What is going on with alcohol cookers?

[Jdege]

I was pissed when I found out that Dometic had dropped the Origo alcohol stoves.

And then excited when I became aware of the Contoure Cookmate stoves.

And then was pissed, again, when I discovered that the Cookmate stoves were also discontinued.

What's going on with the low-pressure alcohol stoves? Is there some regulatory reason that all available brands are off the market? Or are they both the same product with different labels?

[JoeRobertJr]

I can only guess, but that guess would be that they gained a reputation for cooking too slowly. My boat came with a broken Hillerange pressurized alcohol stove, not so affectionately known as a "curtain burner" due to flare ups. So, after deciding not to risk fixing that, I started researching replacement options. I found that there are a lot of unpressurized alcohol stove advocates, but there are also many who say it cooks too slowly. There were also complaints about odor and lack of consistency.
Propane appears to be the most popular, but installation is expensive. So, while I mull over the options, I am stuck cooking on a camp stove in our cockpit.

[mjscottinnc]

My boat came with a Kenyon 3 burner stove/oven. It’s pressurized alcohol and once I learned to light it correctly it’s worked perfectly. While I was rebuilding I considered replacing it based on all the ‘near death experience’ reported online. Actual research into the reports showed it was 99% hype. Like so many things, the stories take on a life of there own. I had an 2 burner origo on my last boat and prefer what I have now. Each fuel and system has their benefits and drawbacks, choice is a wonderful thing. I’m sure whatever you choose will work fine.

[Phantom Jim]

I have used pressurized alcohol and LPG as cooking fuel, both three burner Hilleranges. I prefer the LPG, but the pressurized alcohol was pretty efficient. Pressurized alcohol does require a learning curve that is not difficult but it is exacting.

The real difference will be noticed when baking because the LPG will have a regulating thermostat, the alcohol will not.

Either will do nicely, especially in the US where stove fuel is readily available. I replaced my Hillerange alcohol with LPG and sometimes miss the old beast, it would simmer better than anything I have ever used.

[Phantom Jim]

Alcohol Hillerange

[er9]

Matbe also because alcohol is becoming harder to buy. Here in california its very difficult to get. All the big name brand home depot type places stopped carrying it due regulations i beleive. Thats a lot of coastline and boats with difficult access to stove fuel. Ppssibly its following the same path as CNG. Great stove fuel but hard to get it and expensive when you can find it. Stove builders maybe seeing too much trouble in the future to warrant continuing to make them.

[roverhi]

Actually it's a real mystery why they stopped making the Origo stoves. Only thing that would justify it is no demand which doesn't seem possible. They didn't suffer from the low heat output and leak danger of the pressurized stoves and don't suffer from the 'Kaboom' feature of propane, etc. Their demise leaves us with no stoves with a 'safe' fuel.

The Big Box stores dropping alcohol in CA came after the Origo line was discontinued. Lucky I got my Origo just before they were discontinued and the price of used ones went up.

[Kim Gregory]

Origo products are still available at Holland marine:
page 305 and 307 of their online catalog.
Holland Marine Products
( Canada )

[Don C L]

Alcohol is still available as fuel in West Marine. My local chandlery has it too. The price has gone up though. This issue has been brought up but so far as I know there are no replacements yet available. Any enterprising folks out there want to start a new alcohol stove business?

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ed-220131.html

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...rn-232315.html

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by Jdege

I was pissed when I found out that Dometic had dropped the Origo alcohol stoves.

And then excited when I became aware of the Contoure Cookmate stoves.

And then was pissed, again, when I discovered that the Cookmate stoves were also discontinued.

What's going on with the low-pressure alcohol stoves? Is there some regulatory reason that all available brands are off the market? Or are they both the same product with different labels?

Welcome to the club.
I felt exaclty the same when they did that to Kerosene.
Propane will be next.
The future is for induction cooking, lets all go out and buy a bunch of LIFePO4s... yikes.

[Jdege]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Alcohol is still available as fuel in West Marine. My local chandlery has it too. The price has gone up though. This issue has been brought up but so far as I know there are no replacements yet available. Any enterprising folks out there want to start a new alcohol stove business?

The alcohol I use in my Trangia camping stove I bought at Home Depot.

[roverhi]

Originally Posted by Jdege

The alcohol I use in my Trangia camping stove I bought at Home Depot.

Doubt that you got alcohol at a California HD. They stopped carrying it over a year ago supposedly because of CA regulations though West Marine was still selling it but expensive.

[Jdege]

Originally Posted by Kim Gregory

Origo products are still available at Holland marine:
page 305 and 307 of their online catalog.
Holland Marine Products
( Canada )

After reading your post, I sent them an email.

I'm afraid they have none left.

[Jdege]

Originally Posted by roverhi

Doubt that you got alcohol at a California HD. They stopped carrying it over a year ago supposedly because of CA regulations though West Marine was still selling it but expensive.

Do they still sell Yellow Heet fuel additive?

[sailorboy1]

Its Economics 101 of supply and demand. No one is going to spend money making and stocking something that has so little demand.