Most efficient way to boil water on a boat

[Sandero]

Originally Posted by Suijin

It's hard to comprehend because you've never experienced it and you don't appreciate what is involved.

You have to buy a new bottle (which of course is a different shape and does not fit into your propane locker), and then at the next country you have to buy ANOTHER bottle and run around the marina hawking your bottle that you no longer need and don't have room for. And some places you have to go to the big gas storage facility which could be 20 miles away. It's NOT like doing your tank exchange at Home Depot, trust me. And no, in most places the bottles are not inexpensive.

I do know. I ran out of gas in Guadeloupe and had to go to some large gas facility to get my tank refilled. Luckily is was on the river and reachable by dink... and they found an adapter to refill my tank.

Having said that... if gas is mission critical... you need to have some sort of strategy and do some research... Gas bottles come in different sizes and you could get one (and a spare) small enough to fit your ex't locker... remove the old one and store it. But perhaps you need several types because of national standards. Bummer but you have to deal with it. Hopefully it doesn't break the bank. And you still need to cook... aside from boiling water... and my stove uses gas. So I need to find a gas solution if I want to cook.

No?

[boatman61]

I carry one of these as a back-up on my boat.. plus some deliveries and for things on the beach. comes in a case that takes as much room as a portable drill.. canisters easily obtained in Chinese shops, supermarkets etc.. cookers 20euros and the canisters from as little as 2euro.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I carry one of these as a back-up on my boat.. plus some deliveries and for things on the beach. comes in a case that takes as much room as a portable drill.. canisters easily obtained in Chinese shops, supermarkets etc.. cookers 20euros and the canisters from as little as 2euro.

I have 3 of them on the westerly and 18 cannisters. In UK I paid £8 for each unit and came with 3 refills each. A 10 pack of gas was £6

I use it in the cockpit . I also have a proper gas cooker plumbed in but sometimes easier to just fire up outside if too lazy to pull the Honda 2k or too noisy in the environment... or dont want the heat in the cabin....boils a pan quickly.

[beiland]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

For propane at $3.4 a gallon the cost would be 2 cents for two cups (1 pound). So a penny a cup is just about right.

For an electric kettle with a 1000 watt element the cost would be about 1.7 cents per 2 cups of water. So a hair less then a propane stove. But yes not a hill of beans different.

An electric stove would be a bit more then propane cost wise. Microwave would be about a penny a cup too. That's at 10 cents a KW. In california that same cup costs 1.8 cents to 4.3 cents depending on teir (time of month).

BTW the Hamilton beach date listing time to heat numbers seem to violate the conservation of energy. That is to heat a pound of water in 2.14 minutes would take a 4.4kw element. Which it does not have. Or they used warm water for the test. I suspect it was written by a marketing guy. I could not fine the watts of the element on line. even from HB's manual.

How about those 'inductive cooking' units? Aren't they suppose to be very efficent at heating just the contents of the cooking vessel?

[beiland]

Originally Posted by Cotemar

I agree with being electrically frugal and we have always been that way.
We never draw our batteries below 12.4 (80%).

Solar panels make it easy to keep the battery bank full.

We had 500 watts on our last boat and the original batteries tested like NEW after 7 years.
The Surveyor told the new owner the Battery's test like NEW.

We are big fans of solar as they just work for you all the time without skipping a beat or making any NOISE. After a while you forget where the power is coming from. What's not to like about that.

Lots of cruisers complain about generators and wind turbines, but you never hear them complain about Solar. Why, because their is nothing to complain about.

Interesting, just wanted to make a note of your posting.

What are your preferred batteries?....and solar panels??

[beiland]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

For whatever it may be worth, my next boat will have no gas system at all, and will have all electric cooking. I don't like gas on boats at all, as you may know from my other posts. I think it is inherently dangerous, and a PITA to keep reasonably safe. It's a PITA to source and haul gas, particularly when you cruise in different countries which all have different standard bottles, as I do. It's also an entirely different system to keep up. Electric induction cooking is really efficient, and electric convection ovens are fabulous. Add a couple more batteries in place of the gas system, and it seems like a no-brainer.

And even better if you're using lithium batteries, which my next boat will have.

I don't have solar, and don't plan to have it (sailing performance is REALLY important to me, and I don't want the windage). But with LiFePo with its huge acceptance rate, you can use a generator really efficiently, and there is no longer any need to keep the batteries topped up (lithium batteries don't even like that), and no need to worry about leaving them at low charge. All this will make is much easier to use electrical power for anything -- like cooking.

Good thoughts as well.

[Cotemar]

Originally Posted by beiland

Interesting, just wanted to make a note of your posting.

What are your preferred batteries?....and solar panels??

I had standard calcium sealed batteries that lasted over 7 years on our last boat. New owners still using them and they test as new.

SunPower Solar Panels 2 x 230 watts.

New boat has AGM sealed batteries with 500 watts of solar.

[beiland]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I agree. ONLY 143 posts on the number one in priority domestic job on board. Come on, people!

Actually I think it is a subject that many Americans are going to have to take up in the next ten years,....energy efficiency in our homes and life style. Imagine what it would do for our future powerplant needs in this country (and others) if we could increase the efficiency of our energy usage by just 10% each.

We are also going to have to address our fresh water situation as well (and around the world).

A boat's self sufficiency is a microcosm of our energy world.

[sailorcherry]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I agree. ONLY 143 posts on the number one in priority domestic job on board. Come on, people!

Sent from my D6633 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

I didn't flip thru each page, but i believe nobody brought up what I added. My response even included a triple purpose item, meeting the three purposes rule, thank ya very much!

[Sea Dreaming]

Originally Posted by sailorcherry

I didn't flip thru each page, but i believe nobody brought up what I added. My response even included a triple purpose item, meeting the three purposes rule, thank ya very much!

I saw your contribution. It looks very interesting but those stoves are now $189, not $50.

We have a butane burner like boaties. We also have a torch head that fit the same canisters. While the canisters are not aways cheap, they are available almost anywhere and they are easy to store.

Honestly though, if one really wants a cheap back up way to heat water, you can burn regular isopropyl alcohol in a heat proof container and it will heat enough water for a cup of tea, or for Ramen noodles. We use a chaffing dish sterno holder and simply burn the alcohol in that.

One popular Dutch tradition is "gormeta", where in quests cook small amounts of food in little pans over an alcohol burner as I have described. Works great for small pieces. No one starves. Not as efficient as an alcohol stove, but you can cobble a burner together from anything. A half liter of alcohol lasts a long time!

[sailorcherry]

Originally Posted by Sea Dreaming

I saw your contribution. It looks very interesting but those stoves are now $189, not $50.

No they're not. I actually bought mine for $45 out the door, at a nautical consignment shop. Same shop and on local craigslist I have seen them at $50.

[alctel]

My propane tank is a rather terrible 6lb one - and I think it's a custom fit to the tank holder so I'm not sure getting a spare is an option. It's a major concern when I leave next year.

I'm moving to lithium anyway next year so I'm thinking I'll probably get a decent inverter and use an electric kettle - thanks for doing all the maths for me!

[SSgtPitt]

What started out as a simple question of the most efficient way to boil water ( which i thought was a joke ) has now morphed into a very interesting thread with numerous helpful inquiries; buying and filling propane / butane bottles in many different countries, the dangers of integral tanks, induction vs microwave vs electric kettles, diesel and wood heating, solar and LifePO4 batteries and then removing all gas and going all electric and how to feed that monster.
You could spend days and days following up, learning and researching all these quandaries.
I for one am enjoying the sh*t out of this and am now looking for induction and convection items that'll fit on my 1982 36' boat as well as solar to keep it all going.
The links to quality equipment and further info are especially appreciated.

"If you can't say something nice, then say nothing at all" - Kindergarten
"Better to remain silent and thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." - Lincoln

[Sea Dreaming]

Originally Posted by sailorcherry

No they're not. I actually bought mine for $45 out the door, at a nautical consignment shop. Same shop and on local craigslist I have seen them at $50.

Please post your source! I might be interested in one for 50. But 189 is the new price from the regular sources like defender.

[sailorcherry]

Originally Posted by Sea Dreaming

Please post your source! I might be interested in one for 50. But 189 is the new price from the regular sources like defender.

Blue Pelican, Alameda, CA
I don't know where you are, but I would just start calling your local consignment shops and asking. Pick a location with a cluster of yards and you should be able to find great stuff, for cheap, at those consignment shops (boat, of course). People replace equipment and put the up old for sale there.
Defender - ha! Maybe 3% of purchases have come from them - way too $$$. Get a wholesale account at a yard or WM. Whatever your part/want type it in then site:craigslist.org. Ebay is great too.