Propane vs Origo

[SaltyMonkey]

yup...points maid...

[Mimsy]

Therapy, I've got a ten year old- almost 11 who likes to cook and a baby.

I thought that you could not have the lockers below decks? Even if vented?

I do like that when I;ve cooked on the boat (it has propane just now) it was really similar tocooking at home, just a few more steps to get started.

[bangkaboat]

One consideration should be where you plan to sail? Are both equally available in each area? Consumption rate differences in relation to costs?

Here's a curve ball, on a Cal 330 I owned, we had CNG. The boat had had pressurized alcohol, which is not a good thing, I wanted an oven and I didn't want the risk of propane in the bilge, nor the massive job of building containment & worrying about plumbing in areas we couldn't easily access, periodically, so we went for the CNG. With my experiences to date, my first choice would be diesel. Considering the OP's choices, I'd go with non-pressurized alcohol w/origo stove, unless I wanted an oven. Ovens are wonderful things...
Mike

[Darryl]

I guess it comes down to personal preferences and circumstances. Both fuel types have their merits.
Three years ago I was faced with the decision to totally replace a 20+ year old lpg installation that was definately showing it's age and no way meeting current insurance and safety requirements.
To cut a long story short, I opted for the Origo 2 burner which does all that I want.


Darryl
Coral Kuching

[senormechanico]

I love popcorn, and am well known for it.
I don't know if alcohol would have enough oomph for popcorn.
Propane does.
For me, end of story.

Steve B.

[four winds]

Therapy is right about kids and hot stoves.

I still have an image burned into my memory at about 4 years old probably, of my hand with concentric rings of burns across the whole palm and fingers too.

And an image of the red hot electric element I placed my flattened out hand upon. I recall I could barely see over the stove top on my tiptoes, so it was probably the first time I saw a stove eye hot. Didn't have to be invisible, curiosity got me burned. My Mom freaked standing right next to me when it happened.

[sck5]

I have an Origo on the boat and propane at home. If there is a difference in how long it takes to boil water for coffee I can't tell what it is. And I am not sure what people are talking about with the "invisible flame" - Maybe that is a problem with pressurized alcohol stoves but I can see the flame just fine on my Origo.

I like it that if I spill the alcohol it will evaporate instead of collecting in the bilge and blowing up.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by klem

It cooked 51 dinners this year and they all tasted great

A good cook!!

My stove cooks 365 x 3 meals - restaurant outings. Total say = 1,000 meals per year.

Mimsy, you have Hubbie and Wifey and 2 Chilluns (I think?). Thats a total of 4,000 meals per year if you eat out twice per week.

Some sucker on the boat will do more than 25% of the cooking. I'd say Mum does 75%? So thats 3,000 meals plated per year by Mum.

If you are cruising some long distances then some of those days will be sea day, say 1 month at sea per year = 333 cooked meals at sea in a rockin, rollin galley with hungry mouths wanting MORE!

So I think the maths shows its a critical decision for a long range cruising yacht with family.

I just bought the best. A new stove with a huge oven and electronic ignition. Its one third cheaper than the alcohol stove to buy, but that would be rounded out by cost of propane tanks.

I would think you should be guided by having a happy fed family than worry about the extra work of placing gas tanks.

The gas tanks (even the one in use) can be outside attached to a rail. The stove has a built-in solonoid (thermocoupler) and an electric one isnt required (and would be a pain if the elecs blow).

How does the alchol one ignite? By match? Electronic? I am lovin my electronic ignition

Changing gas bottle types around the world is a pain (I wrote about that someonewhere else this morning)

However, for a long term cruise I don't think you could go past a good gas stove. Quick, efficient, safe... and what the vast majority of boat owners have voted for...

Mine is ENO, and I hear Force 10 is great too.

[slowshoes]

Hi Mimsy,

We've had our boat for 23 years - it came with an Origo stove/oven and we used it ever since. Stove top coffee pot starts to perc in 10 minutes - another 5 and your drinking coffee, we have popcorn probably 3 nights a week, and there isn't a safer fuel than non pressurized alcohol. Some of the previous posts must have been from folks who have never used an Origo.

Some downsides -

1. not sure of availability of alcohol outside the U.S.

2. you will need to work out how to fill the burners while underway - we have deep sinks, so we place the burner in the sink and use a garden insectiside sprayer (without the spray end fitting of course) to fill the burners. Make sure the hose is long enough to fill the burner with the sprayer sitting on the cabin sole.

3. Alcohol literally stinks - not when cooking, but when your filling underway and it's rough out, it can be nauseating.


So I'm not saying an Origo is better or worse than propane, but it certainly is a good option to consider. Like you, we also have a Magma grill on the rail that sees alot of use. (hate heating up the cabin when it's hot and humid outside.). We pretty much live aboard 5 months a year so the Origo and/or the Magma see daily use.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

[Mimsy]

If there were any easy spot for a locker, it would be a no brainer. Point in favor of center cockpit boats!

The oven we have just now is past its sell by date. It functions, but barely and is lacking all those nifty new safety gadgets that modern stoves have. The price difference in the oven itself is not noticeable, its the additional lockers and plumbing needed for propane where cost becomes a factor. Then there is the hassle factor, which is what really has me up in arms (along with safety).

Good point about cooking times being longer- food doesn't matter quite so much but I need coffee, lots of it and quickly or I am not the nicest of people to be around.

[PatrickS]

Originally Posted by Unicorn Dreams

Do you like coffee in the morning, with alcohol it will be ready by lunch.
Alcohol for cooking, maybe for warming up food. We like to cook, but hang out at the stove waiting for it to get warm. Never really does hot. One good thing about alcohol, it's almost impossible to burn food....

Seems you've never cooked on an Origo stove, because that's BS.

I've used Origo stoves for years and they are simple, reliable, effective. I use a Coleman camp stove coffee maker, and it takes about 7 minutes to brew half a pot (our usual amount) and perhaps 10 minutes for a whole pot.

One thing you have to be sure to do though, is use the right pots. Thin aluminum is what you want. No thick bottomed pots/pans.

[PatrickS]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

I love popcorn, and am well known for it.
I don't know if alcohol would have enough oomph for popcorn.
Propane does.
For me, end of story.

Steve B.

We use to make Jiffy-Pop popcorn all the time on our Origo. Unfortunately, can't get it locally here in Finland. Need to order a case from somewhere ;-)

I expect, though, that popping in a pot with oil would work just fine (though admitedly I've not tried it -- need to) since that's really no different from the Jiffy-Pop.

[slowshoes]

Originally Posted by PatrickS

I expect, though, that popping in a pot with oil would work just fine (though admitedly I've not tried it -- need to) since that's really no different from the Jiffy-Pop.

It does work fine - thats the only way we make ours.

[zopi]

I'll take my Origo..dunno whatchoo that can't get any heat out of it are doing, but mine heats just fine...coffee water for French press in about five minutes, and often have trouble throttling the heat back to something sane enough to simmer...will be doing linguine veloute on it tonight...

[Anzo]

Pressurized alcohol for the galley, w/toaster oven/micro backup while hooked to shore power, and propane grill on the rail, w/locker on deck. I sleep better.