RidgeMonkey Grilla Cookstation Single Hob

How well is it built?

The body is easy-clean stainless steel and thermally robust, so it's built to cope with the heat of a hob session after session.

It's low-profile too, folding down to 350 x 250 x 65mm, which isn't much thicker than a hardback book, and it travels in a protective carry case with pockets for the pan rests.

The small details are well thought out. The pan support has rubber caps, the folding legs have rubber feet that hold it firmly and protect delicate surfaces, and the dual drop-down side handles are rubber-gripped.

The removable stainless steel side table fits at either end, so you can set it up to suit the way you like to cook.

For me, it's a smartly made unit, and the stainless build should last for years. It sits a touch behind the Fox Cookware Cookstation, which is a more complete outdoor kitchen, but I think 8.7 is fair.

Heat & Performance

The single hob produces 4.1kW net heat input, or 4.4kW gross, and it burns gas at 298 grams an hour. That's more heat than the 3500W Trakker Armolife CG4, and plenty for boiling a full kettle or frying in a decent-sized pan.

A fully adjustable gas control knob sets the flame size, so it should simmer a stew as well as bring water to the boil.

What about cold nights? The pre-heat pipe helps the gas vaporise in low temperatures, and the EN417 connector takes a ULPG butane propane mixture.

That matters, because pure butane struggles in the cold, and a mixed canister plus a pre-heat pipe is the right pairing for winter sessions.

I think 8.6 is a fair score. It's one hob, so it can't run two pans at once like the Sonik Sizzla 2Burna, but the single burner is a strong one with proper flame control, and that's what most solo anglers need.

Ease of Use

Setting up is simple. Fold the legs down, fit the pan support and connect the canister. The ignition button lights the hob, and the control knob sits right beside it on the front, so there's no reaching round the back of a hot stove.

The drip pan and side table make it tidier to cook on than a bare burner like the Prologic Blackfire C-Series, and the rubber-gripped handles make it easy to lift into position. Never cook or run a gas stove inside a closed bivvy or tent, because of carbon monoxide and fire.

Cook in the open or under a well-ventilated porch, on a stable, flat base. A bivvy table suits it well, as that's the kind of surface it's made for.

For me, it's one of the easiest cook stations to live with on a long session. Packing away is quick too, as it folds flat into its case, and I think 8.7 reflects that.

Is it good value for money?

Is it worth paying more than you would for a compact stove? It's dearer than the NGT Profiler, and you're paying for the stainless build, the drip pan, the side table and the carry case rather than for extra burners.

Next to the Fox Cookware Cookstation, it's cheaper and lighter at 2kg, although the Fox gives you more ways to cook. It also uses an EN417 connector, like the Fox, so you won't need a special canister.

To be fair, a single hob is still a single hob, and if you often cook for two, the Sonik Sizzla 2Burna makes more sense, with its second burner for the kettle.

Overall, I'd recommend the Grilla Single Hob to session anglers who want a stable, tidy cooking area and cook one pan at a time. If you've got a bivvy table or a flat bench to put it on, I think it's a very sound buy that will tidy up your bankside kitchen.