Catalytic diesel stove
Robert posts:
"..I am considering cooking methods for a new Diesel Duck I have on order.
Common methods include propane, electric and a combination of the above..."
Comment:
I did not quite "get" just what your goals are....these are critical to your
decision...You don't say where (what climate) you'll be boating and, as
always, how you will use your boat makes all the difference. There is no "right"
answer except for you.
If you are shorepower connected most of the time, how can you beat electric?
And if you have to run you gen daily, why not use it to cook? Neither of
those conditions suites me.
I've not yet found a better cooking arrangement than propane. It uses only
the power of the shutoff solenoid, about an amp, and if everything on the boat
dies, you could disconnect the solenoid and cook even if all batteries are
dead. I've installed it myself on three boats over 40 years. I like fresh coffee
every morning without noise or genny dependency so for me propane is tops. (
But if you are usually dockside, why bother??) I also use a Surburban (RV)
propane heater (hot air ducting) for quite trouble free light duty heating...I've
used these for over twenty years and never had a problem... they are
maintenance free. If light duty heating or a back up heating system is of interest,
then the match with propane cooking is extremely efficient. A 40,000 BTU RV
heater and accessories is under $1,000 and draws only about 5 to 7 amps at 12v DC
...suitable for temps down to about freezing.
What's your idea about a convection microwave? Won't that use more power
(electric heating element plus microwave??) than just a microwave? Do you cook a
lot? Will you have a big battery bank and inverter (if your objective is to
minimize genny running). But, the other side of the coin is: if you'll be running
the genny enough for other purposes then minimizing cooking power consumption
may not be important, especially you cook frequently and it's a priority for
you.
It sounds like you have boating experience, so your best bet is to use that
experience to decide how you'll most likely use various appliances and plan
from there..today there are so many options as to be confusing without that
practical experience.
Have fun!!!
Rob Brueckner
Hatteras Yachtfisherman
Rob Brueckner
Comment:
I did not quite "get" just what your goals are....these are critical to
your
decision...You don't say where (what climate) you'll be boating and, as
always, how you will use your boat makes all the difference. There is no
"right" answer except for you.
snip<<<<
It sounds like you have boating experience, so your best bet is to use
that
experience to decide how you'll most likely use various appliances and
plan
from there..today there are so many options as to be confusing without
that
practical experience.
REPLY
Sounds like its time we got a culinary thread going.
Although I realize food preferences are as many as there are list
subscribers, some common elements are likely to emerge.
To some the breakfast meal is the most important meal of the day and as
such deserves due attention and effort. If the only hot item is a hot
beverage then an electric coffee/hot water maker is sufficient. A 600
watt coffee maker can be run on an inverter with no trouble.
However a breakfast of bacon and eggs, hot muffins, coffee and toast,
then more energy is required. Since such a meal preparation and
consumption also produces many more dirty dishes that require washing
it makes sense to run a genset to power the cooking appliances, recharge
the battery and with a hot water loop produce hot water for washing up.
If the noon day meal is simply some cold sandwiches eaten on the go,
possibly under way then again cooking appliances are not a concern.
But if the noon time meal is a social event, with guests and possibly
the cooking of the morning's catch of fresh seafood, that's another
mater.
How is the catch prepared? Are we talking of baked broiled, pan fried
or steamed. How much quantity. Are additional guests invited over?
I took a look at George Buehler's website. For the Diesel Duck 462 he
shows two basic interiors. The second design is his personal preference
and he makes the point it has an expanded galley area because his wife
loves to cook. Now it gets interesting. Good cooks have very particular
preferences as to what utensils and cooking apparatus they prefer for
various means.
I love stir fried oriental food. The results you get with a flat
bottomed pan on a regular stove top is disappointing. For real wok
cooking you must have a hot fire ring around the base of the wok. Gas is
best but I think a properly shaped diesel burner will work as well.
If you are into simple recipes like chowder, baked beans, stews and so
on then the slow cookers are ideal. The lidded design lends itself to
chocking down in a corner so it can ride out even the roughest passage.
Real nice to arrive at the end of a days travel with a hot meal waiting
without the bother of messing up the galley with normal food
preparation.
Her again low power electric cooking is perfectly workable.
The challenges of cooking afloat range from how to prepare a traditional
turkey dinner with all the trimmings on a two or three burner stove to
cooking for one without wasting food and energy or wasting a lot of
space for an over sized galley.
Cheers
Arild
-----Original Message-----
I love stir fried oriental food. The results you get with a flat
bottomed pan on a regular stove top is disappointing. For real wok
cooking you must have a hot fire ring around the base of the wok. Gas is
best but I think a properly shaped diesel burner will work as well.
Arild, glad you brought this up, because it raises a related question we
have about wok cooking and indoor grilling aboard, both of which we do
frequently at home. The indoor grilling we can live without, in favor of
outdoor grilling above when weather permits. The wok cooking we have
apprehensions about, and have not tried it in our limited boating
experience, nor do we know anyone who has.
We use a spun steel wok VERY hot. The cooking is fast as you know, but does
generate some smoke/fumes. Do you (or anyone else out there inclined to wok
cooking - speak up admirals!) have problems with absorption of smoke and
grease into the overhead liner, etc resulting in soil or odors? (The indoor
range-top Victor grill is a worse offender, hence our assumption that we'll
give that up.) I am underwhelmed by the efficacy of the vents in the
over-the-range microwave/ovens like we will have on our boat, but we hate to
give up the wok.
Valerie Creighton
Selene 53' on order
Valerie, I installed a conventional 12-volt "engine room blower" between the
galley, over the stove, and the outside, with very good results. The
blowers are available everywhere boating supplies are sold, along with
mating venting. And I got an outside cover the keeps the water out. It's a
bit noisy, but works very well, for removing any kind of odors coming up
from the stove top.
Bob Peterson
47' Lien Hwa CMY
"Lopaka Nane"
San Francisco
-----Original Message-----
From: trawlers-and-trawlering-bounces@lists.samurai.com
[mailto:trawlers-and-trawlering-bounces@lists.samurai.com] On Behalf Of
Valerie Creighton, D.V.M.
Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2005 12:29 PM
To: trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com
Subject: Re: T&T: Cooking on board
-----Original Message-----
I love stir fried oriental food. The results you get with a flat
bottomed pan on a regular stove top is disappointing. For real wok
cooking you must have a hot fire ring around the base of the wok. Gas
is best but I think a properly shaped diesel burner will work as well.
Arild, glad you brought this up, because it raises a related question we
have about wok cooking and indoor grilling aboard, both of which we do
frequently at home. The indoor grilling we can live without, in favor of
outdoor grilling above when weather permits. The wok cooking we have
apprehensions about, and have not tried it in our limited boating
experience, nor do we know anyone who has.
We use a spun steel wok VERY hot. The cooking is fast as you know, but does
generate some smoke/fumes. Do you (or anyone else out there inclined to wok
cooking - speak up admirals!) have problems with absorption of smoke and
grease into the overhead liner, etc resulting in soil or odors? (The indoor
range-top Victor grill is a worse offender, hence our assumption that we'll
give that up.) I am underwhelmed by the efficacy of the vents in the
over-the-range microwave/ovens like we will have on our boat, but we hate to
give up the wok.
Valerie Creighton
Selene 53' on order
Bob Peterson wrote:
Valerie, I installed a conventional 12-volt "engine room blower" between the
galley, over the stove, and the outside, with very good results.
Ok, everybody hates a "me too" post. But, me too. The thing sounds like
an airplane on takeoff, but it does a good job of getting the smell and
steam out of the boat. In our case we have a valance above the stove
which seems to help "funnel" the steam, smell, whatever, to the fan.
Jim
--
Jim McCorison
Starfish Marine
(619) 337-5370
http://manana.mccorison.com - Our Travels with Maqana
http://www.starfishmarine.com - My Business
On Board Kaisooba we have a GE Microwave/Convection combo that has a Fan and
a stove top light. Keeps steam and food smells in check and give you a good
light to cook by. I have seen many boats that add these very easily. Prices
start around $150 and go up from there. Have a look at some home stores you
might be surprised at what you find that will work for you that was not made
for the Marine use but will work just fine for you. It also gives you extra
oven space as the wife likes to bake and she rather use the Convection oven
anyway. It also gives you away to cook in the hotter climates via the
Microwave that dose not heat up the boat as much as standard oven would.
Andrew & Linda Fraser
M/V KAISOOBA N46
N6ZPK N6ZPL
Bob Peterson wrote:
I installed a conventional 12-volt "engine room blower" between the
galley, over the stove, and the outside, with very good results. The
blowers are available everywhere boating supplies are sold, along with
mating venting. And I got an outside cover the keeps the water out.
It's a
bit noisy, but works very well, for removing any kind of odors coming up
from the stove top.
REPLY
There is a great deal more choice in good range hood / greasy fume
extractors if you look at household units. A good design has a grease
trap ahead of the fan. The hood also has one or two bright lights with
covering glass to protect the bulbs from grease splatter.
As for the 120V AC requirement, not a problem! Get a small MSW cheap
inverter ($30 - $50) dedicated to this function. Neither the light nor
fan motor will be bothered by MSW waveforms. The exception being a
continuously variable speed fan. Get one of the slow, medium, high,
speed types.
Remember to place the inverter close to the battery for short wires in
the heavy DC current path. You can run 10, 30 or even 40 feet of 120V
wires with little loss.
The fan typically uses 100 - 150 watts, the bulb is 60 or 100 watts.
So a 300 watt inverter is plenty.
And these household units can be had in stainless steel, enameled steel
painted or plastic finishes to match practically any decor.
Now back to the question of what kind of fuel for the stove, electrons,
propane or diesel?
Regards
Arild