General survey on cookware onboard on 'smaller' cruising vessels

[Mike OReilly]

In addition to our Magna nesting pots (teflon coated ), we also use a large Kuhn pressure cooker.

While I appreciate the faster, and hence more efficient cooking times, what I really like is the way it actually cooks food. It seems to infuse the flavours more thoroughly. And when using dried beans, or even tougher cuts of meat like moose or elk, it really enhances the flavours of the food.

Plus, with dried beans, you don’t have to pre-soak them. This is great since I rarely remember to get them soaking the day before.

[Silverbullet]

I COOK! One cast iron and one stainless skillet. Both are 12" and the cast iron is deeper. Big thing is the COFFEE! If you dont know about 'cold brew' get with the program! I was in NOLA for several years and had a couple hundred Cajun folk working for me. They would take me home to eat with them and they taught me how to cook all that stuff. Cold brew kits are available commercially now but in past years they would sit their fluted bottom porcelain coated coffee pot in a pan of water, put the coffee grounds in a cotton cloth spread across the top of the pot and walk by numerous times each day and put a tablespoon of water from the pan below onto the grounds and it slowly filtered into the pot. A pound of Louisanne with chickory brewed this way lasts the two of us a month. Its concentrated so add water or milk to the cup along with about a tablespoon of concentrate. It will last for, I know, at least two months refrigerated. This had been a major consumer of fuel in the past but now a minute and forty seconds in the wave and walla, fresh brewed Cajun coffee every morning in less than two minutes. I warm/heat leftovers in the wave on a real glass dish. Never heat on any kind of plastic! Storing canned goods in a box inside the oven just dont forget to take them out when preheating. I think my biggest energy user is cooking biscuits! Mostly canned beans and fresh seafood are main menu items. You just dont need a lot of cookware. I dont use a pressure cooker because I dont cook things which take any time at all. I have one large glass bowl for mixing things in and heating back up leftovers in, in the microwave. One nice kitchen knife works for both slicing and chopping. A strainer for sifting flour and straining. I do have a butter blender for the biscuit flour. Often asked about my favorite jelly for the biscuits, "MAYHAW" a small swamp apple that is so tart it gives the best flavor ever to jelly. Ok now Im hungry!

[toddster8]

Timely topic since this weekend I am building a galley extension custom-sized to hold the pots snugly. Too late to change, glued-up the face frame last night!

I’ve got the Magma nesting set, along with a small saucepan-sized pressure cooker and a small SS percolator/kettle. But the Magma set is overkill for me. I got through a decade of college and grad skool with just one small saucepan and one small frying pan.

A peculiar thing about Magma is that their SMALL set includes only the LARGE pots! If you want the small pots suitable for 90% of meals, you have to buy the whole shebang. I also recently added the optional colander and small sauté pan to the set because... OCD. And it’s the right size for my breakfast fry-up.

[BNeaderthal]

On facebook there is a site called Cooking on Boats! (with an exclamation point) that contains great information and a search capacity. Cookwear has been discussed a lot.

[dancor01]

One thing I love to use is a small electric rice cooker. Black and decker, Not sure I paid even $20 at wallmart. You can cook a lot more then just rice in it. Even did cook chicken legs in it. Tried baking a bread in it. Doesn't work
For Bread the presto work great on low heat, Just put the lid loose on it. don't lock it.
You can cook a pizza in a pan. On a BBQ it's a bit more tricky.

[Silverbullet]

Ive heard about rice cookers a lot so I bought a small one at wallys and it didnt hold much. Took it back. But Im sure they are ideal for some. Interesting about cooking other stuff in it! I usually cook a lot cause it doesnt take any more energy to cook a little or a lot. I use my stainless skillet with a see through glass lid.

[Don C L]

So I have a small boat like yours and it’s usually me and two kids and my wife. I’ve got the Omnia oven too, great. Got a folding omelette/sandwich pan which is handy, got one stainless sauce pan and lid for soups or beans or stew, two tea kettles ( one for the separate sea swing gimballed stove for coffee while underway), got the Origo stove too, and then the other thing to think about is washing tubs, I got the folding silicone ones, great, and the plastic folding camping sink thing, also great. I have to stash all th stuff under the stove, under the sink and in drawer under the stove. Stowing the food and cold stuff (in coolers) is the trick too so that it is easily accessible as well as easy to stow.

[hriehl1]

Two items we love.

1. Converted a pressure alcohol Mariner stove to kerosene. An easy change of burner jets (if you have the correct original alcohol burners) gives us a faster hotter burn. Vital for morning coffee!

2. A stovetop oven we bought in Jordan for $8, virtually the same as the more expensive Omni Oven. We have seen them referred to on the internet as "Wonder Pot Oven". But they work very well for most anything you can adapt to their bundt-pan shape, meat loaf, all sorts of breads and cakes, potatoes, etc. We have fun trying new items. Highly recommended. I wish I had brought 50 back from the Middle East, where many cook only on kero stoves with no ovens.

[Jimmyhenry]

Magna nesting pots, fry pan and pressure cooker.

Pete

[seadago]

On my 30' Freedom, I have a set of Tefal cooking pots (1 frying pan, 1 larger pot, 1 smaller pot) all with std size lid and removable handle (actually use same handle for all three), 1 collapsible kettle (silicon sides), and an assortment of collapsible silicon food containers, mixing bowls, and kitchen utensils. I also cook for one only, occasionally two. Haven't found the need for more HW in the galley. Also have a small portable bbq, so often cook outside, wherever.
I have a set of plastic microwave-safe plates and bowls. Wont break and they are slightly flexible; makes a difference when corners, nooks and crannies of storage space need to be put to good use. Apart from that, I have a small (smallest I could find!) mains microwave oven and electric kettle. Normally only used when plugged onto the grid. Offshore, I have driven them once or twice off my batteries with a small inverter without loss of life.
Cheers!
Rafa

[Capt. Steve1]

I like this thread will read in it's entirety.

don't have a real galley yet but am planning, I do have a coleman gasoline stove yet to use while on water.

the little fresh water on board is limited and mainly for rinsing fishing/diving gear.

curious if it's safe to clean up pans (usually has olive oil residue yes I'm Italian and proud of it) and plates w/ saltwater? or maybe a combination like get the big chunks off w/ saltwater then do a secondary rinse w/ a tiny bit of fresh water. Capt. Steve

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Capt. Steve1

...curious if it's safe to clean up pans (usually has olive oil residue yes I'm Italian and proud of it) and plates w/ saltwater? or maybe a combination like get the big chunks off w/ saltwater then do a secondary rinse w/ a tiny bit of fresh water. Capt. Steve

Exactly what we do. Use salt to do the bulk wash. Then spritz with fresh. Naturally it depends on the cleanliness of the salt water. I wouldn’t use salt water from a marina, for example.

[Dogscout]

Today I ordered the Le Creuset Duo multifunction 22cm set. Its a enameled iron frypan and stockpot combination. It may be expensive but it looks to me like the perfect set for a small stove/oven. From bacon and eggs to sauce its got what I need. I love my cast iron on land but I did not bring it in my luggage so why not?

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Capt. Steve1

don't have a real galley yet but am planning, I do have a coleman gasoline stove yet to use while on water.

Yikes! I highly recommend planning on a different stove!!

[JPA Cate]

Don, when Jim had his Catalina 22, that Coleman Stove is what he and his at-the-time family used for cooking, too. At anchor, of course, not under way.

Ann