RidgeMonkey Connect Deep Pan & Griddle Granite Edition

Right then, let's talk bankside grub, because a proper hot meal can turn a cold, miserable night into a decent session. The RidgeMonkey Connect Deep Pan & Griddle Granite Edition is a bit of a clever one: it's two pans that clip together into one compact unit, so you get a deep saucepan and a separate griddle without needing to carry two full-size pans.

The trick is the detachable hinge. With it connected, the griddle pan acts as the lid on the deeper pan. Unclip it, and you've got two separate pans, which RidgeMonkey point out means you can cook two lots of food at once. Bacon on the griddle and beans in the deep pan, for example, or noodles bubbling while you toast something on the side.

This Granite Edition uses what RidgeMonkey call an all-new granite-style coating. They say it makes the pans tougher, more durable and gives improved non-stick properties, and it's PFOA-free. Anyone who's scraped burnt egg off a pan at five in the morning will appreciate a decent non-stick surface.

The handles are removable too. They're magnetic, cool-touch thermoset plastic handles that come with their own protective pouch, so you can take them off for packing and stop them snapping or getting lost. The pans themselves are lightweight aluminium in a gunmetal grey finish, with a ridged exterior designed for even heat transfer.

In numbers, RidgeMonkey give dimensions of 180mm (295mm with handles) by 155mm by 100mm. The full set weighs 670g including handles, with the deep pan at 395g and the griddle at 275g. The deep pan holds 1.2 litres, which is enough for a decent portion of stew, noodles or soup. The product code is RM778, and there's an XL size too if you're cooking for more.

Who's it for? Session and overnight anglers who like to cook proper meals rather than living on sandwiches. It's also a good fit for anyone short on space, because two pans nest into one compact package that fits in a cooking bag easily.

There are a couple of things to know. It isn't suitable for induction hobs, though it works on all traditional stoves and direct heat sources. The surfaces get very hot, so fit the handles before you pick anything up, and use a proper stove stand on a stable surface. If you're cooking for two hungry anglers, the standard size might feel small, and the XL could be the better shout.

For a typical overnight session, the deep pan and griddle cover most of what you'd want to cook: a fry-up in the morning, a pot of noodles or a tin of chilli in the evening, and a quick toastie in between. Pair it with a decent stove and a windshield and you've got a proper little bankside kitchen that packs into one bag. A quick wipe with kitchen roll while the pans are still warm saves scrubbing later, and keeping metal utensils away helps the granite-style coating last longer.

On paper, it's a smart, space-saving bit of kit for anyone who eats properly on the bank. In the rest of this review we'll go through the spec, who it suits, how it compares with other RidgeMonkey cookware like the Connect Compact Toaster, and the questions anglers usually ask before buying.