Most Versatile Cooking Appliance

[FlyWright]

If the sh!t hit the fan tomorrow and you can only take one galley cooking device with you on a long term cruise, what would you choose first?

Hands down, I'd take my Instant Pot. It can do almost anything my propane grill cannot do...as long as I have electricity.

I'm curious what others rely upon most for a versatile cooker.

https://instantpot.com/portfolio-item/ultra/

 

[Frosty]

Presuming you mean something for actually cooking with heat (so e.g. not a knife or a pan), I'd say a propane stove. If the SHTF situation precluded getting propane then a twig stove (for use outside the boat).

 

[PM]

Ive never used the instant pots. My daughter uses hers and loves it.

I will stick with my propane stove and a frypan or pot with a lid.

Not sure how coffee would be out of a pressure cooker, maybe OK.

pete

 

[psneeld]

Ninja Foodi as far as I can tell is an Insta Pot with the addition of an air fryer too.

Happy with mine...even air frys burgers almost as good as a grill...almost....

 

[oscar]

Not sure how coffee would be out of a pressure cooker, maybe OK.

pete

OK, now I have to make superboiled Turkish coffee in my Instapot.....

 

[Hippocampus]

Been very impressed with the modern version of that old standby-the pressure cooker. When living in the tropics because it cooks so fast adds little heat to the boat. When underway it’s totally self contained so no risks of spills or injuries.
Not a fan of induction nor electric. Want a key function as idiot and foolproof as possible. So still prefer propane. Attainable Adventures did an article comparing +/- of each and propane still comes out on top.
Seems a cult has developed so very tasty recipes are available for any palate.

BTW I’m not a soup nazi but am very particular about coffee. Fresh ground Italian roast run through a Alessi Pulcina on the boat. An Aeropress if it’s bumpy. Again the electric espresso machine stays at home.

 

[markpierce]

I'm not a fan of electricity-consuming cooking devices onboard. That's life without a genset (another engine and alternator to concern one's self.)

 

[rsn48]

I have two systems on my boat, propane for when not at a marina and electricity for when at a marina. So at a marina, induction plate and convection stove, microwave, toaster and panini maker. At anchor, microwave, toaster, propane stove/oven, propane BBQ. Whether at anchor or tied up, always drip coffee with boiled water from propane stove. But if I had to choice one, it would be the propane stove/oven, can do just about everything on it, including coffee.

 

[Simi 60]

So it's an electric pressure cooker?
Yeah, very high on my list along with carbon steel wok , cast iron Dutch oven and cast iron French pan

 

[ssobol]

As long as the OAT is at least 40 deg F, I find that a butane stove is the best. They are portable and the fuel is cheap, convenient to store, and easily obtained. I can use the same stove in the cabin, in the cockpit, or on-shore. The heat from one of these stoves can be used to boil water, slow cook something, or even grill.

I have two on my boat.

 

[catalinajack]

We had an InstaPot. Gave it away. It does do much but very little, except cook faster, that cannot be done with "standard" pots and pans. Yes, one can throw a good meal together and have it ready upon arrival but that utility is not enough for us to dedicate the extra space the InstaPot requires which is a lot. And, no, I am not willing to give up any of my other cooking tools. In a dirt house? Yes, I might have one but not on my boat.

Ive never used the instant pots. My daughter uses hers and loves it.

I will stick with my propane stove and a frypan or pot with a lid.

Not sure how coffee would be out of a pressure cooker, maybe OK.

pete

 

[FF]

Propane is great but requires refilling , in some countries this means multiple fittings adding complication.

If only permitted one heat source , with no chance of a later upgrade , it would be a Primus pressure kerosene stove with a double gymbol mount so cooking underway would be least dangerous.The Doomsday stove choice.

Fuel is available world wide , kerosene , with diesel an emergency OK if used outside.

5 gal of kerosene or mineral spirits will last nearly a year for 2 folks.

There are 2 styles of burners , the older "roaring" and the newer "silent".
Neither are really silent and the roaring allows more versatility in temperature selection.

https://www.amazon.com/ASHOK-Kerosene-Pressure-Camping-Outdoor/dp/B079Q19W53

 

[Hippocampus]

Problem is finding a safe, good, easily lit kerosene stove. Even a diesel stove is easier to live with and find parts.
With two tanks in a ABYC compliant system living full time aboard have never “run out of gas” nor had any issues. Have had occasion to need to rent a car or cab to get to a propane source but then knock off our other hunting for things chores on that day. The construction, transportation and warehousing industries use propane. So if you can’t find a supply through a marina (label your tanks, do one at a time) or gas station have yet to not find a source with just a bit of asking around.
Would never put kerosene or alcohol stoves on a boat. Too dangerous and too much a PIA.

P.S.- I’m still married. One of the reasons is for us boating isn’t camping. Happy wife happy life. Boat should be as comfortable as a dirt dwelling. Boat decisions are made together.

 

[ranger58sb]

There's a lot to be said for a one-burner propane "stove" or for a propane grill... in a pinch (like no electricity).

In the meantime, we too use an Instant Pot... given ~55 years or so of using a stove-top pressure cooker from time to time... and I'm finding the electric version slightly easier to deal with, the IP more versatile, etc.... assuming available electricity. We actually have an original size IP at home, and the smaller one on the boat.

Theoretically, we could remove the slow cooker from the boat, since we got the IP, but we didn't have space constraints there, so the slow cooker hasn't had to find a new home yet.

-Chris

 

[rslifkin]

So it's an electric pressure cooker?
Yeah, very high on my list along with carbon steel wok , cast iron Dutch oven and cast iron French pan

Yup. Also works as a slow cooker and makes a decent (but not great) rice cooker. I don't use mine much at the house, but I'm figuring oil bring it to the boat, as being multi purpose, I'm more likely to use it there (especially since the solar and inverter install).

 

[PM]

One of the objections I have to the instant pot is the size. They are really pretty big. Mostly we cook on the boat for just the Admiral and I.

I may shop around a bit and find a small (maybe 2 quart) non electric pressure cooker and try it on my propane stove. It could be dual purpose, serving as a regular pot without the lid.

BTW..I was at Kohl's yesterday (30% off coupon) There was a cooking contraption on display. Supposedly air fried, broiled, toasted, roasted, grilled, on and on. It was pricey, like $485.00. But it was HUGE. Probably at least eight cubic feet. The size of a medium cooler.

On my boat, with the exception of the coffee maker, everything fits into one fairly small cabinet. The door has a latch and although occasionally a rattle developes from the cabinet the stuff always stays put, even in rough passages.

Does anyone use their slow cooker much on the boat? I had one but removed it.

KISS.. (keep it simple sailor)

pete

 

[MYTraveler]

Hands down, I'd take my Instant Pot. It can do almost anything my propane grill cannot do...as long as I have electricity.

[/IMG]

I am the opposite -- I can cook anything I want to eat on my propane grill, including, for example, scrambled eggs and bacon (using a grill attachment).

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. MYT. I suspect you are referring to a griddle attachment for your grill...Good idea.

 

[psneeld]

Unless one has an unusual boat, most people associate propane grill cooking different than galley cooking (and associated gear).

For those that spend time in marinas, most along the East Coast do not allow grill cooking or outside open flame cooking aboard. Some, if not many do provide grills on land.

So while I wish I could grill more, having a grill like appliance in the galley is almost a necessity, so the Ninja Foodi that is an Insta Pot but also with an air fryer won me over.

And I have been around enough (and living aboard long enough) to know items aboard that are not dual function either have top priority or are invited to move ashore.

 

[Arc]

One of the objections I have to the instant pot is the size. They are really pretty big. Mostly we cook on the boat for just the Admiral and I.

I may shop around a bit and find a small (maybe 2 quart) non electric pressure cooker and try it on my propane stove. It could be dual purpose, serving as a regular pot without the lid.

BTW..I was at Kohl's yesterday (30% off coupon) There was a cooking contraption on display. Supposedly air fried, broiled, toasted, roasted, grilled, on and on. It was pricey, like $485.00. But it was HUGE. Probably at least eight cubic feet. The size of a medium cooler.

On my boat, with the exception of the coffee maker, everything fits into one fairly small cabinet. The door has a latch and although occasionally a rattle developes from the cabinet the stuff always stays put, even in rough passages.

Does anyone use their slow cooker much on the boat? I had one but removed it.

KISS.. (keep it simple sailor)

pete

Funn you used ‘Kiss’ . I just took out my Kanyon Kiss stove top. It did nothing very well. Not enough to heat from 120v or from the butane side. Also too small for any proper pan. I replaced it with a 15,000 btu butane burner. That plus a microwave should do it

 

[rslifkin]

One of the objections I have to the instant pot is the size. They are really pretty big. Mostly we cook on the boat for just the Admiral and I.

I may shop around a bit and find a small (maybe 2 quart) non electric pressure cooker and try it on my propane stove. It could be dual purpose, serving as a regular pot without the lid.

BTW..I was at Kohl's yesterday (30% off coupon) There was a cooking contraption on display. Supposedly air fried, broiled, toasted, roasted, grilled, on and on. It was pricey, like $485.00. But it was HUGE. Probably at least eight cubic feet. The size of a medium cooler.

On my boat, with the exception of the coffee maker, everything fits into one fairly small cabinet. The door has a latch and although occasionally a rattle developes from the cabinet the stuff always stays put, even in rough passages.

Does anyone use their slow cooker much on the boat? I had one but removed it.

KISS.. (keep it simple sailor)

pete

They do make smaller versions of the Instant Pot, so that might be worth investigating.

I also agree with the keep stuff to a minimum in the galley approach. We have a small coffee maker, some pots and pans, a toaster, and we'll add the instant pot. Other than that, cooking is down to the electric stove, the microwave, and sometimes a grill at a marina. Maybe one of these days I'll swap the microwave for one that's a convection oven combo unit.

I'm figuring the instant pot as a slow cooker may come in handy while underway. Stick it in the sink running off the inverter to let something cook while moving and have it ready on arrival. And unlike a regular slow cooker, the lid locks on, plus I can use it to make rice (which I hate doing in a pan). No way I can justify a dedicated rice cooker on the boat like I do at the house, we just don't have that much space in the galley.

 

[ranger58sb]

One of the objections I have to the instant pot is the size. They are really pretty big. Mostly we cook on the boat for just the Admiral and I.

Does anyone use their slow cooker much on the boat? I had one but removed it.

I think the small IP is 3 qt. I think any smaller in diameter and it'd be more difficult to get a small corned beef or pot roast or whatever in there...

Yes, we've used the slow cooker a lot. Less so since we also have the IP now too.

Either will fit in the galley sink, so we can use them while underway. The IP is even better for that since the lid actually locks... whereas the slow cooker lid is just resting there... semi-stable most of the time but not locked as if for rough water.

-Chris

 

[FlyWright]

Yes, I use the large InstantPot at home and the small one onboard FlyWright. One of my new favorite methods is the Sous Vide which allows me to cook my meal to the desired temp over any period from 2 hrs to 4 hrs without concern for over- or under-cooking. Cleanup is a cinch, too. This method also works very well for reheating leftovers or pre-cooked meals, which I do often.

My small IP fits into one of my 2 galley sinks while underway so there's no spill or tip over hazards. It will run off my inverter/solar or generator while away from a dock.

Yes, I use a coffee pot onboard but in a pinch, I could heat water in the IP and make pour-over coffee. In reality, that won't likely happen since I have 1 Mr. Coffee, 1 Keurig, and 1 old-fashioned SS percolator pot for use on my induction cooktop use with an induction-compatible diffuser plate. (Can you tell I like coffee and redundancy?)

 

[Yahoo 1]

Just the classic French way : Stove, cooking ustensiles, a table properly set.

For a sunset dinner with good friends at anchor.

 

[BandB]

Wifey B: The rule was one so Scott wins with the Ninja Foodi Grill (That is if he was saying the grill model) as it will air fry and grill on top of pressure cooking. We still do Instant Pot and Electric Grills but that's two so doesn't fit the rules of question.

 

[psneeld]

Wifey B: The rule was one so Scott wins with the Ninja Foodi Grill (That is if he was saying the grill model) as it will air fry and grill on top of pressure cooking. We still do Instant Pot and Electric Grills but that's two so doesn't fit the rules of question.

Oh but nay.....maybe....the Ninja Foodi is not the grill version but an Insta Pot like device WITH an air fryer lid that boils and air frys. Dripping fat on fire like results of a grill? ......No, but close and it does everything else you can imagine in one pot.

You put water and rice in the bottom and meat on the top. Pressure cook for 2 minutes, quick release add veggies on the nearly cooked rice and now broil for 10 or so minutes. Blackened meat with roasted veggies and perfect rice with a crisp layer on top.

All in one pot, all about a half hour of prep and cook in one very easy to clean non stick pot. The little rack the meat cooks on is the hardest to clean and let it soak in the pot and its a snap if sprayed with cooking oil.

Last night,, made blackened Jamaican jerk chicken with broccoli and Spanish yellow rice with no smoke, no breaking marina rules, easy pre/cook/cleanup....all in 30 minutes. I can cook but not great, yet some of these meals rival some of the better restaurants if you start with decent ingredients.

The pressure cooker feature allows you to take frozen ingredients straight to the cooker and cook them evenly....well many items.....

 

[BandB]

Oh but nay.....maybe....the Ninja Foodi is not the grill version but an Insta Pot like device WITH an air fryer lid that boils and air frys. Dripping fat on fire like results of a grill? ......No, but close and it does everything else you can imagine in one pot.

You put water and rice in the bottom and meat on the top. Pressure cook for 2 minutes, quick release add veggies on the nearly cooked rice and now broil for 10 or so minutes. Blackened meat with roasted veggies and perfect rice with a crisp layer on top.

All in one pot, all about a half hour of prep and cook in one very easy to clean non stick pot. The little rack the meat cooks on is the hardest to clean and let it soak in the pot and its a snap if sprayed with cooking oil.

Last night,, made blackened Jamaican jerk chicken with broccoli and Spanish yellow rice with no smoke, no breaking marina rules, easy pre/cook/cleanup....all in 30 minutes. I can cook but not great, yet some of these meals rival some of the better restaurants if you start with decent ingredients.

The pressure cooker feature allows you to take frozen ingredients straight to the cooker and cook them evenly....well many items.....

Wifey B: But there is another version with all the same and just adds a grill part to it.

 

[slowgoesit]

I have two systems on my boat, propane for when not at a marina and electricity for when at a marina. So at a marina, induction plate and convection stove, microwave, toaster and panini maker. At anchor, microwave, toaster, propane stove/oven, propane BBQ. Whether at anchor or tied up, always drip coffee with boiled water from propane stove. But if I had to choice one, it would be the propane stove/oven, can do just about everything on it, including coffee.

rsn48, what exactly do you like about the induction plate over propane? We're considering one for our new to us boat. I THINK it uses less electricity since it is theoretically only heating the pan and the contents, and therefore puts less heat into the cabin, but is that correct?

 

[Yahoo 1]

I have both propane and induction aboard. I mostly use induction for security concerns.

"Induction cooktops not only heat up much faster, but their temperature controls are also far more precise. "It's an instantaneous reaction in the cookware," says Robert McKechnie, product development manager at Electrolux. "With radiant you don't get that."

"In addition, the cooktop surface stays cool, so you don't have to worry about burning your hand. It's even possible to put a paper towel between a spattering frying pan and an induction burner, though you’d want to keep an eye on that. Remember, the cooktop doesn't get hot, but the pan does."

"Induction is able to deliver roughly 80% to 90% of its electromagnetic energy to the food in the pan. Compare that to gas, which converts a mere 38% of its energy, and electric, which can only manage roughly 70%."

 

[macp]

Sigh. There it is .... that "je ne sais quoi" ... Felt luxurious and pampered just seeing the pictures of "the classic French way for a sunset dinner with good friends at anchor."