ADVICE FOR NEW GAS OVEN

[Mim]

We are looking for a gas oven and 3 burner stove to replace our old Force 10. We have heard that the new Force 10 ovens do not stand the test of time, so we're reluctant to spend the extra money to buy one.

We've been looking into the Dometic Model CU401 and also the Thetford Caprice MK3. Can anyone give us their experience of either of these models? Also, we'd welcome any recommendations for other models available in Australia.

Ideally, we'd like an oven that is thermostatically controlled, however it seems that only the Force 10 does this so we might have to forego this!

Looking forward to any advice you can give, and thank you.

[IslandHopper]

If you don't want to stump up the cost of a new F10 then just say so, no need to go bagging the product to justify it, i've replaced my old 3 burner F10 with a new one and its just as good if not better......

[IslandHopper]

Double post....

[Jeanneau 45.2]

following.

[Telesail]

It sounds like you are quite prepared to pay for a good product and, if that is the case, the nothing beats the GN Espace for controllable ovens. Not cheap but I am always happy to have baked bread and cakes that actually taste good rather than being ‘good, considering the cooker’.

[Mim]

Originally Posted by Telesail

It sounds like you are quite prepared to pay for a good product and, if that is the case, the nothing beats the GN Espace for controllable ovens. Not cheap but I am always happy to have baked bread and cakes that actually taste good rather than being ‘good, considering the cooker’.

Hi Telesail, thank you for your message, yes we know about the GN Espace, we have been in contact with Julian in the UK and he was great. We need something for the time being as we will get a GN Espace when we get to Europe. I have only heard good things about GN Espace. It is currently I think the best on the market. Good to hear you are happy with your GN Espace oven.

[JPA Cate]

Mim, since this is only a temporary thing till you get your GN Espace Ocean Chef, or ?, just get the cheapest decent used 2 burner, and suck it up till you get to where you get the OC. ....or put up with the shipping costs, and just get what you want, that you believe will be a great improvement. Do not, however, be lured by SWL's low propane figures, because she is using diesel (on the Reflex)for some of her cooking needs, and she also uses an induction cooker, so she is not doing all of her cooking for 8 months on one 10 k propane canister.

Ann

[Scrimshaw4]

Trying to cook with a non-thermostatically controlled oven is a real PIA. You have to constantly monitor and adjust to establish and then maintain a constant desired temperature. JMHO

[bcboomer]

Take a good look at Dickinson. Made in Canada.

Better built and better backed than Force 10.

They have a thermostat that is accurate but no built in thermometer.

[MarkSF]

What about Dickinson Marine? Also, I recently bought a Seeward Princess, now discontinued. Seems to work great.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Mim, since this is only a temporary thing till you get your GN Espace Ocean Chef, or ?, just get the cheapest decent used 2 burner, and suck it up till you get to where you get the OC. ....or put up with the shipping costs, and just get what you want, that you believe will be a great improvement. Do not, however, be lured by SWL's low propane figures, because she is using diesel (on the Reflex)for some of her cooking needs, and she also uses an induction cooker, so she is not doing all of her cooking for 8 months on one 10 k propane canister.

Ann

Yes, that is correct.
I did not mean to be misleading when I posted that figure.

Almost all our water is boiled either using an electric kettle in summer, or the top of the Refleks heater when the weather is colder. In addition the Refleks serves as an excellent general cook top, fitting not just my saucepans, but the pressure cooker as well.

In winter I have even experimented baking cakes in the pressure cooker on the Refleks, but with limited success. The only technique that I found worked reasonably was to steam cakes, as if they were puddings. The results were good, but it needed an hour of simmering, filling the boat with unwanted steam even with hatches cracked open for ventilation. I have given up and gone back to the oven for cake baking.

In summer our solar also runs a single induction hotplate.

The oven is still, however used almost nightly generally for around 15-45 minutes, sometimes longer. A 10kg bottle lasted 8 months doing this.

It is hard to know how much the extra insulation the GN Espace has is contributing to the how well the gas is lasting. All I can say is that it is a beautifully made unit and the heat is distributed well in the oven (it runs slightly hotter at the rear). Temperature control is excellent. It is the best boat stove I have ever used.

SWL

[JPA Cate]

@ SWL, My dear, I envy you your stove.

For Mim, I think it might make sense to absorb the shipping costs and go straight to the GN, since that is what her eventual plan is, in any event. It is a pain in the neck to have to be buying and selling stoves and dealing with getting them in and out of the boat without scratching the timber trim. There are times when it is just better in human terms to suck up the costs, and go to where you want to be. This from me, a notable cheapskate.

Ann

[Gypsy23]

Originally Posted by Mim

Hi Telesail, thank you for your message, yes we know about the GN Espace, we have been in contact with Julian in the UK and he was great. We need something for the time being as we will get a GN Espace when we get to Europe. I have only heard good things about GN Espace. It is currently I think the best on the market. Good to hear you are happy with your GN Espace oven.

If you plan to return to AUS with your boat be sure you buy a stove which has an Aus Gas compliance plate or you may have to change the stove to get a gas certification. It really only comes into the picture when you need a gas compliance certificate for registration or sale of the boat but non-the-less it can be an expensive obstacle. The states vary as to which level of regulation they require. I recently had to replace a 15yo Italian Techimpex in a Bavaria which had been certified on importation to NSW in 2007 when I sold the boat in QLD in 2019 and there were numerous horror stories from others too. 4 different gas fitters insisted that it had to be replaced because it didn't have the AUS plate. Then I purchased a Hanse in NSW with exactly the same stove as the old Bavaria model and it was gas certified in NSW when changing ownership and it did not have a compliance plate either. The industry knows it is a minefield but "rules are rules" they tell me.

[IslandHopper]

Originally Posted by Gypsy23

If you plan to return to AUS with your boat be sure you buy a stove which has an Aus Gas compliance plate or you may have to change the stove to get a gas certification. It really only comes into the picture when you need a gas compliance certificate for registration or sale of the boat but non-the-less it can be an expensive obstacle. The states vary as to which level of regulation they require. I recently had to replace a 15yo Italian Techimpex in a Bavaria which had been certified on importation to NSW in 2007 when I sold the boat in QLD in 2019 and there were numerous horror stories from others too. 4 different gas fitters insisted that it had to be replaced because it didn't have the AUS plate. Then I purchased a Hanse in NSW with exactly the same stove as the old Bavaria model and it was gas certified in NSW when changing ownership and it did not have a compliance plate either. The industry knows it is a minefield but "rules are rules" they tell me.

This is the exact reason for me changing out my old F10, absolutely nothing wrong with it other than no Aus compliance plate, boat is ex Canadian. I did make inquiries about getting the old one plated, suffice to say it was significantly cheaper to buy a brand new plated one, interesting thing was when comparing both we could not find anything different in the gas delivery system, the only differences where cosmetic, and the plate of course

[Gypsy23]

Originally Posted by IslandHopper

This is the exact reason for me changing out my old F10, absolutely nothing wrong with it other than no Aus compliance plate, boat is ex Canadian. I did make inquiries about getting the old one plated, suffice to say it was significantly cheaper to buy a brand new plated one, interesting thing was when comparing both we could not find anything different in the gas delivery system, the only differences where cosmetic, and the plate of course

Yes, it is an absolute 'dog's breakfast' of regulation. I am embarrassed, even though I didn't make the rules.