Misc. Galley Questions

[scarlet]

I have a handful of galley questions (just for reference, we are shopping for a catamaran) :

1. I love cast iron pans, and I plan on using them to cook on board. However, even though I take excellent care of mine, I'm worried that despite complete drying and oiling, they will rust in the ocean air. Anyone use cast iron on their boats? and how do they hold up?

2. I'm also looking at nesting pots and pans.. (Magma or Galleyware). Anyone use the ceramic/nonstick ones? I'd like some feedback on them. Also, I've heard there are problems with the detachable handles melting... any feedback on those?

3. I'm planning on using Melamine dinnerware, however, at the end of the day, they are still plastic. I don't like eating off of plastic, and I don't like how cheap they look. I also tend to be a bit more formal, and despite the casual atmosphere of cruising... I want to set a beautiful table. I found a company, "Q Squared" that makes high quality Melamine. They "say" that they are much heavier, and look and feel like porcelain or ceramic. Does anyone have any experience with these?

4. I like to use fresh herbs, and would like to grow some in pots in the galley. Anyone do this? and how well do they grow in the saltwater air?

5. Is there such a thing as "burning candles safely" on a boat? I like the atmosphere they create, and the citronella ones are fantastic at keeping away bugs. I've seen some hanging "lanterns" that you can burn candles in. Do you think this would make them safe enough to burn aboard? or maybe nesting them in a pot with decorative stone? or any other options? or, are candles just a "no go"?

6. Can someone recommend a great blender for making frozen drinks?

If I think of anymore questions, I'll add them later.

[Cheechako]

1. I love cast iron pans, and I plan on using them to cook on board. However, even though I take excellent care of mine, I'm worried that despite complete drying and oiling, they will rust in the ocean air. Anyone use cast iron on their boats? and how do they hold up? Well, if they are as oiled and old as mine they will be fine. I gave them up aboard though, too heavy and the black gets all over counters etc.

2. I'm also looking at nesting pots and pans.. (Magma or Galleyware). Anyone use the ceramic/nonstick ones? I'd like some feedback on them. Also, I've heard there are problems with the detachable handles melting... any feedback on those? I liked the Revere ware deep style sauce pans, usually for sauce pans you dont need non stick anyway. The deep ones are nice on limited stove top space. A couple pans that nest in each other like that are usually enough. These are deeper than the usual Revere pans.

3. I'm planning on using Melamine dinnerware, however, at the end of the day, they are still plastic. I don't like eating off of plastic, and I don't like how cheap they look. I also tend to be a bit more formal, and despite the casual atmosphere of cruising... I want to set a beautiful table. I found a company, "Q Squared" that makes high quality Melamine. They "say" that they are much heavier, and look and feel like porcelain or ceramic. Does anyone have any experience with these? I dont, but we used good Dansk tableware without an issue. If you want to make them non slip, apply a circle of white silicone sealant on the bottom, put a piece of wax paper on the table and rest it there until it hardens up. Peel the wax paper off. I did this about 20 years ago and the bowls still have it on there!

4. I like to use fresh herbs, and would like to grow some in pots in the galley. Anyone do this? and how well do they grow in the saltwater air? I know people who grew them. No problem.

5. Is there such a thing as "burning candles safely" on a boat? I like the atmosphere they create, and the citronella ones are fantastic at keeping away bugs. I've seen some hanging "lanterns" that you can burn candles in. Do you think this would make them safe enough to burn aboard? or maybe nesting them in a pot with decorative stone? or any other options? or, are candles just a "no go"? Be careful, only with a couple feet over overhead space. CItronella are probably too strong for inside though.

6. Can someone recommend a great blender for making frozen drinks? A small ish invertor might be best.

[Leo Ticheli]

I've kept a cast iron skillet aboard for years with no problems. I don't like nesting pans, they tend to be very light gauge and I prefer thicker stuff sized right for the things we prepare; we use Mauviel, AllClad, and always have one non-stick, although I'm not a big fan of the latter. We avoid glass on board for obvious reasons; heavy duty plastics and the new versions of Melamine work well and have an acceptable feel, but I use only heavy vintage coffee mugs, such as those from the Hall China Company. We don't use a bender; stirred or shaken for our cocktails. We have a couple of UCO Original Collapsible Candle Lanterns aboard. They are safe, inexpensive, and can burn citronella candles.
Fair winds,
Leo

[Lepke]

I have mostly old cast iron and don't have a rust problem. Some have 50 years on the water. I use regular plates. Current set is about 20 years old and have 3 w/chips, none broken. The best thing for bugs are screens on doors and ports and zapping bug lights. Only thing that works in heavy bug area. Plants grow well on boats with sun, some feeding. Only issue would be a lot of salt water spray or drenching. I have a Hamilton Beach blender. Last one, same brand was 30 years old and never failed. In salt air its whole life.

[janice142]

Hello Scarlet.

You asked about plastic dishware... Might I be so bold as to suggest glass? Like you I prefer glass, so I bought it. When too many break I go to a thrift store and buy more. Thus I get to update ... That's a win for me!

My Fast Tuna meal:


Incidentally, most stuff that I have broken occurred at beach potlucks. I'm just not always graceful. And yes, even my first mate Skipper uses pretty dishes. This one I found at a charity shop last spring



As for candles, with precautions I have used them. Before I bought my oil lantern I read by candlelight each night. I had purchased a star shaped candle holder that caught all the wax. I prefer oil lantern light and one burns citronella oil.

Now I have upgraded all the power hungry bulbs to LEDs so use them too.

You might look for a lovely globe lantern at some point. Mine was a gift from Black Thorn and is treasured. As a reminder, wider wicks throw off more light and heat than narrower ones.

Globe lantern photo: (the best I could find that is)


Congratulations Scarlet as you begin the journey. Life truly is amazing afloat. Make your home all you desire.

P.S. - A friend has his mother's cast iron aboard his boat. If that is what you prefer for cooking, why change now? Use what you are most comfortable with and if it doesn't work for you, change.

Life out here is happiest for those capable of adapting. All the best to you and yours.
Happy boating!

J.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by scarlet

2. I'm also looking at nesting pots and pans.. (Magma or Galleyware). Anyone use the ceramic/nonstick ones? I'd like some feedback on them. Also, I've heard there are problems with the detachable handles melting... any feedback on those?

3. I'm planning on using Melamine dinnerware, however, at the end of the day, they are still plastic. I don't like eating off of plastic, and I don't like how cheap they look. I also tend to be a bit more formal, and despite the casual atmosphere of cruising... I want to set a beautiful table.

I like cast iron, but decided having several pieces would take up too much storage space in our galley.

So we instead went with a nesting set from the Welcome Aboard magazine, from back in approx 1999-ish. Near as I can tell, this was either made by Cuisinart (they offered a set called "Stowaway") or at the same factory, or at least using the same Fribo patent for the removable handles. Looks pretty much like the Magma stuff available now.

We've been very pleased! Good stainless, not at all light gauge, with a heavy aluminum bottom encapsulated in stainless... so essentially the same as Cuisinart's "Stainless Chef's Classic" (something like that) series. The 16, 18, 20, and 24cm lids for the Cuisinart pots and pans fit exactly, so we've augmented our original multi-size (16/18/20) lid with a few additional lids, including an extra 24cm lid so we can cover the stockpot and the saute pan simultaneously, and most of those can also sorta-kinda stow inside the whole stack.

The saute pan (aka deep-sided skillet) is non-stick of some sort. Works fine. I wouldn't order a whole set of that, though; I prefer the actual stainless for the rest of the pots/pans.

I can't imagine the handles melting in anything less than a blast furnace. Don't know what the material is, but a) we don't put the handles in the blast furnace, and b) ours still look and act brand new after these 18 years or so. Maybe somebody put a pan inside a Magma propane grill (which only has two speeds: off, and blast furnace) for a long while and left the handle on?

Note that Magma has an induction-ready version, in case you have an electric cooktop and in case you might make that induction in the future (of it's not already).

Don't know about Galleyware.

We use Corelle dinnerware. Got most of two basic sets with matching pattern, then augmented with some plain white serving pieces. The ceramic cups don't do anything for us, but the rest of the stuff (actual Corelle material, whatever it is) works well. We actually have a huge set of Melamine (in storage), but preferred Corelle instead.

-Chris

[Navicula]

we use the stone bottom magma nesting set.....just great...they are heavy and stows away with detachable handles...the wife just loves them, but she also takes care of them and doesnt scratch the ceramic with metal spoons etc..

we have had some great meals come out of that pot set

[CatNewBee]

I do not see any reason to use melanin dishes or other camping stuff on board. We use porcelain as we use in our home, same for cutlery, silverware, pots and pans. A catamaran is a floating home most of the time.

Of course you will want to secure the stuff on rough passages, but this can be done. For the blender - use whatever you like at home. I guess you have an inverter on board?

[scarlet]

Wow, lots of good information. I guess I assumed that porcelain and stoneware, etc wouldn't stand up to the seas, (even in a locker). That's good to know as I like a heavy plate. I like the idea of using the silicon on the bottom to make it slide proof. I know Corelle is shatterproof, but we had them when I was growing up, and I just never liked them, although they do have really cute patterns these days.

As far as the pots and pans... I just LOVE cooking with cast iron because the food just seems to taste better in it. But, they do take up room,as they are not stackable and I would still need stainless pots for sauces, veggies, etc. I guess that I have to realize that I won't be able to stock a small galley with the same items I like to use at home. It's about sacrifices. perhaps I could take one cast iron pan that would nest below the nesting pots.

Glad to know about the herbs. I thought I had read somewhere that plants didn't do well in the salt air. I'm guessing that if we were island hopping, I wouldn't be able to bring them. right?

Janice, that lantern is really cute!!

[rwidman]

Our friends wonder why we use plastic plates. They use paper plates. We have a matched set of Kmart's finest.

As for cookware, cast iron is great for many things but it reacts with some foods so you can't use it exclusively. We just brought extra cookware from home when we first got our boat and have since added as necessary. Much of it is anodized aluminum and works well without a lot of extra weight.

I don't use candles on my boat. While it might be possible to use them safely, you can't beat the safety of not using them at all.

PS: One of these days I might break down and get a set of square plates. Somehow I just like them and they bring the food closer to the edge of the table.

[SVRocinante]

You've gotten plenty of great answers, so my response is simply to add one more data point to the mix! BTW, we're on a monohull.

Originally Posted by scarlet

I have a handful of galley questions (just for reference, we are shopping for a catamaran) :

1. I love cast iron pans, ... how do they hold up?

We too use cast-iron onboard - both the "regular" & the enameled, both hold up extremely well. Since they are rather heavy, we keep them stored low and behind a locked cabinet door to avoid issues while underway.

Originally Posted by scarlet

2. I'm also looking at nesting pots and pans..

Nothing wrong with them, but we don't care for them - perhaps we simply haven't found a good set.

Originally Posted by scarlet

3. I'm planning on using Melamine dinnerware...I also tend to be a bit more formal

We too despise plastic - we use our normal china & stemware onboard.
It takes a bit more work to get ready to move, but to us, it's worth it.

I cut squares of the non-slip material used to keep rugs in place and use it between our plates. Amazon Link( Non-Slip Area Rug Pad )
We wrap the stemware in bubblewrap and then pack the cabinets with kitchen towels before we pull up anchor.

Originally Posted by scarlet

4. I like to use fresh herbs, and would like to grow some in pots in the galley. Anyone do this? and how well do they grow in the saltwater air?

No issues, they actually do better than at home since we have much more ambient light coming in through the hatches & port lights.

Originally Posted by scarlet

5. Is there such a thing as "burning candles safely" on a boat? ... or, are candles just a "no go"?

We've burned candles onboard, but only in the cockpit. Even so, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:
1. They really need to be top quality candles or the soot will ruin your dodger/bimini/whatever is overhead.
2. Follow normal rules without exception - don't leave lit candles unattended, don't light them if children are onboard, make sure they are completely out before walking away, etc.
3. Use pillar candles instead of tapers for stability... we'll only use tapers / candle sticks in dead calm conditions.

Originally Posted by scarlet

6. Can someone recommend a great blender for making frozen drinks?

Yep, but it's not 12 volt - we love the relatively inexpensive Hamilton Beach 48-Ounce Smoothie Blender Amazon Link (48-Ounce Smoothie Blender)

Hope some of this helps - please feel free to PM if you have specific questions for us.

[Colin A]

We used to use little camping tealight lanterns on board. I don;t see the exact ones we used to have but these are close

https://www.amazon.com/UCO-Lantern-T...candle+lantern

https://www.amazon.com/UCO-Original-...candle+lantern

[Tetepare]

Here's my rechargeable blender. 15 years old, still works, original batteries.

Take it ashore, take it to other boats.

https://www.amazon.com/Decker-Partym.../dp/B005OQOGY6

[Tortuga's Lie]

1) I also love cooking with cast iron, nothing beats the searing capability of it! At home, I have several sizes but on the boat, I keep a 9" frying pan and after each use, put a light coat of oil, never had an issue with rust and I keep it stored in the oven along with a baking stone that is great for bread and pizza.
2)We actually have a set of Magma nesting pots that came with the boat but we brought along our T-Fal set of saucepans that have a glass lid that we like (the lids have drain holes in them so you can eliminate the colander)but we have yet to try out the nesting set, there's something about a detachable handle that I don't like.
3). We switched from Melamine plates to tempered glass, like Corelle but it's made by Gallyware, so far we like them a lot.
4). When cruising, we usually have a pot or two of herbs like basil or thyme. Sometimes it's a pain to move around but it's fun and practical to have some live herbs.
5). Candles: we usually buy the candles that come in it's own glass jar with a lid, I feel fairly safe with them but we don't let them burn too long. We also have an oil lamp that hangs in the main saloon. It gives off a nice amber light and heat the cabin in the winter a bit too.
6) what others have said, get an inverter. The 12 volt blenders don't typically work well. I love our Cuisinart blender, it does a great job with ice.

Cheers,
Tom

[Cthoops]

Originally Posted by scarlet

I have a handful of galley questions (just for reference, we are shopping for a catamaran) :


2. I'm also looking at nesting pots and pans.. (Magma or Galleyware). Anyone use the ceramic/nonstick ones? I'd like some feedback on them. Also, I've heard there are problems with the detachable handles melting... any feedback on those? We have the nonstick nesting Magma and have been quite happy with them. No issues with the detachable handles melting.

3. I'm planning on using Melamine dinnerware, however, at the end of the day, they are still plastic. I don't like eating off of plastic, and I don't like how cheap they look. I also tend to be a bit more formal, and despite the casual atmosphere of cruising... I want to set a beautiful table. I found a company, "Q Squared" that makes high quality Melamine. They "say" that they are much heavier, and look and feel like porcelain or ceramic. Does anyone have any experience with these? I didn't want plastic either, so we bought a set of stoneware dishes a few years ago. Stoneware is heavy duty, and none have broken or chipped yet.


If I think of anymore questions, I'll add them later.

I only have practical experience with a few of your questions, so my two cents are above.