With generator and 2000- 3000 watts inverter you can easily have microwave/ convection oven. But I wouldn’t be too quick to replace the
propane burners/ regular oven. First, our experience using
propane was excellent during our many years of cruising. Propane fills was never an issue... and
cooking uses so little of it that we only had to fill out one 20lb tank about once a year! At least in the
Caribbean you tend to not do long roasting in an oven! Think about how often you fill at backyard bbq... about the same. That said, if you come up to NE or sell boat at some point, having a means to take off the morning chill while making breakfast (same at dinner) is a welcome side benefit of propane cooktop and oven!
That said, I am a great supporter of having a microwave over and since it takes up very little more room... a microwave convention oven. You just can’t beat the speed, quietness, and energy efficiency of making/ warming up
single cup coffee/ tea, soups, warming up
meals using microwave heat. All the heat goes into the
food... not surrounding air/
cabin (again think Caribbean). With a 2000-3000 watt sine wave inverter/ built-in 100a 12v
charger and a 8D (or two)
AGM inverter
batteries... you will love the flexibility it will give you. Yes, while using a 1000w microwave you will draw 120a from the
batteries. But only for 1.5 minutes for coffee, 30 seconds for warm-ups, 2 minutes for soups/ leftovers. 120a for a few minutes is only a few watt-hours... easily replaced/ recharged by even smallest
solar panel/ or while running
engine or generator for some other reason. If you do over-night crossings , rest of crew will appreciate the quietness of microwave warm-ups of coffee/ snacks over starting up/ running the generator.
The bigger inverter/
AGM batteries also let wife, daughter, guests pretty much use their smartphones,
IPad chargers, ... even a little hair drying w/o generator use. Although our
refrigeration cold plate system required a generator run for about 30 minutes I’m morning and 30 minutes at evening. So we adjusted everybody’s schedule to do their morning/ evening personal showers (hot water), hair drying,
cooking, any other high amp usage during these times. Vacuuming, any power tools can be powered anytime by the inverter. Indeed I required boat AC outlets to all come from inverter. We could use microwave, TVs,
plug in any
laptop charger, use a powered tool anytime just like at home. The inverter’s built-in transfer switch automatically switches over to shore or generator power if running/ plugged into shore power.
If you are going to be serious cruises I highly recommend you have plenty of extra
battery capacity and make a multi-bank battery
monitor and AC volt & current meters a priority in your
refit. This will take the guesswork out of knowing when to charge/ you will quickly become an expert on your boat’s 120v/ 12v use/ reserve. Best wishes on your next chapter! We certainly enjoyed/ still enjoying ours.