Is an oven really necessary?

[Charlie]

I like the oven. There are times when you cannot cook b/c of rolling sea conditions. When this happens to us I like having a lassagna or caserole ready to pop in the oven. This way we get a good meal without having the problem of being scaldinged. There is no right answer to this one though.

[Dave the Canuck]

I'm in the "this shouldn't be an endurance contest" crowd. We got rid of the microwave (only ever used it as the bread box and to re-heat coffee a few times) and gained some storage as a result. The oven can work wonders if it's a little cool and you're a little tired. I personally think it's a good idea. Oven, stove and BBQ and there's not much you can't do.

PS: Toast or English muffins on the BBQ for breaky... can't beat it.

[Gashmore]

When you are 10 days from a baker and all the bread has turned green you will apreciate an oven.

[S/V Antares]

Got stuck in the Exaumas for a few weeks of fronts last winter. Fresh, GOOD bread is remarkabley easy to make with an oven. Ok on the stovetop but not as good. Think about a nice crusty hot loaf fresh out of the oven and some of that great Irish butter so common in the Bahamas/Carib. I did not chose to cruise to live less a life.

[Dave the Canuck]

Originally Posted by S/V Antares

I did not chose to cruise to live less a life.

Hear, Hear!!!

[Auspicious]

On a chilly, rainy day the warmth and scent of baking bread adds coziness that can't be beat.

Have a freezer? Take some frozen blueberries for muffins.

In addition to bread and muffins it is pretty easy to make pita bread and hamburger rolls.

[bobnlesley]

...The oven is vital for me. Baking bread, roasting legs of lamb, baking potatoes...
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On the odd occassion we can't get bread ashore, we find it can be baked easily/succesfully in the pressure cooker.

We have a set of 'skillet pans' which most often do service as frying pans but can and have also be used to cook joints of meat; they're not good for whole chickens but lamb/beef/pork joints are fine and they're great for baking pizzas - we've got a set at home now too as they do pizza faster/better than the oven.

I can't answer the baked potato requirement, personally I can't abide them, but my partner gets her 'fix' by burying a couple in the cockpit barbecue whenever that's fired up.

[DWT]

Our boat did not come with a stove. Was it important? You bet. I spent $900. on a stove, oven, and broiler. Only in the cooler month here in the Florida Keys do we use the oven or broiler.
We find cooking and eating a big part of our cruising life. We spend as much time planning our menu as we do any other part of our trips if not more. Broiled fresh fish or baked apples for desert come to mind.
And that oven on a damp cool morning feels good.

David
30' Morgan 69
CarolAnn

[David M]

Given my wife is an excellent cook....yes it's necessary, for my benefit.

[ksmith]

Being a single, male. Microwave, toaster/oven/broiler and rail grill. Course I have only been on board a little over a month. Guy next door does a lot with his pressure cooker maybe thats what the single burner alcohol stove is for.

August in SW Fla something cold to drink is a lot more important than something hot out of the oven even bread.

[ronniesimpson]

allow me to answer the original question with another question. do you want pizza, while at sea?

this is a no brainer, i know. i have a super old school Force 10 3 burner stove/ oven. all propane. the igniter thing doesnt work, so i just turn on the gas, and put a long lighter to it. i was using a regular lighter, but i cinged my knuckles one night.

[kmgiunta]

What is an oven but an enclosure that's heated. Hmmm, let's see. One of my favorite cooking utensils is a heavy, deep cast iron skillet with a lid. Put a rack on the bottom to prevent scorching and place it on the burner and, viola, oven! True, it's not heated all the way around like an oven but if the cast iron is thick enough (best quality required), you can get a close because the thick cast iron really does hold the heat well. Outdoor cooks have been using cast iron cookery for at least a century and have produced some pretty good results. An real oven really takes a heck of a lot of space. Of course, if you've already got the pushpit grill on board, just use it instead!

[Joli]

My wife would not be happy without her oven and since I like to eat the oven is important..

[First Mate]

they look kind of big (from a google search today) to be on a boat, but sheesh, no energy required.

Is there a such thing as an electric oven which could be powered by solar panels?

any alternative oven users out there?

[kmgiunta]

My boat does have a solar panel that delivers enough amps to keep both my starter and house batteries in good shape. Unfortunately, an electric stove is out of the question. The average electric stove is going to use 1000 watts. Typically, a solar panel rated at 15 watts will deliver a little under 1 amp/hour. A DC to AC inverter (which you must use because its an AC device) must be driven by 10 amps to yield 100 watts of power. For a 1KW stove, you would need 100 amps of current. For a 300 amp/hour battery, you've consumed your battery in about 3 hours. Using the solar panel while this is going would would have little effect since you are getting only 1 amp per hour output. The additional current contributed by the panel is minuscule compared to the drain on the battery. After your battery is dead (talk about deep cycle!!) you would need 300 hours of uninterrupted sunlight to bring your battery up to snuff. My boat is 12 volt only. If I can't run a device on 12 volts, I don't need it. I cook and heat with propane.