Heating and cooking equipment suggestions

[wildhitsuji]

I recently purchased a 37-foot sailboat in San Diego; it does not have a stove or a heater. Three of us are planning to live aboard for at least a year, and are trying to decide what would be best/most economical for our needs. I grew up with a Dickinson diesel stove, great for heating and cooking, but that may be too much heat depending on whether we head up the coast or down. I have thought of a Dickinson heater/propane 2-burner combination, but that leaves us without an oven. I'd love to hear any and all suggestions and/or alternative options. Also, Dickinson claims that all of their stoves and heaters use the same (approx. 1.3 gallons/day on low) amount of fuel. Have you found this to be true?

[Pblais]

I have a Sigmar diesel heater and a propane Force 10 3 burner with oven stove. For stoves it really is all about propane. Ovens are important over the long term. I also like the diesel for heat when it's cold. Being cold sucks.

If you can be where you don't need heat then I guess it makes it the easy. Would you rather wait for dinner or be cold. Not an easy choice.

[Chuck Baier]

We have a Force Ten three burner propane stove with the oven and a Dickinson Newport bulkhead mounted diesel heater for the cabin.

[Celestialsailor]

Well...If after a year, you are heading to warmer climates, an expensive diesel heater might not be needed. A couple of Home depot cube type 110 AC volt heaters could do it. I totally agree that a propane stove is the way to go. I had the diesel dickinson diesel stove/mooring of my boat and replaced it with a Force 10, 2 burner with grill I found on e-bay for $200

[waterworldly]

Nice design on the Dickinson Newport bulkhead mounted diesel heater. Saw it for about $650 and thought that a clean install with such a readily available fuel source was a great item. Even here in Miami, a heater is a welcome thing on a lot of cool nights, also would be great to dry out the cabins a bit.

[multihullsailor6]

You should also look at the Wallas and Webasto range of diesel cookers and heaters.

[wildhitsuji]

I have looked (through the internet, since I am currently land-locked in northern Alaska) at both the Wallas stoves and Webasto heaters, and both seem to require electricity. I am looking to keep our systems as simple as possible, and so far Dickinson and Sigmar are the only diesel-burning products that fit the "no battery drain" profile. I'd be happy to be corrected. Being on a small budget, I'm also looking for things used--a difficult prospect down in San Diego, where almost everyone uses propane. I don't plan to be plugged into dock power often, so combining dry heat, cooking, and baking in one unit that I can fill up along with the engine tank is appealing.

[Pblais]

Actually the old Sigmar is no longer in production. The new ones use electricity but I have to say they work exceptionally well. Thermostatically controlled and externally vented. They install well in a lazerette. Flip the switch and forget about it. It's what they use in over the road trucks now. The power required isn't much and you don't need to be plugged in. You only are powering a blower. Friends that sail out of MA have one and use it quite a bit in the New England colder water.

[Squeaks]

I also have a propane 2-burner sst stove w/ oven as is most common but my decision on a heater was very difficult; only room for bulkhead-mount and diesel needed too tall of a stack, Dickenson propane, I felt, would tax my meager, 2x 10lb alum propane tanks and add moisture, so went with solid-fuel Dickenson Newport which burns either pellets, chunked "presto" logs, or junk mail :-).
I might want more if I were anchored out all winter here in No Cal but plenty cozy in the evenings so far. While cruising in Mexico, my neighbor filled his with a few bottles of wine :-).
John

[blondezilla]

Get a rice cooker. The biggest you can find. From spaghetti to stir fry to pot roast and veggies, (seafood steamer, for all the fresh catch!) in about 30 minutes.
A rice cooker cooks anything.
It does it super hot n fast for 30 minutes then shuts itself off to low warm when the liquid/water cooks down (about 30 minutes), without fail.
So low you can leave it on for a very very long time and not worry and it doesnt lose flavor like a crock pot.
i cut up beef,(chicken, fish, crab, clams, toss it in there with fresh crushed garlic, veggies, pasta or BROWN RICE (whole grain extra bonus plus!!) and you have a super meal in minutes all in one pot and the cleanup is so easy you could just cry.
Steam that shoots out makes for a nice quick facial ladies... LOL

Also a rice cooker will boil water super fast, tea, coffee whatever... soups...
broccoli keeps a long time, so do carrots and podded peas... fresh garlic keeps forever.
you can put meat in, any meat and the noodles and cause right in too with the water and come back in 30 and the whole thing is done... alfredo, italian, whatever...
then you can do deserts--all in same pot...
I rarely use anything else anymore.
its the weirdest thing because the meat cooks super fast which you would think would make beef very tough... its soo succulent...
I've recently cut up one pot roast and one bag of frozen chix breasts, tossed em in and put fajita seasoning on them, let them do their 30 in the rice cooker, then taken them out and sliced them up and had a crock pot full of fajitas chicken and beef, (even shrimp) and fed 32 people for Super Bowl... with such little hassle... and almost no cleanup!!!
Tuna casserole in minutes... i mean i cant rave enough about the darn thing.. I hate tuns casserole but Hub loves it so I am forced to make it (LOL) its cake in the rice cooker and oh soo good.
so make sure if you dont get anything else...
GET A RICE COOKER!!!
Oh yeah and one of those Presto elextric Griddles... I never did manage being talented on an electric stove, but eggs turn out just angelic on a Presto griddle... whole breakfast one griddle and wipe away cleanup....
Ahhh who knew I might enjoy cooking again..

[Trikona]

I love the idea of using a rice cooker... what size do you think is appropriate for 2-6 ppl??

Thanks!
Sarah

[multihullsailor6]

Originally Posted by blondezilla

Get a rice cooker. The biggest you can find.

Hi blondezilla,

Excuse my male ignorance but what is a "rice cooker"?

Roger

[blondezilla]

It's the most genius invention of all time for the kitchen where cooking is concerned.
I always check on Amazon when I look up appliances, they have everything and people review there as well, and all the stats are right on one page... Anyway.. go to Amazon.com and type in rice cooker.. you start seeing them..
tiny... like 9 inches wide and tall and just the size of a pot or something. They have a heating element in em that soars quickly, evaporates all the water inside and thus steaming whatever is inside (and gently browning the outside if you use olive oil and garlic, or real butter) and then turns itself down to a 12 our low setting.
You can literally cook anything in it perfectly it is impossible to screw up and nothing takes more then 30 minutes which is generally how long til the water is gone from frozen.
You might have to cut some things into smaller chunks of course... dont want pink in the middle chicken..eeeek! A good way to get the Black Water Flu at sea.
but yes..
spaghetti, taco, meatloaf, cakes, rice, stir fry, noodles and anything, meat and anything...
get creative and make up something... i honestly just love my rice cooker.
Rinse out on pot and dinner is cleaned up... hurray..

I bought the biggest one I could find because I love doing chili and soups and a giant huge thing of spaghetti etc.. and leave it on the 12 hour warm setting... so I can stay out and play all day and not have to listen to crazy hungry husband who managed to feed himself beer in the sun with his buddies while they were "fixing" God only knows what, but never ever remembers to feed himself REAL FOOD LOL
I call it my, "kill five drunks with one stone cooker"... I imagine this would be awesome if you had kids too. hotdogs in and out, mac n cheese in and out, fish, crab, shrimp, and noodles pasta whatever... just wipe it out and its ready for the next crazy thing they think they are hungry for... Some of you grandparents go nuts cooking kid food...
I got 8-12 cup... love it..
Oh and everything freezes so well.. Just don't try to put it in freezer bags while its still hot, (couple glasses of vino...oops) the seams tend to not hold as well as they do on TV when they are full of a bee hive and 9 other kinds of dangerous.