Is the gimbled propane oven obsolete?

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by chrisr

certainly our oven / cooktop is not gimballed



cheers,

And just to give another perspective, certainly our electric stove is gimballed because I wanted it to so built it that way. The oven query? we use a Remoska, brilliant for fish, joints of beef and port or baking cakes.

How do you cook going to windward or even bashing through the waves if it isn't gimballed? Certainly in our 5T yacht, cooking would be impossible without gimbals and pan holders.

Pete

[Don C L]

He's got a cat.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Don C L

He's got a cat.

Oh, I thought he had a yacht.

Sorry, I will get my coat

[bgallinger]

I carry 3 x 5lb tanks of propane on board and each tank generally last for 3 weeks. Propane works fine for me.

[Bali43Cat]

Originally Posted by GILow

The biggest risk of those disposable can style cookers is that a can will be lost or forgotten down the back of some storage locker and eventually rust.out and leak. At which point it fills your bilge with a very explosive mix..

Timely post - as just two days ago (on land at my house) I went to light my BBQ with a "Bernzomatic" propane torch. Previously I had been worried that the torch assembly had been leaking when not in use so I unscrewed the canister and set it to the side. Lo and behold the valve on the canister itself had actually been leaking and the cylinder was completely empty.

Can't even imagine what the result might have been down in the bilge of a boat.

FWIW - we have a built in combo stove/microwave and induction cooktop on our Bali 4.8 and would never go back to gas. Surprisingly efficient and with 2,200 watts of solar and Integrel generators there are no compromises vs. a home kitchen.

[Goodxcharly]

I like propane and it seems to be the best option out there.
Alcohol is alright
I see electric with generator equipped boats. Then you have to go get gas.

I have a propane 2 burner/oven and use the oven for storage. ) 2 gallons propane every 6 months.

[tdgaffney]

I removed the 100lb propane system (tank, lines, oven, etc) and installed a Convection Microwave (Home Depot) and an induction two-burner(?) (Amazon) and built a drawer under for cutlery, all 51lb hanging on relocated gimbals.
[And then enjoyed a tall glass of hot Saki ...]

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Bali43Cat

Timely post - as just two days ago (on land at my house) I went to light my BBQ with a "Bernzomatic" propane torch. Previously I had been worried that the torch assembly had been leaking when not in use so I unscrewed the canister and set it to the side. Lo and behold the valve on the canister itself had actually been leaking and the cylinder was completely empty.

Can't even imagine what the result might have been down in the bilge of a boat.

FWIW - we have a built in combo stove/microwave and induction cooktop on our Bali 4.8 and would never go back to gas. Surprisingly efficient and with 2,200 watts of solar and Integrel generators there are no compromises vs. a home kitchen.

The 1# propane tanks really are a danger. I kept mine in the propane locker. They corroded and leaked out. I now keep them with my clothes but I added a positive screw cap. (On line). Never leave the valve attached. I only have them for my torch. At least I see the tanks daily and my clothes locker is vented out.

[Tortuga's Lie]

I am happy with my gimballed propane stove/oven, I love roasting a chicken in the oven in the fall/winter, there's something about going down below and smelling a delicious bird cooking! plus it warms the cabin nicely.
I also carry extra tanks in the propane locker as others have mentioned.

[Cpt Mark]

On a cat? Gimbal no big deal. I sold my propane stove/oven off. Where the oven stove went now holds a 2 burner induction cooktop. Space below is storage. I used to have a microwave oven. That was replaced with a very nice Cuisinart toaster oven complete with 12 inch pizza stone. I also have a 3 qt mini Instant Pot that sees a lot of use. Use it for making brown rice in 15 minutes, cooking a pot of dry beans in an hour, reheating everything and so much more. Truly an amazing cooking tool onboard and if it's really awful out, I can put it in the sink where it can't escape and cook just fine there. Also went with an electric kettle. Lifepo4 batteries, solar to come.

This system can't explode, don't have to refill tanks etc. And induction cooking is simply amazing.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Bali43Cat

Timely post - as just two days ago (on land at my house) I went to light my BBQ with a "Bernzomatic" propane torch. Previously I had been worried that the torch assembly had been leaking when not in use so I unscrewed the canister and set it to the side. Lo and behold the valve on the canister itself had actually been leaking and the cylinder was completely empty.

The disposable propane cylinders are a particular hazard. I had the valve stick completely open on one once, took off the torch head, propane hissing out. There's really no good reason to use these for cooking any more. Plenty of better alternatives.



I don't believe the butane hairspray-sized canisters are as bad. The pressure is lower, and the withdrawal rate is more limited. I also like the isobutane camping stoves.



Any fuel source for cooking poses hazards.

[karkauai]

Gimballed propane is our cooking method of choice, at anchor or underway. We cook a hot meal almost every day and two 5lb propane tanks last 3-4 months. I've sailed from Maine to Panama and everywhere between and haven't found getting propane an issue.

Electric induction cooktop look great, but they are energy hogs. If you aren't already set up with LiFePO⁴ (and have the inverter power and solar to handle the job, plan on upgrading to the tune of $10K+.

[karkauai]

All Propane tanks should be housed in vented single-user lockers, or outside the boat. They should have a shutoff valve at the tanks which can be controlled from the galley and have a visual reminder whenever they are open that gets your attention if you forget to shut off after use.

All piping/hoses need inspection regularly with a sniff test when valve is open.

One cruiser let his stove gimbal all the time. He pulled the stove out for something else and found chafing on the propane hose that could have caused a calamity. All hoses will be safer if they are steel-clad.

[Tortuga's Lie]

Originally Posted by karkauai

All Propane tanks should be housed in vented single-user lockers, or outside the boat. They should have a shutoff valve at the tanks which can be controlled from the galley and have a visual reminder whenever they are open that gets your attention if you forget to shut off after use.

All piping/hoses need inspection regularly with a sniff test when valve is open.

One cruiser let his stove gimbal all the time. He pulled the stove out for something else and found chafing on the propane hose that could have caused a calamity. All hoses will be safer if they are steel-clad.

Great tips and in addition, make sure you have a propane sensor/alarm as well. Many systems allow for multiple sensors, put one under the appliance and one in the bilge

[paulruiz]

I've replaced the old propane oven/stove with:


* electric kettle aroma pro AWK-3000 316L stainless ($67)

* instantpot duo mini 3qt ($80)

* instantpot vortex+ 6qt airfryer ($100

* duxtop 9600LS induction cooktop ($115)

* metal grill for cooking over an open fire on the beach


Can only run 2 of the electric appliances at a time on my 3600w inverter. They all cook way faster than their gas equivalent and leave less heat in the cabin. Can also cook in the cockpit if not to heeled.