Stoves

[KJ]

Inquiry:** I am looking at two boats, one has a propane stove, the other has an electric stove. I like to get some pros and cons for each.***

What do you have on your boat?****************** KJ


-- Edited by KJ on Friday 14th of October 2011 11:26:37 PM

 

[markpierce]

Since I don't have a genset, the electric stove was out of the question even though I have a toroidal isolation transformer providing 110 AC in the boat in addition to 12- and 24-volt DC.* So have a propane stove.


-- Edited by markpierce on Saturday 15th of October 2011 12:03:05 AM

 

[Marin]

Both have their benefits. I happen to believe that propane has more benefits than electric. Propane (like gas) is better to cook with. So says pretty much every professional chef on the planet, anyway. And my wife.

Propane does not require a generator or a massive battery bank and inverter to operate. So you won't piss off everyone at the dock or in the anchorage by running your generator hour after hour while the prime rib cooks.

Some people are afraid of propane and think it will blow up their boat the moment they try to heat water for coffee. Assuming the boat has a properly installed propane system, it is no more dangerous than any other system on the boat. A poorly installed propane system can blow up your boat. A poorly installed electrical system can burn down your boat.

You do need to understand a propane system and make it a practice to use the safety features that are built into every properly designed propane system.

Our GB, like most of them, has a propane stove/oven. We replaced the original Magic Chef unit with a new Force 10 a few weeks after getting the boat to Bellingham, and today my wife prefers cooking on the boat to cooking at home (where we have an electric range).

I don't cook--- my idea of gourmet cooking is to use a platinum can opener--- so the benefits of cooking with gas are lost on me. So my main reason for prefering propane to electricity is the silent, self-contained nature of propane vs. running a generator every time you want to boil an egg.

Based on our 13 years' experience using the propane range on our boat and preparing everything from simple meals to Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas prime rib meals on board, we would never buy a boat with an electric galley.* Our boat has a generator, but we would still never consider swapping our propane range for an electric one.


-- Edited by Marin on Friday 14th of October 2011 11:37:52 PM

 

[markpierce]

Marin wrote:
Some people are afraid of propane and think it will blow up their boat the moment they try to heat water for coffee. Assuming the boat has a properly installed propane system, it is no more dangerous than any other system on the boat. A poorly installed propane system can blow up your boat. ...

*My boat has fume*sensors in the galley and propane-tank compartment.* I bet the sensors are required by the government.

 

[Marin]

markpierce wrote:
*My boat has fume*sensors in the galley and propane-tank compartment.* I bet the sensors are required by the government.

*No, they aren't.* Our boat doesn't have them and neither do the much newer boats of friends who have propane galleys.* Not saying the sensors are not worth having, just that they are not required by the government.

 

[FF]

Stoves are hardly expensive , one boat buck , so would never be the choice in which boat,

However an electric stove to me is a big waste of time , unless its 220 , they are really slow .

An electric stove would be a marker for a Dock Queen . fine if being marina bound or marina to marina is your style.

For cruising , where the anchor is home, electric could be hard to live with.

The only caviat here would be a southern cruiser that requires air cond 24/7 so noisemaker time and maint is already part of the cruising costs.

 

[Edelweiss]

I love to cook with gas too and have it at home for all the reasons you guys have stated. *Explosion factor - like all heavy gases, something to be aware of and don't take it lightly. *If you don't have a sensor get one and maybe a bilge blower too if you're conserned. *

I have had both electric and propane boat stoves, my previous two boats were gas cooking. *But here in the PNW with the high humidity and water being one of the bi-products of burning propane, the moisture generated inside of the boat keeps me from converting to propane. *Sad but true!!

Larry B

 

[sunchaser]

So you know where*my head is, we took out our gas stove at home last year and went with an induction cooktop/convection oven unit- what a great move.

Our vessel*is all electric and we are happy with it. Our cruising routine has us coordinating cooking, clothes washing and drying and battery charging so running the genset is not a pain. The genset is whisper quiet and with the convection microwave electric baking is a breeze.

Whether you have gas or electric, consider a "portable" induction cooktop burner, They use*less power than a conventional electric burner*and boil water as fast as propane. Our favorite way of cooking dinner is*light the*crockpot while cruising with electric supplied by the inverter powered by mains engines.

If I were to order a new Nordhavn, Fleming or *Northern Marine I'd go with an electric induction home style unit that could be run off*the 4KW engine driven 110V generator so the genset never runs as we cruise to the South Seas. If I were used boat shopping I would*place gas vs electric about number 10 on the list, either works.*

 

[Larry M]

We*replaced an*electric stove with propane on a 34' Mainship and it was quite easy.* We put in a RV stove, mounted the propane tank under the seat on the port side on the fly-bridge and ran the propane lines and solenoid wires down through a chase in the wall.* We went through 2 surveys while we owned the boat and never had any corrective actions.**I agree with Tom on Sunchaser, the stove*would be pretty far down my*list.*

 

[belizebill]

I have a propane stove on the MT. I had not really thought about it when I bought the boat,but as I found out later, my Wife would not have it any other way. And its one less power draw on the electric. Ask your honey what she prefers. BB

 

[Codger2]

We have a propane stove but have never used it! It works (I think!) but we have found the microwave to be more useful. My wife also loves the electric frypan and both are powered off the 3000watt inverter. (We have no generator)

 

[Delia Rosa]

We currently have an electric stove - but only because the boat came with it and we haven't had the time/money yet to change it out to a propane stove which I would prefer! *(we have a gas cooktop at home, and love it)*

 

[rwidman]

I have a factory installed, ABYC compliant three burner propane stove with oven and broiler (Force 10). It's great and propane actually burns hotter than the natural gas we have at home.

I cannot figure out why a boat would have an electric stove unless it was a very large boat where a generator would be running most of the time.

Installing a (safe) propane system on a boat is difficult and not for the typical DIYer. Here is a link to the ABYC requirements:

http://www.abycinc.org/committees/A-01.pdf

*


-- Edited by rwidman on Saturday 15th of October 2011 09:27:13 AM

 

[dwhatty]

SeaHorse II wrote:
We have a propane stove but have never used it! It works (I think!) but we have found the microwave to be more useful. My wife also loves the electric frypan and both are powered off the 3000watt inverter. (We have no generator)

Walt:

You don't need a generator when you are plugged into shorepower 360 days a year.

 

[markpierce]

SeaHorse II wrote:
We have a propane stove but have never used it! It works (I think) ...

*No oven Walt?* Where do you store your pans?

Haven't used my stove/oven to cook anything yet.* But tested it and the flames came.

My propane is stored in the fake smokestack.* I'm happy it's not in the boat's interior.


-- Edited by markpierce on Saturday 15th of October 2011 03:55:21 PM

 

[Codger2]

dwhatty wrote:
You don't need a generator when you are plugged into shorepower 360 days a year.

* * ** I have to admit, I got a big laugh out of that!* You're right, however, we're in the********

****** water 360 days a year. :nana:

 

[Codger2]

markpierce wrote:
*No oven Walt?* Where do you store your pans?

******* Pans? We don't need no stinkin pans!

******* Seriously, though....all my wife needs in the electric fry pan. Most onboard meals can be cooked in that or the microwave which doesn't use pans. That is, in the Actual event where we are away from the shore power! :steaming:


-- Edited by SeaHorse II on Saturday 15th of October 2011 04:45:29 PM

 

[dwhatty]

SeaHorse II wrote:dwhatty wrote:
You don't need a generator when you are plugged into shorepower 360 days a year.

* * ** I have to admit, I got a big laugh out of that!* You're right, however, we're in the********

****** water 360 days a year. :nana:

*Grrrr!

 

[Woodsong]

Well, I guess here is where I depart somewhat from the trawler mentality. When we started our refit of our Monk I had 2 options: replumb the entire propane system or convert it to electric. Due to various factors, we tore out the propane system and converted to yes....an electric cooktop. All our previous vessels were electric and it was fine. Most summers find us cooking on the grill outside anyway. I must confess, it makes absolutely no logical sense to me to have a diesel boat which has the distinct advantage of even if there is a fire, you don't have the risk of going "BOOM" like a gas boat and then throw a propane system onto that diesel boat which can make the boat then go "BOOM." Since we are in the south and we use our generator semi-regularly for HVAC to cool us off, going electric was no big deal and we are very happy for us that we did it. One of the other factors was that the old galley had no counter space or much storage at all. Switching to a flushmounted cooktop and eliminating the oven gave us probably 2x's the counter space and more storage so win/win. For our Monk in particular (our galley layout is different than most other Monks), switching to electric was most definitely the right choice.
But...like others have said...propane cooks better for sure.


-- Edited by Woodsong on Saturday 15th of October 2011 07:12:54 PM

 

[markpierce]

There you are, KJ.* Choose wisely.

 

[Penny Lane]

A little added information.* We live aboard and pretty much cook as any two person household would.* We get just over 3 months use from a full 3 gallon tank.* There are several propane sellers nearby.* Filling the tank is not a big issue.

On our previous boat we were weekend cruisers and anchored out only two or three times a year.* We had an electric stove but did not have an inverter.* I did not want to be the guy running a generator at 6.30 AM.* In order to avoid that, we had a small one burner butane stove for making coffee, a pot of oatmeal, boil some eggs, etc.* We still carry this little unit as a spare in case I goof and we run out of propane.

*

cheers


-- Edited by Penny Lane on Sunday 16th of October 2011 08:48:07 AM

 

[KJ]

markpierce wrote:
There you are, KJ.* Choose wisely.

*Yes, I will try, Master.***********

************************************************************ Grasshopper* (KJ)

 

[Besslb]

We're electric too.* We just replaced "old sparky", the original princess coil burners, with a slick*new glass top 3 burner stove.* I do the majority of cooking on the grill.* But the new stove top does heat up nicely and will be easy to clean.* I have a severely decreased sense of smell so converting to propane won't ever be an option for us.* I would blow us up for sure.* But I'm allowed to use it on the deck!*

 

[skipperdude]

No one has talked about a diesel stove. it is what I have.**A Dickenson Bristol. I Just plain love it.

*But as I live in Alaska heat on the boat even in the summer is a great thing to have.

I run it all the time when on the boat. I only recall once this year when I didn't have it lit.

Ahh Alaskan summers on the boat Love it.

SD


-- Edited by skipperdude on Monday 17th of October 2011 09:51:04 AM

 

[Annapolis Jim]

Ditto here on the gas.* Our 36 has electric but we plan to buy a Force Ten propane this winter.* I like the gas mainly because I don't have to start the gen set in the early morning to make my coffee while the Admiral sleeps.* Until we get the new stove, I have been using a small*butane backpack stove to heat the morning coffee.

 

[Delfin]

We went with an electric Bosch stove. *The reasons, in descending order of importance were:

1. The stove is glass top, so the entire surface is usable counter space.

2. Lugging propane tanks wasn't fun when I was 30 and would be less fun today. *Self sufficiency, to the extent possible, is a virtue.

3. 90% of our cooking is done with an electric skillet, microwave oven, coffee maker and breadmaker. *We use the 220 v oven top and oven very occasionally.

4. We have a genset. *If we have to run the genset to cook or bake something, we do laundry at the same time.

5. Propane is quite safe when managed properly, but accidents happen and when they happen with propane, they are doozies.

6. I almost caught on fire in the middle of the Pacific when a propane sniffer PCB went haywire. *The cat only jumps on the hot stove once, so to speak.

As usual, people think that what they have, or adopted, is just right. *Whether it is or not is a matter of personal preference.


-- Edited by Delfin on Monday 17th of October 2011 08:29:34 PM

 

[Marin]

Penny Lane wrote:
We still carry this little unit as a spare in case I goof and we run out of propane.

*

*When we replaced our boat's original Magic Chef propane range with a new Force 10 we also replaced the previous owner's rusting*BBQ tank on homemade legs so it would sit on its side--- very bad idea, *with a new horizontal*aluminum marine tank.* But the only size of aluminum horizontal tank that would fit in the same place was 2.5 gallons.* Even 2.5 gallons lasts a long time, several months of frequent trips.* But after several instances of the tank running out in the middle of cooking a meal with*friends on board*we added a second identical horizontal tank next to the first one.

The narrowboats we hire in the UK have three Calor (propane) tanks, two of which are connected together with an automatic switchover valve and a third as a spare.* We considered the automatic valve to connect our two tanks but*decided instead to simply move the hose that feeds the boat's propane line from the empty tank to the full one when we ran out, and then fill the empty one*after we got home (there is a propane company right next to our studios south of Seattle).

The addition of a second tank has been a real benefit on many occasions.


-- Edited by Marin on Monday 17th of October 2011 08:58:47 PM