 |
|
14-06-2024, 17:43
|
#31
|
Moderator

Join Date: Jul 2007
Boat: Bestevaer.
Posts: 15,388
|
Re: An Idea for Inductive Cooking
If you plan to visit areas of relatively poor solar insolation, I would encourage boats not to rip out the propane/butane system.
Using both electric and propane/butane cooking allows for many options depending on the circumstances.
|
|
|
14-06-2024, 17:48
|
#32
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Rochester, NY
Boat: Chris Craft 381 Catalina
Posts: 6,994
|
Re: An Idea for Inductive Cooking
Quote:
Originally Posted by noelex 77
If you plan to visit areas of relatively poor solar insolation, I would encourage boats not to rip out the propane/butane system.
Using both electric and propane/butane cooking allows for many options depending on the circumstances.
|
It depends on your power systems in my mind. If you don't have a generator, that's a good thought. But if you do, then I'd rather just crank up the genset for a bit to cook dinner when solar proves inadequate instead of having a whole extra system to take up space, etc.
|
|
|
14-06-2024, 18:09
|
#33
|
Moderator

Join Date: Jul 2007
Boat: Bestevaer.
Posts: 15,388
|
Re: An Idea for Inductive Cooking
Quote:
Originally Posted by rslifkin
It depends on your power systems in my mind. If you don't have a generator, that's a good thought. But if you do, then I'd rather just crank up the genset for a bit to cook dinner when solar proves inadequate instead of having a whole extra system to take up space, etc.
|
A good point, but if sufficient energy for electric cooking is not available via solar then a propane system is far preferable in my view to installing a generator. Propane systems are simple and reliable with almost no moving parts. Typically they last over a decade, or more, with no maintenance.
Generators are the work of the devil  .
|
|
|
14-06-2024, 18:16
|
#34
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Rochester, NY
Boat: Chris Craft 381 Catalina
Posts: 6,994
|
Re: An Idea for Inductive Cooking
Quote:
Originally Posted by noelex 77
A good point, but if sufficient energy for electric cooking is not available via solar then a propane system is far preferable in my view to installing a generator. Propane systems are simple and reliable with almost no moving parts. Typically they last over a decade, or more with no maintenance.
Generators are the work of the devil  .
|
I wouldn't install a generator just to get rid of propane either. But on a boat that already has a generator, it's an easy decision. And relative to complexity, the generator on my boat is probably darn close to the list of "most reliable systems" over the boat's life.
|
|
|
14-06-2024, 18:29
|
#35
|
Moderator

Join Date: Jul 2007
Boat: Bestevaer.
Posts: 15,388
|
Re: An Idea for Inductive Cooking
Quote:
Originally Posted by rslifkin
And relative to complexity, the generator on my boat is probably darn close to the list of "most reliable systems" over the boat's life.
|
You have jinked your system  .
Touch some teak and offer a substantial libation to Neptune unless you are prepared to suffer the hell involved with generator repairs in remote locations
|
|
|
15-06-2024, 00:40
|
#36
|
Moderator

Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Denmark (Winter), Cruising North Sea and Baltic (Summer)
Boat: Cutter-Rigged Moody 54
Posts: 35,307
|
Re: An Idea for Inductive Cooking
Quote:
Originally Posted by noelex 77
You have jinked your system  .
Touch some teak and offer a substantial libation to Neptune unless you are prepared to suffer the hell involved in substantial generator repairs in remote locations 
|
Good advice!!
I'm in general with RSLifkin here, though. This is a systems architecture question.
If you make everything electric, then you can concentrate more resources on making your electrical supply as robust and failure resistant as possible.
My boat, like RSLifkin's, came with her heavy duty low speed generator, which I might or might not indeed choose to install if I were building a new boat.
This is (touching teak and tossing a choice glass to Neptune under the waves) one of the most reliable systems on board. It's 23 years old, 15 years in my ownership, and the only issues I have had have been due to my own errors of maintenance or operation. Bless you, Herb Kohler.
This unit is backed up in my case by a simple off the shelf large frame school bus alternator which produces 2.5kW at high idle speed of the main engine. Also pretty bulletproof but I have a complete spare on board just in case.
To get AC power for cooking from that I need the inverter, but I keep a spare one of those too.
So in my case, I could rip out the gas system IF I could buy a suitable gimbaled induction hob which would fit my galley. But I can't, so the gas system stays for now.
Ripping out the gas system brings very large benefits:
1. Safety
2. Safety
3. Safety
4. One less fuel to hump down to the boat
5. One less fuel to have to find
6. No bottle type issues
7. One less system to inspect, maintain, repair, test
8. No gas alarm needed.
9. Space for gas bottles won back for other purpose
__________________
"You sea! I resign myself to you also . . . . I guess what you mean,
I behold from the beach your crooked inviting fingers,
I believe you refuse to go back without feeling of me;
We must have a turn together . . . . I undress . . . . hurry me out of sight of the land,
Cushion me soft . . . . rock me in billowy drowse,
Dash me with amorous wet . . . . I can repay you."
Walt Whitman
|
|
|
15-06-2024, 06:13
|
#37
|
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,226
|
Re: An Idea for Inductive Cooking
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dockhead
You are correct -- I use a single burner NuWave with another small cheap single burner stashed away to pull out if I really need two burners. This works for 90% of my cooking; for anything more elaborate I use my 4 burner gas stove.
Having both gas and induction solves different problems and gives you redundancy but I would get rid of the gas if I could, for the sake of safety and simplicity.
|
Two years ago I bought an ECOFLOW MAX 2000 "solar generator" and bought it onboard.
https://amzn.to/3KMTJEN
It has been a game changer. I too have a Nuwave induction single burner which meets my needs though I do have a small single burner propane burner as a back up powered by a one pound propane canister. Which I have never needed.
The Delta Max 2000 also powers an electric kettle, popcorn maker, bread maker and an ice maker. It also provides power for any power tools I need to use on board. It also charges my laptop, phone and tablet. The unit is charged by 400 watts of solar panels. I still get a kick of making ice all day using nothing but power from the sun.
__________________
Mike
|
|
|
15-06-2024, 08:29
|
#38
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Rochester, NY
Boat: Chris Craft 381 Catalina
Posts: 6,994
|
Re: An Idea for Inductive Cooking
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dockhead
Ripping out the gas system brings very large benefits:
1. Safety
2. Safety
3. Safety
4. One less fuel to hump down to the boat
5. One less fuel to have to find
6. No bottle type issues
7. One less system to inspect, maintain, repair, test
8. No gas alarm needed.
9. Space for gas bottles won back for other purpose
|
Agreed. Heck, I own a boat with gasoline engines and propane still makes me nervous. Liquid flammable stuff is bad enough, pressurized flammable stuff is worse.
And in my case, the decision was made for me. When the boat was originally built, they figured it had a generator, so might as well put in an electric stove (and that was in 1986). There's no good place for a propane locker on this boat anyway.
|
|
|
22-06-2024, 08:49
|
#39
|
Moderator

Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Solent, England
Boat: Moody 31
Posts: 18,720
|
Re: An Idea for Inductive Cooking
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dockhead
So in my case, I could rip out the gas system IF I could buy a suitable gimbaled induction hob which would fit my galley. But I can't, so the gas system stays for now.
|
I am guessing its the width of the induction hobs and the space available.
Pete
|
|
|
22-06-2024, 09:41
|
#40
|
Moderator

Join Date: Jul 2007
Boat: Bestevaer.
Posts: 15,388
|
Re: An Idea for Inductive Cooking
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dockhead
So in my case, I could rip out the gas system IF I could buy a suitable gimbaled induction hob which would fit my galley. But I can't, so the gas system stays for now.
|
A simple, but effective solution, that many boats use, is just to secure an induction hotplate on top of the propane stove (see photo below for our setup). This retains the gimbaling and, importantly for those boats without a generator, the ability to use propane if the cruising area changes to a location with poor solar insolation.
While commercial marine electric ovens exist, personally I would be reluctant to fit one. Induction hotplates do not seem to have a long life on a boat, perhaps because their cooling fans suck in salt laden air and this blows over the electronics. A better solution is to construct a custom gimballed box and add simple domestic appliances (eg induction hotplates with a combo oven below). The main advantage is that it is easy and inexpensive to swap out the appliances in the event of a failure.
Even having a custom thick walled stainless steel fabricated box is likely to be less expensive than the marine units, and it can be made to exactly fit in the location of the existing stove if you are retrofitting.
|
|
|
22-06-2024, 10:52
|
#41
|
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Arctic Ocean
Boat: Under construction 35' ketch (and +3 smaller)
Posts: 3,008
|
Re: An Idea for Inductive Cooking
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dockhead
snip..
But I have a completely different idea how to do this. How about wiring the induction hob to its own separate inverter, and only to this inverter? That will keep it off your AC sockets circuit and indeed off your AC panel altogether, solving the first problem.
And it solves the second problem because the load on the shore power circuit will be controlled by your main charger/inverter.
This can result in "deficit spending" on power, of course, and can flatten your batteries if you use full power on the hob for a long time without any power going into the batteries, but this can be managed.
|
That's excactly what I intend to do. Besides that it's not a long time using full power on induction cooktop, maybe 10min for a big kettle of water to boil, after that it's much less. With two inverters you also have redundancy..
|
|
|
22-06-2024, 11:12
|
#42
|
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Arctic Ocean
Boat: Under construction 35' ketch (and +3 smaller)
Posts: 3,008
|
Re: An Idea for Inductive Cooking
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dockhead
snip..
So in my case, I could rip out the gas system IF I could buy a suitable gimbaled induction hob which would fit my galley.
...snip
|
I'm building one right now but I have the benefit of building half of the galley around it. The other half will be around gimbaled sinks but it's more tricky with drains and faucet so not yet figured out completely..
|
|
|
23-06-2024, 09:33
|
#43
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Rochester, NY
Boat: Chris Craft 381 Catalina
Posts: 6,994
|
Re: An Idea for Inductive Cooking
For a gimballed stove, there is also the not quite as good middle ground available. I've never seen a gimballed induction stove, but there are gimballed resistive electric stoves available.
And realistically, I don't have a lot of complaints about our resistive electric stove on the boat. It's open coil, so it still does a good job of getting most of the heat into the pots and pans (not quite as good as induction, but adequate). In 38 years it's had 1 set of replacement burner elements and no other maintenance, but works just fine. The only real limitations are that it's not quite as easy to clean as a glass top induction unit and that the 1100 watt burners are a little slow to boil water (but fine for most other purposes).
|
|
|
23-06-2024, 09:35
|
#44
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Rochester, NY
Boat: Chris Craft 381 Catalina
Posts: 6,994
|
Re: An Idea for Inductive Cooking
Quote:
Originally Posted by TeddyDiver
I'm building one right now but I have the benefit of building half of the galley around it. The other half will be around gimbaled sinks but it's more tricky with drains and faucet so not yet figured out completely..
|
Any particular reason for gimballed sinks? I'd think the need for that could be mostly solved by making the sinks deep enough that you never have to fill them anywhere near the top (and maybe put 2 drains in the sink so it drains better when heeled, or a conical bottom with a grate above it to give a flat surface for washing). Plus, if the sink doesn't need room to gimbal, you either get more space around it or can have a larger sink.
|
|
|
23-06-2024, 09:44
|
#45
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Virginia, USA
Boat: Hunter 340
Posts: 1,471
|
Re: An Idea for Inductive Cooking
[QUOTE=rslifkin;3911376]For a gimballed stove, there is also the not quite as good middle ground available. I've never seen a gimballed induction stove, but there are gimballed resistive electric stoves available. [/qoute]
There are gimballed induction cooktops these days. I wouldn't be buying a new resistance cooktop. May not be worth upgrading if you already have resistance cooktop but for new installs just go induction.
On edit: actually the one I was thinking of is resistance glass. Come on Force 10 get with the times. $2,200 and not even induction.
https://www.force10.com/products/electric-gimbal-stove
|
|
|
 |
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Rate This Thread |
Linear Mode
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
Advertise Here
Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vendor Spotlight |
|
|