Induction Cooking info and experience.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Agreed, but I am not sure we are cooking more slowly. What we are not doing is constantly using the potential maximum power of an induction hob. I am not sure how you could for anything other than boiling water. Rice and pasta bring to boil, then simmer with a lid on at a lower setting. Curry, again gently bubbling as I would at home by turning down the gas.
Pete

That has been our experience with induction cooking as well. Most of the cooking is at a low power level. We don’t often use more than 1000w. When choosing equipment, an induction plate with a very high power output would not be much of an advantage for our style of cooking. The only caution to consider is that some (all?) models pulse the output at low power settings so a low power inverter may not work even if the maximum output of the inverter is greater than the average power consumed by the hotplate.

Originally Posted by Pete7

Winter is simple, we are going to use a marina / harbour most nights. Cheap winter rates help here.

This illustrates every usage case is different. There are many different styles of cruising. Electric cooking is far superior to propane for a whole host of reasons and, attracted by the idea, it is easy to ditch the propane option without considering if this will be viable for your circumstances and style of cruising.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I would much prefer running a Honda 2200 generator over running the main engine occasionally.

Also, I would prefer that over a propane installation.

These are the type of decisions every boat owner needs to make. Propane cooking has many drawbacks, but is a simple and very reliable system that makes no noise or vibration. Personally, I would not want to ditch this option for the drawbacks of running a petrol generator.

[rgleason]

Thank you BjarnK also Pete, Jedi & Sens. Good info on hob power use and inverters. This is just a trial for our use case: no slip, mooring, coastal cruising 2wks at a time, or longer 4-5days at sea.
Without induction, cruising about 100ah/day, sea 150ah/day.
Production:
Solar: 300w x 5hrs(summer)=1500w/12v=125ah
Alternator: 100ah x 1.5h (in and out of harbor cruising) =150ah, maybe a little less
Total: 275ah
Induction cooking 1hr/day for 2cups coffee for 2, cold ceral or oatmeal. plus light cold lunch or salad and dinner with something cooked, would use about, say 150ah?
If so, it might work.
Removing propane would be great but we have a Dickinson heating stove for spring/fall and we might use the propane at sea, to reduce electrical, and removal of propane should really be done in steps, as nolex and others suggested.

So. removing the gimbaled propane stove isn't really an option. I need to find a decent area under a berth or settee for 250-300ah LFP (assuming that will be adequate?), bms, busbars. Lynx, etc and then a nearby place for the inverter, when we have few options for that, perhaps a back seat locker that isnt tall enough. Can an inverter like the Victron be mounted on its side? I might need two small fans for air circulaton in the locker and under the settee.

How far from the engine and alternator can this equipment be? Can it be 10-12' away?

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by bensolomon

Did you make the cabinets below the induction plate? That looks great!

If you're asking about my photo yes. Here is another with a better view.

I measured the height of the gas hob deck were the pans sit on, before removing it and then built the wooden box so the Vango Sizzle Double has the same height. That way the pan holders should be at the same height.

Originally just a piece of English Oak with the sides. Then realised there was space for a shelf to hold the older single induction hob. Then several coats of hard floor varnish because something will be spilled on it in time and I don't want spag boll staining the woodwork.

Note, a gas hob has a different gimbal position (swing) to that of a hob and oven because there isn't 14kg of oven below stopping it tipping.

The induction hob has a fan underneath so added a 60mm hole to aid cooling directly under the hob.

The gas hose is still present and would only take a few minutes to replace with a new gas hob. Alternatively our option if there is an electrical melt down is to just lift the induction hob off and fit the single gas hob we carry just in case.

Pete

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Pete7

If you're asking about my photo yes. Here is another with a better view.

I measured the height of the gas hob deck were the pans sit on, before removing it and then built the wooden box so the Vango Sizzle Double has the same height. That way the pan holders should be at the same height.

Originally just a piece of English Oak with the sides. Then realised there was space for a shelf to hold the older single induction hob. Several coats of hard floor varnish because something will be spilled on it in time and I don't want spag boll staining the woodwork.

Note, a gas hob has a different gimbal position (swing) to that of a hob and oven because there isn't 14kg of oven below stopping it tipping.

The induction hob has a fan underneath so added a 60mm hole to aid cooling directly under the hob.

Pete

Well, your gimbal works which is more than I can say about my old 3-burner propane stove…. with three burners it’s always out of balance when you put a pot on

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Well, your gimbal works which is more than I can say about my old 3-burner propane stove…. with three burners it’s always out of balance when you put a pot on

Oh of course. We had a twin burner gas hob so one or two pans always balanced nicely. Hadn't thought about what happens with 3 or 4 burners.

Earlier cooking tests wish I had recorded temperatures and times now.

[Pete7]

We managed to squeeze two of the three batteries in under the saloon seats so nice and cool down there. Bilges are always dry. LFP to inverter about 1m and we used 35mm cable. 25mm cable got warm to the touch so had to go back and replace it. If the run was longer, I wouldn't hesitate to go up to 50mm.

Went for the cheaper Victron Power In, rather than the Lynx, and with 4 extra bolts converts to a fuse box.

I don't think the distance of the kit from the alternator is as important as say batteries to inverter. Our alternator to batteries is probably 10ft and uses 35mm cable. Worth reading the Victron installation manual, because I think there are some limits on how it can be mounted.

Pete

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Pete7

We managed to squeeze two of the three batteries in under the saloon seats so nice and cool down there. Bilges are always dry. LFP to inverter about 1m and we used 35mm cable. 25mm cable got warm to the touch so had to go back and replace it. If the run was longer, I wouldn't hesitate to go up to 50mm.

Went for the cheaper Victron Power In, rather than the Lynx, and with 4 extra bolts converts to a fuse box.

I don't think the distance of the kit from the alternator is as important as say batteries to inverter. Our alternator to batteries is probably 10ft and uses 35mm cable.

Pete

Ah you have the bilge keels! Ever visited the Dutch Waddenzee?

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Ah you have the bilge keels! Ever visited the Dutch Waddenzee?

Sadly no. Did some sailing out of Kiel across the Baltic but not the huge expanse of the Waddenzee. Difficult to get more than 3 weeks off work, but retirement in a few yeas will hopefully solve that.

Our plan is to get on board with the dogs early Spring and just go

Certainly the Scottish West Coast which is fab. Then perhaps the following year the Baltic and on to the mast up route through Amsterdam would be fascinating, as would the mast up route through Sweden.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Sadly no. Did some sailing out of Kiel across the Baltic but not the huge expanse of the Waddenzee. Difficult to get more than 3 weeks off work, but retirement in a few yeas will hopefully solve that.

Our plan is to get on board with the dogs early Spring and just go

Certainly the Scottish West Coast which is fab. Then perhaps the following year the Baltic and on to the mast up route through Amsterdam would be fascinating, as would the mast up route through Sweden.

I grew up sailing the inland lakes in Holland that you will find after traveling south through Amsterdam. Braassemermeer, De Kaag, Westeinder etc. It’s nice there and you can travel all the way south to Zeeland

[bensolomon]

Originally Posted by Pete7

If you're asking about my photo yes. Here is another with a better view.

I measured the height of the gas hob deck were the pans sit on, before removing it and then built the wooden box so the Vango Sizzle Double has the same height. That way the pan holders should be at the same height.

Originally just a piece of English Oak with the sides. Then realised there was space for a shelf to hold the older single induction hob. Then several coats of hard floor varnish because something will be spilled on it in time and I don't want spag boll staining the woodwork.

Note, a gas hob has a different gimbal position (swing) to that of a hob and oven because there isn't 14kg of oven below stopping it tipping.

The induction hob has a fan underneath so added a 60mm hole to aid cooling directly under the hob.

The gas hose is still present and would only take a few minutes to replace with a new gas hob. Alternatively our option if there is an electrical melt down is to just lift the induction hob off and fit the single gas hob we carry just in case.

Pete

It looks great!!! I'm going to see how my induction cooking goes and I might make a similar decision. Have never used the oven in the entire 12 years I've owned this boat. I only use the stove top and although it's a three burner stove it's impossible to put three pots on at the same time.

[mako]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

These are the type of decisions every boat owner needs to make. Propane cooking has many drawbacks, but is a simple and very reliable system that makes no noise or vibration.

For a variety of reasons including redundancy, my wife and I will have both gas and induction on our next boat. However as a safe compromise, the gas burner will be relegated to out on deck, portable, stored with the small BBQ. We keep a 110k btu commercial wok in our garage, but for boat I'll limit it to 30k btu instead. Best of both worlds.

[betwys1]

Originally Posted by rgleason

I'd like to learn more about this topic.

How much energy kwh does it use to boil 1 gal of water?....

1 (US) gal of water = 3.79 kg

Heating this amount of water from 15 degC to 100 degC (+85) takes
3790 X 4.2 X 85 = 1353000 joules = 376 Watt.hour at least

That's about 0.4 kW.hr or 13 minutes plus on a 1,750 watt coil neglecting losses.