Wow - Induction Cooktop

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Have missed you Jedi[emoji106]

Thank you, nice to see you again as well. I have mellowed out quite a bit over the years but see it’s still enough to silence a thread

[OldMan]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

What I find amazing is that someone:

- would rather haul propane bottles up and down filling stations rather than watch leisurely how solar panels gather energy for free

- would believe propane bottles are safer than LFP batteries

- prefer a propane cooktop with all the heat and moisture it creates in the interior over an induction cooktop

- doesn’t come up with the idea to move portable induction cooktops out into the cockpit/ aft deck area to create an instant outdoor kitchen where climates would make that a winner

- think charging batteries with solar panels is less reliable than alternators, gensets, shore power etc.

- post contrary views on public discussion fora and get offended when others don’t agree with them

What I find amazing....


... people that spend $10k or $15k on their electrical system and galley and believe their boat is suddenly superior to those of us that have a propane galley.



I use induction cooking at home, it's great, although it's damn hard to tell the difference in the pasta cooked with induction or propane!



But, IMO, induction is not worth crap for baking or grilling. Since I like to do both, I'll mostly likely always carry propane on my boat.

[mlydon]

I find the topic particularly interesting, in that I happen to have a VERY old stove that's not working very well, a VERY old inverter (mod-sine wave), and VERY crappy batteries that I intend to replace next year with Fireflys.

It seems to me that if I was going to buy a victron multi anyway, NOT buying a new force 10 stove at $1500 could basically pay for the inverter upgrade.

The thread seems to keep diverting into underlying power systems - understandable, to be sure, but very thin on actual stove replacements. I see a few nicely done home-made projects with tops on microwaves, but no detail.....can you folks expand on your projects? anyone making a drop-in replacement with gimbals, etc?

TIA,

Matt

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

What I find amazing is that someone:

- would rather haul propane bottles up and down filling stations rather than watch leisurely how solar panels gather energy for free

- would believe propane bottles are safer than LFP batteries

- prefer a propane cooktop with all the heat and moisture it creates in the interior over an induction cooktop

- doesn’t come up with the idea to move portable induction cooktops out into the cockpit/ aft deck area to create an instant outdoor kitchen where climates would make that a winner

- think charging batteries with solar panels is less reliable than alternators, gensets, shore power etc.

- post contrary views on public discussion fora and get offended when others don’t agree with them

All of those are good points, and at risk of seeming argumentative, here is what goes into my decision:

• I don't want to spend a significant amount on the batteries, inverter, increased solar panels, and other equipment to make this change. I don't need to fix something that isn't broke.
• I don't want to put a helicopter landing pad on my stern for the added solar cells.
• Most of the time there are convenient ways to get the gas bottle filled, and for us, it's been cheap.
  
• When we are worried about the heat inside the boat from cooking, that's because it damn hot outside, and no time to go out of the air conditioning (if we're docked) to cook. Well cooking inside is hot! I'll grant you that, but galleys always have been. Call me traditionalist. Besides, I still like grilling, etc.
• I am not convinced that there is not some greater breakdown risk with the complex electrical/electronic systems. Yes Alt/etc is unreliable, tell me about it, but I know how to diagnose and repair that system in my sleep, cheaply and quickly.

I think that induction cooking is coming, as is electric drive, but right now, I don't want to modify my boat in an unattractive, slower, way and spend a heap of money to do so to get rid of propane. Propane has been my friend for a long time.

Maybe others do. OK

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by wingssail

All of those are good points, and at risk of seeming argumentative, here is what goes into my decision:

• I don't want to spend a significant amount on the batteries, inverter, increased solar panels, and other equipment to make this change. I don't need to fix something that isn't broke.
• I don't want to put a helicopter landing pad on my stern for the added solar cells.
• Most of the time there are convenient ways to get the gas bottle filled, and for us, it's been cheap.
  
• When we are worried about the heat inside the boat from cooking, that's because it damn hot outside, and no time to go out of the air conditioning (if we're docked) to cook. Well cooking inside is hot! I'll grant you that, but galleys always have been. Call me traditionalist. Besides, I still like grilling, etc.
• I am not convinced that there is not some greater breakdown risk with the complex electrical/electronic systems. Yes Alt/etc is unreliable, tell me about it, but I know how to diagnose and repair that system in my sleep, cheaply and quickly.

I think that induction cooking is coming, as is electric drive, but right now, I don't want to modify my boat in an unattractive, slower, way and spend a heap of money to do so to get rid of propane. Propane has been my friend for a long time.

Maybe others do. OK

Well, nobody is suggesting you to modify your working setup. The point has primarly been when doing complete outfit or building new, and having an electrical system to handle it anyway.
It's strange actually that some propane user feel so irritated about induction cooking. Why post if not intrested??

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by TeddyDiver

Well, nobody is suggesting you to modify your working setup. The point has primarly been when doing complete outfit or building new, and having an electrical system to handle it anyway.
It's strange actually that some propane user feel so irritated about induction cooking. Why post if not intrested??

Mostly I'm just defensive, I guess.

[jt11791]

Induction cooking sounds good to me, but what do you guys do for an oven? I like baking.

[transmitterdan]

Get a bread maker?

[s/v Jedi]

I think people that get upset with the talk about induction cooking somehow feel that by not having it and seeing the negatives around propane cooking that they experience daily listed in these posts, as well as the costs involved with upgrading their boat to solar power, better batteries, induction cooktops etc., that they are living with obsolete technology and stuck with it because of budget constraints. Like the neighbor with the Tesla. Instead of not giving a f. they feel the need to defend the old ways.

About the oven: replace the propane oven with a Breville electric convection oven. There are also combi convection-microwaves from Sharp and Toshiba.

Now my opinion and what I’ll build to replace our gimbal Force10 range: A frame that takes a single portable induction cooktop on top with fiddles to keep pots in place and a small microwave underneath. The idea is that while on passage, we’ll eat pre-made dinners from the freezer that heat up in the microwave and the single burner is enough to cook rice, boil water etc. during passage. When at anchor we can get a second cooktop out when needed as well as use the oven or cockpit grill etc.
I will make the gimballed part sit lower so that the cooktop sits below countertop so that a cover can be put on for extra space.

For now we have the induction cooktop on top of the Force10 like so many do

[CatNewBee]

Originally Posted by jt11791

Induction cooking sounds good to me, but what do you guys do for an oven? I like baking.

Use an electric baking oven, of course, what else?
We have a Neff convection oven installed.

[CatNewBee]

https://www.neff-home.com/de/produkt...enscompactoven

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by jt11791

Induction cooking sounds good to me, but what do you guys do for an oven? I like baking.

We use the Nuwave infrared ovens nearly every day, onboard and at home. Very efficient.

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by jmh2002

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post2933331

^^^ And thank you to @cj88 for posting pics of exactly what I described earlier.

The variant that appears to have a convection oven/microwave underneath seems especially well executed and attractive

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

...Now my opinion and what I’ll build to replace our gimbal Force10 range: A frame that takes a single portable induction cooktop on top with fiddles to keep pots in place and a small microwave underneath...

...I will make the gimballed part sit lower so that the cooktop sits below countertop so that a cover can be put on for extra space.

@Jedi

I'm not sure if you saw the photos posted earlier in this thread. I've included my favourite above, but there were more in @cj88's post too.

In this variant, with a single burner, the remaining hob space has been used as a gimbaled platform, to rest a hot pot or pan, or for food prep.

In some sea states I have found it useful to have a gimbaled preparation space. In the past I have just used put a chopping board on the unused two (of the normal four) gas hobs but I like that it's included here as part of the design.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by jmh2002

@Jedi

I'm not sure if you saw the photos posted earlier in this thread. I've included my favourite above, but there were more in @cj88's post too.

In this variant, with a single burner, the remaining hob space has been used as a gimbaled platform, to rest a hot pot or pan, or for food prep.

In some sea states I have found it useful to have a gimbaled preparation space. In the past I have just used put a chopping board on the unused two (of the normal four) gas hobs but I like that it's included here as part of the design.

Yes that one looks great. The extra gimbaled surface is great for a coffeemaker

You can make a cover or cutting board that fits exactly over the whole thing (remove fiddles) to make a big gimbaled surface when you don’t need the cooktop.

Edit: a negative with that example is how oretty it is made. If that cooktop fails and need to be replaced, there is a big chance that new ones available will not fit that space so neatly. I may eliminate that pretty stainless steel surface and keep the whole top lower with just the cooktop put there plus empty space. Not as pretty but I think more practical

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Yes that one looks great. The extra gimbaled surface is great for a coffeemaker
...

Edit: a negative with that example is how pretty it is made. If that cooktop fails and need to be replaced, there is a big chance that new ones available will not fit that space so neatly.

You are right and some thought needs to go into that too.

However the pretty, smooth, level, and flush surfaces in that photo sure making cleaning much, much easier, with only a simple wipe across one surface needed.

Whether in a home or on a boat the thing that I dislike the most about gas is cleaning the damn hobs with all those nooks and crannies (unless it's a French top - unlikely), plus the additional mess it tends to make with all the cookware too.

Not having either of those issues is an immediate huge plus for induction