Boat stove discussion

[CapnK]

But I do need to update my experience with the Harbor Freight one burner stove from the first page...

It's bigger than it looks, and I was a bit dismayed with that at first, but it is way smaller than I had before (2 burner propane stove from "WestMart" ;) ), so I've gotten used to it.

It cooks really well, seems to be hotter than the propane stove. If you order it from HF, be sure to find where on their site they have the regulators hidden, and order one of those, too! I didn't, and had the devil of a time finding one in the middle of winter...

AFA quality - the shiny chrome part is just that - thin metal, shiny. No rust or anything yet, but it's only been onboard for a month. The metal might even be stainless, I'm not sure, and the stove is not on their site at this point in time. Both the black metal pot holder, and the brass flame ring just sit there, held in place by gravity. They won't fall off from heeling, but in a rollover would become projectiles. Under the brass fire ring, the metal which goes to the control valve/knob on the front looks to be plain cast iron.

All in all, for the money, it's a good buy I think. I am not sure it's a permanent solution for me, but it is working well for now.

[s/v Faith]

......possible neat small stove is the Coleman  MultiFuel stove, which'll burn white gas, reg'lar gas, or kerosene. No worries about finding fuel - get some from your outboard. :) I have a friend who's biked/hiked/'yaked all over the US, several SoPac islands, including a goodly piece of New Zealand, Oz and Taz, and this is the stove he has always used. Since I have traveled probably close to 1000 of those miles with him, I've seen the thing perform, and it works incredibly well.

  I have liked that multi fuel stove since I first saw it.  I have never cooked over sterno, but take your word(s) for it that it is not very hot.  I have carried a small alchohol stove (like a glorified beer can stove) for years, and have been happy with it's performance.  I really don't care to bring another fuel source onboard if I don't have to.... (I wonder if the coleman would mind 50:1 premix...)  ;D

[Captain Smollett]

Another possible neat small stove is the Coleman  MultiFuel stove, which'll burn white gas, reg'lar gas, or kerosene.

That is exactly the stove I am planning on getting.  I've been doodling some designs for a custom gimbal mount for it, loosely based on Baldwin's design for Atom.

[CapnK]

Craig - the 'beer can' type alchy stoves burn much hotter than plain old Sterno, if that tells you anything. :)


I've been wanting one of the multi fuels for a while, too...

[oded kishony]

Some may find this item interesting. It's designed to heat up water using a minimum of fuel

http://www.garrettwade.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&itemID=106256

Oded Kishony

[Lynx]

Does anybody have any infor on long term use of Gelled Alcohol Fuel for a stove or heating?

Link - http://waltonfeed.com/alco.html

I am trying to not put in propane system to cook on board.  Looks good but I do not think cooking for months would work.

[s/v Faith]

Gelled Alcohol Fuel is the same thing (pretty much) as Sterno _{Click for definition)}.

  See the thread on stoves, a couple of replies have said it does not get things very hot.

I have been playing with it, early tests confirmed that it does not get very hot (would not brown).  Will press on, and post results.   ;D

_{on edit, will just merge this in}  ;)

[Godot]

Here's a thought...

One of the biggest complaints with kerosene stoves is the need to preheat with alcohol.  Apparently it is a true pain in the tail to pour a little alcohol into the preheat cup a light it without a sudden roll spilling flaming alcohol around.  Perhaps it would be a good idea to take a few cans of sterno, and instead of using them as the manufacturer recommended, just scoop a little bit out into the preheat cup and preheat that way.  Then there is no liquid to go spilling.

Sounds safer anyow.

[Auspicious]

While a bit bigger than a lot of the cookers listed in this thread, there are gimballed marine cookers smaller than those usually seen in the U.S. This one for example

is a 3 burner Force 10 with oven and broiler several inches less in each dimension than a U.S. spec cooker. It is listed as a European sub-compact.

If you or your significant other is a foodie, the flexibility of a full cooker is very attractive.

Incidentally Eno recently purchased the Force 10 line of cookers. The original Force 10 company is now called Kuuma and still sells barbecue grills and water heaters.

Of course, I still miss the cooktop from my last house before I sold out and moved aboard:

<sigh>

[Captain Smollett]

One of the biggest complaints with kerosene stoves is the need to preheat with alcohol.  Apparently it is a true pain in the tail to pour a little alcohol into the preheat cup a light it without a sudden roll spilling flaming alcohol around.

There's another approach that seems to be in common use as well - preheating with a wick.  I cannot remember the actual name of it, but it also prevents the spillage issue you mention.  You basically soak a wick in alcohol, put that on your stove burner, and light.  It can be reused.

Also, I don't think the pressurized, Primus type kerosene stoves require pre-heating.  It was my understanding that pre-heating is only needed for the drip-type or low pressure stoves.  Well, actually the Primus type DOES use pre-heating - it's just the kerosene itsself that does the preheating until the gas generator gets hot (just like with white gas on a Coleman stove or lantern).

[s/v Faith]

I have read of the 'tilley wick' being used for this.  Seems like a pretty good idea.


Edit by Captain Smollett: Fixed Link

[CharlieJ]

Nope- the primus burners require preheating also, with alcohol. if you use the kerosene you'll smoke up the boat big time.

I've used kerosene stoves aboard now since 1979. Well- actually before that since I had one on my San Juan 21 in 1973.

I even used a kerosene stove in our cabin on shore while I was building my tri. Then moved the stove aboard when we launched and moved onto the boat.

We've never found the pre heating to be a big deal and very very seldom have ANY spilled alcohol. If it is spilling, you are putting too much in. It usually only takes half a preheater cup full to do the job.

The wicks are a great idea- unfortunately we can't use one on our stove- can't reach in to use it. You can use a turkey baster or a syringe to squirt alcohol down into the cup or you can just trickle a small stream over the burner head and allow it to run down into the cup.

[Captain Smollett]

Nope- the primus burners require preheating also, with alcohol. if you use the kerosene you'll smoke up the boat big time.

Thanks, Charlie.  I don't know where I got that idea from.  I think I read it somewhere, but obviously got confused.

[s/v Faith]

Ok,

  So, we have been using the Sterno sea swing at home.... and cooking our dinners on it.   :P

  Yes.... it IS slow.  However, if you use it with a pressure cooker it is not too bad.  My First Mate is content that it will work (as an underway cooker, and as a second burner on the hook).

  Yesterday I was in West, and saw they sell the same butane stove I have, but badged as a Kenyon...



  For $69.00.....  :o

Anyways, they no longer are carrying the SAME stove branded as the Glowmaster.  They have a few accessories for it, including a cermic coated burner fiddle.  I had looked at this, and thought about buying one a while back.  It was sold for $20 at West so I had gone online and not found one.  I thought I would just make one.

  I bought it yesterday at West on clearance for $4.60.....  ;)

Similar to the Kenyon one shown here at Defender;

[Lynx]

I have the Keynon and like it execpt for the price of the fuel cans. I always eject the cans after use. I have a the knob turned (knocked around) and loss all the fuel. Nice, tempoary system until I get the propane stove.

[s/v Faith]

I have the Keynon and like it except for the price of the fuel cans. I always eject the cans after use. I have a the knob turned (knocked around) and loss all the fuel. Nice, temporary system until I get the propane stove.

  I don't know where you are getting them, but I have seen widely varying prices on the fuel.

  For instance, West Marine sells it for $5.99 a can, while I can buy it at the local ACE Hardware for $1.89 and now I eve find it at Walmart for slightly less.... not too bad compared to some other fuels, including the disposable propane cans.  It is still more then other fuels like alcohol but not too bad.

[Lynx]

Thanks, I did not see them at Walmart. I will check again.

[AdriftAtSea]

The one thing with the portable stoves that you want to be careful of is that they are secured in some way during the cooking process.  All it takes is one idiot in a stinkpot going by and making a large wake to ruin your day... if the stove is lit and falls, you could get burned or have the boat catch fire... neither is a good thing... Also non-gimballed stoves still can present a burn risk if the boat gets caught by a wave or wake at the wrong moment...

If you're making a gimbaled mount for one of the single burner stoves, make sure that the gimbal mount has enough weight to handle the heaviest full pot you'd be likely to use on it.  Also, make sure the gimbal swivel point is high-enough that it doesn't act to catapult the contents of the pot about the boat. 

This is one area where I like using a pressure cooker, even without the "pressure valve" on, since it will stay closed, even if the pot falls.

[skylark]

I have one of those Coleman multifuel stoves.  It works very well with gasoline, easy to start, quiet, nice flame. The downside is filling it, if you spill (which is very easy to do), it can be a fire hazard.  I tried it once with kerosene and it gave a nice flame. You have to switch the fuel nozzle to switch fuels.  I did not want to fool around with preheating so I went back to gas.  However I would probably not use gasoline on the boat for fire safety reasons.

Here is my version of a homemade gimballed stove that worked very well:







It is a little bulky, but if you can find a place to hang it without it being in the way, it works really well. It is an el cheapo Wall Mart propane stove in a pail.

I now have a Princess two burner stove converted from alcohol to kerosene.  I will probably stick to kerosene, although I am tempted by propane.

[Captain Smollett]

Here is my version of a homemade gimballed stove that worked very well:

;D  Very cool.  Grog to ya.