout, and the supplied pan support and carry and storage sack keep everything together between trips.

The braided hose is a plus too, as it helps protect the gas line when the stove is packed away in a bucket or a bag, and brass fittings at each end are a reassuring touch.

Where it gives ground is heft. The Trakker Armolife CG4 and the Sonik Sizzla Superstove are both more substantial stoves, with four adjustable legs apiece, and that's why the Sirocco scores a little lower for build.

For a stove at its price, though, I think it's well made where it counts, and the 8.1 is fair.

Heat & Performance

That one-litre boil time is a useful benchmark, as it tells you roughly how long you'll wait for a kettle of tea or a pan of water for a boil-in-the-bag meal.

It comes from a 3000W output, which is more than the 2800W Sonik Sizzla Superstove has, and the powerful burner head should keep a full pan bubbling once it's up to temperature.

It consumes 144 grams of gas an hour, and a 220g cartridge gives 2 hours 25 minutes of continuous burn, so you can work out how many cartridges to pack for a weekend.

Precision flame control lets you turn it down for simmering, and the separate windshield beside the burner helps on an exposed bank.

Do you need more than that? Only if you're cooking big fry-ups, where the 3500W Trakker Armolife CG4 has more in reserve. For brews and simple meals, I think it's very capable, and the 8.3 reflects that.

Ease of Use

Piezo auto-start means no hunting for a lighter, and the wide footprint gives extra stability on uneven ground. The remote cartridge is the big plus, as the gas sits beside the stove on its hose, so the burner stays low and steady with a pan on top.

The supplied pan support takes pans up to 18cm in diameter, which suits a kettle or a small frying pan, and it all packs into the carry and storage sack. It's made for Go System threaded EN417 cartridges, so I'd keep a spare of that type in the car.

As with any gas stove, never cook or run it inside a closed bivvy or tent, because of carbon monoxide and fire. Cook in the open or under a well-ventilated porch, with the burner on a stable, flat base and the cartridge well clear of the flame.

Set up that way, it's a very easy stove to get along with.

Is it good value for money?

On value, it's hard to argue with. It's one of the cheaper stoves I'd consider, yet it has piezo ignition, flame control, a windshield, a remote cartridge and a clear boil time to plan around. That's why value is its strongest score, at 8.6.

Next to the Trakker Armolife CG4, it costs a good deal less, and while the CG4 has more output and height-adjustable legs, the Sirocco covers the basics well.

The Sonik Sizzla Superstove is the one to look at if a gentle simmer matters more to you than price, and the Prologic Blackfire C-Series is cheaper still if you want the simplest possible brew kit.

Overall, I'd recommend the Sirocco to anglers on day sessions and overnighters who want a dependable brew stove with the gas on a hose, and to newcomers who'd rather not spend much on their first bankside stove but still want one that lights at the press of a button.