Micro wave or not to Micro wave

[Hank Kivett]

So far it seems there is a 8 to 4 aganist a micro wave and trust everyone that has responded so far makes good sense...Mine is a 30 footer so space is really important. I am putting solar on in lieu of the inverter and doing away with the Micro or use in only when and if i am in a marina and shore power...

[Hank Kivett]

What does everyone think about a vac sealer to seal up food such as a food saver...is that worth it...

[Horror Hotel]

I vote no, but I'm a foodie, cook, and own a gourmet hamburger joint. I wouldn't have one at home or work. Slight time saver? Maybe. Space saver? Not by a long shot.

[Neptune's Gear]

Microwaves are great in really cold or really hot conditions. They don't heat the cabin, as mentioned, and that alone makes them worthwhile in the tropics. We bought a 1000w one for $45. BUT be aware you almost certainly will need a true sine wave inverter to run it! Most microwaves will not run on modified sine wave inverters. We had to replace out inverter because of this - $45 for microwave, $900 for the inverter! Also, you need an inverter that is larger than the microwave - for startup etc. Our inverter is 1500w continuous, 3000w max. Works great. We normally run the engine while microwaving to help reduce the power draw...

[sailorboy1]

In 5 years I probably have only used my boat microwave 6 times. But have used my inverter almost every trip.

I would definitely have a good inverter on the boat, and I feel the microwave will become more used once I'm living on the boat.

[TacomaSailor]

Hank,
I didn't know you had a 30 foot boat - I've done a fair amount of sailing and overnighting in a 30 foot boat and would never recommend a microwave. It fits in our 40 footer but is way to much for a 30 foot boat.

We used a deluxe vacu-sealer during the five-months in San Diego as we prepared to leave for Mexico. We thought it was wonderful and it did work as advertised. We bought large quantities of things at Costco and put them in sealed smaller packages.

We sealed clothes, charts, spare alternators, spare parts, cheese, coffee...etc.

We used the sealer quite a bit the first year cruising in Mexico but gradually quit using it. We learned to eat like locals and just didn't need the vacu-sealer any longer. We found we were able to buy everything we needed in local stores and tiendas and we seldom bought in quantity or anything that needed sealing.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Dod42

At the marina we use it all the time. Sailing or on the hook it holds the bread. Occasional use reheating the coffee I let get cold, or late night soup.

Same here! Ours is the designated bread box except when we're offshore, at which point we call it the "Faraday Cage" and store the handheld electronics inside it to protect against lightning.

[bill cartwright]

I installed a small 600 watt unit on my boat an use it all the time, instant coffee in. 1 minute, eggs the same way, soup etc. walmart has them for49 dollars, an i wouldnt be without an inverter period. I have a portable ice maker that makes ice in a few minutes which is nice to blend my margaritas. I have a Flicka 20 so don't tell me it takes up touch room with your 30-40 footers. I believe in options am i like to have as many as posiable. If i want ro junk it later ok but at least give iy a try. Have a good one

[svseachange]

Originally Posted by TacomaSailor

Hank,
I didn't know you had a 30 foot boat - I've done a fair amount of sailing and overnighting in a 30 foot boat and would never recommend a microwave. It fits in our 40 footer but is way to much for a 30 foot boat.

+1 it is going to be hard to make a microwave work on a 30' boat unless you are plugged in all the time.

When we were in Marathon there was a boat that needed to power up his (very loud) generator every time he cooked breakast/lunch/dinner. Not a popular move.


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[sww914]

We already have the inverter and the dedicated cabinet and we still haven't bothered getting a microwave. After 2 years I never even think about it anymore. I'd rather burn up the electricity making ice or watching movies and just reheat stuff on the stove because it comes out better anyway.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Richard5

It truly depends upon you. The majority of my water miles has been without microwave. However, for those times when the weather made it too much a hassle to prepare a hot meal, a micro sure woulda' been convenient. A way to get around that is to always have the stove lit (for cabin heating, among other reasons) to reheat a prior prepared meal. I prefer to use metal cookware so for me a micro is minimally wanted.

Also, any micro that will cook a meal worthy of more than just one serving takes too much space. Why doncha' belay the decision and go get a few months at sea then see if you really need the appliance? Since you don't already have an inverter I would say it's too much a hassle to hook up an appliance which you may do well without.

I think this is good info. A micro is very handy at times... especially if the cabin is getting warm, or you just want to heat up on thing ... like hot water for one cup of tea or coffee. They draw a lot of juice though, and I'm not sure a cheap invertor will hold up to a microwave much.. maybe..
Microwave? Def not necessary. handy? yep.

[Vasco]

My CS36M had a microwave but no inverter. We went south with it many times. The microwave became our breadbox.

My 393 has a microwave and an inverter. We seldom use it (90 amps). I'm too cheap with power even though we have a 600 amp battery bank.

I would say don't bother with a microwave.

[Matt Johnson]

We have an Xantrex 1000 watt modified sine wave inverter, and it runs our 600 watt microwave just fine. We use it a lot when on passage, but watch out for the glass rotating plate. We have broken two when the door has opened on its own and the glass clean-up is not fun offshore.

It's taken two times to learn our lesson

Matt

[Badsanta]

I like mine but it takes more than just an inverter. It takes lots of battery power. If at dock on shore power or generator no problem. But there is more rtf o it than an inverter.

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[ReMetau]

Originally Posted by Hank Kivett

What does everyone think about a vac sealer to seal up food such as a food saver...is that worth it...

We think so. We seal all kinds of food into smaller packages. We also seal our cheeses after opening and then reseal after each use. Makes it last a lot longer.

Back to the microwave. When we bought our boat, it came with a small 700 watt unit, but when it broke, we did without. We use the space for plates and cups, and don't miss the microwave at all. We make real pop-corn on the stove and re-heat things on the stove or in the oven.