seafox67
Active member
Does anyone use an alcohol cooker on their boat in the UK? Where is the cheapest place to get the fuel?
Many thanks
Paul
Many thanks
Paul
Alcohol Cooker
- Thread starter seafox67
- Start date
PhillM
Well-known member
chrishscorp
Well-known member
We have used an Origo stove for 6 years, use to get bio ethanol from B & Q some of their stores stock it, use the online stock check facility or the last lot i got from a well known auction site happy to look up the link for you it arrived very quickly.
MM5AHO
Well-known member
Barrettine 5 Ltr Methylated Spirits - Wow Camping
I have an alcohol stove and buy from this website. I buy 10 litres at a time. Enough for about a season!
I have an alcohol stove and buy from this website. I buy 10 litres at a time. Enough for about a season!
Rum Run
Active member
I've cooked with alcohol for some years, using Trangia burners in a gimbled hob. B&Q bioethanol for fuel, not bloody meths. If you go across the water to la belle France you can get alcool a bruler for not much per 5 litres and that works nicely.
zoidberg
Well-known member
All the super/hypermarkets stock it, in various Brand Names. Cheap as frites....
Skellum
Well-known member
I seem to recall that Keith Floyd was very proficient at cooking with alcohol. ?
PhillM
Well-known member
I am interested to know how well that works as the Trangia I have for camping just has the meths liquid poured into it, whereas my Origo had wadding in the fuel canister so that the liquid couldn't spill. Also, my T has to be filled every time I want to use it, but the O could be filled and providing the little sealant mat was put back in place, lasted about a week. Do you have to pour the alcohol in while at sea?
syvictoria
Well-known member
I'm both an Origo and a Trangia user too. French polishers (e.g.: antique furniture restoration) use meths and can be a cheaper source than camping shops, etc. The Wow deal above looks cheap for the UK (were they out of stock before the above post or has there been a YBW rush?!). I've recently purchased in France and the cheapest I found was 2 euro per L.
I've never used bioethanol and would be interested to know how this compares to meths in use? Do you still add 5% water to reduce blackening? Does it burn cooler/hotter?
I've never used bioethanol and would be interested to know how this compares to meths in use? Do you still add 5% water to reduce blackening? Does it burn cooler/hotter?
jamie N
Well-known member
Bioethanol is fine 'undiluted' by water, and doesn't have any of the meths fume problems, nor does it produce any extra blackening, quite the reverse I feel without having really 'studied' it.
B&Q flog it at a cheap as chips price, but be wary of trying to find it in the Outer Hebrides. I couldn't locate any trace of it at all in either Tarbert or Stornoway, and had to revert to purple meths, which was plentiful, even on a Sunday......
B&Q flog it at a cheap as chips price, but be wary of trying to find it in the Outer Hebrides. I couldn't locate any trace of it at all in either Tarbert or Stornoway, and had to revert to purple meths, which was plentiful, even on a Sunday......
doug748
Well-known member
I have had both and found the Origo was frustrating on a boat used only at weekends as it always seemed to need filling and took a lot to get going. A lot of waste for one use and you tended to end up using only one of the two burners. Better, I think, on a boat used most days.
Squirting meths from a bottle fills the Trangia conveniently and I had no problems with either soot or fumes. I think some people are more susceptible than others.
Never used either much at sea, beyond boiling a kettle.
PS
Trago Mills in the South West did cheap meths the last time I looked (which will not be a great help to seafox). Other "cheapstore" general outlets might be a good place to look.
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chrishscorp
Well-known member
We were bought an Omnia stove for our Origo we have used it on board to heat up part baked bread rolls which were very nice we did a cake in it at home to see how it worked and bruv in law did a pasta bake in it whilst out sailing so it does work.
Omnia Oven UK | The Best Campervan Oven other retailers will be available
Omnia Oven UK | The Best Campervan Oven other retailers will be available
seafox67
Active member
Thank you for all your responses... My gas system/pipes is well over due for a service and as I only really use it for boiling water/soups and the Omnia oven, replacing it with a Compass 3000 spirit cooker is sounding a very good option!
Poignard
Well-known member
After visting a friend's boat where she had an Origo alcohol stove and seeing it demonstrated I decided to get one rather than renew my gas cooker piping etc.
I have not regretted it and I have cooked quite ambitious meals (for me) on it.
Rum Run
Active member
it is quite possible to fill a trangia burner at sea. I use a proper fuel bottle so quite controllable. Screwing the lid onto the burner seals it well so no losses between uses. There is a fat o-ring in the lid to do the sealing.
It would be worth having a spare burner to hand if cooking something for a long time as you don't want to refill a hot burner!
I'm not keen on the smell of meths so bioethanol would be my preference regardless of sooting., which it still does sadly
seafox67
Active member
Are you using bioethonel?
Comparing your Origo with the gas cooker you had before, are you finding the fuel costs similar?
Cheers
Paul
Poignard
Well-known member
I keep my boat in France and I use this:
It is readily available in supermarkets, groceries and DIY shps.
I have never kept any records that would enable me to compare the cost of alcohol with gas so I can't answer your question. Within reason, it wouldn't matter to me if it did cost more, since I find it so convenient to use.
Praxinoscope
Well-known member
I have used Origo 3000 burners on all my boats for the last 30 years and certainly wouldn’t revert to gas.
Have over the last few years changed to Bio-ethanol instead of meths, no noticeable difference in cooking times or pan blackening but a great imprvement in lack of pong.
I usually order it on-line either in 5L or multiple packs of 1L.
As for wastage, if one remembers to put the fibre disc over the burner tank when leaving the boat for a few weeks, there see,s to be very little loss, I did that over lockdown last year, when we were finally let out, there was still sufficient in the stove to boil a kettle.
Have over the last few years changed to Bio-ethanol instead of meths, no noticeable difference in cooking times or pan blackening but a great imprvement in lack of pong.
I usually order it on-line either in 5L or multiple packs of 1L.
As for wastage, if one remembers to put the fibre disc over the burner tank when leaving the boat for a few weeks, there see,s to be very little loss, I did that over lockdown last year, when we were finally let out, there was still sufficient in the stove to boil a kettle.
syvictoria
Well-known member
I can't compare with gas, but for two people, cooking an evening meal each night and boiling the kettle for coffee 3-4 times day, we use about 1L per week. Cost is therefore 2 euros a week.
syvictoria
Well-known member
We've actually had great success cooking (defrosted) pizzas, bread and all sorts of other good 'oven' stuff in a deep, heavy, non-stick frying pan with a lid!
