An idiot’s guide to Origo Spirit stoves?

Our 6000 is great and has cooked the family meals for two years of liveaboard cruising.

Canaries, across Atlantic, through the Windwards, Leewards, East Coast US and now Canada, we've had almost no problem getting fuel at reasonable prices. The only surprise was Puerto Rico, where we couldn't find any having tried to be clever and thought we'd not buy it in the USVIs as PR was bound to be cheaper.

So that left us low on fuel up through the Turks and Caicos and into the Bahamas where we only found 500ml bottles at silly prices until Georgetown where gallons were available again. In my opinion, fuel was easier to come by than the right type/tank fitting of propane in these areas.

We found the fuel very safe although once had a small fire due to my extreme stupidity of filling one burner whilst the other was still lit and despite pouring burning meths over my arm it burns so cool that I had nothing worse than a less hairy hand, dented pride and a very unimpressed wife.

Here in Canada we don't get methylated spirits but methyl hydrate - no smells and very cheap.
 
teekay said:
Coaster, how good is your 6000 model, does it have an oven? I've thought about fitting an oven but have never been able to get an impression from anyone as to how well it performs. A non-gas cooker test a few years back in PBO, was unable to get the Origo oven to light and were unable to make any useful comments. Is your 6000 easy to light, does it have any significant failings?
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Teekay, to answer your questions I've taken a few photos. This is an Origo 6000, installed in our Westerly Seahawk. It replaces a run of the mill gas cooker that I removed when we bought the boat. The overall width needed was about 10mm greater than the existing grp moulding so I recessed the gimbal plates by 5mm each side.

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The top of the cooker is a straightforward two burner hob.

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Below the hob there is a fair sized oven, beneath which there's a compartment for the fuel (meths) canister.

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Inside the oven is a temperature gauge, moveable shelf etc.

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To light the oven we use a lighter, like this, or an extra-long match.

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To apply the lighter to the top of the fuel canister a heavy metal shelf at the base of the oven lifts out.

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The lighter or match is then poked into the top of the fuel canister. We have not had any problem lighting the oven.

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A rotary control on the front of the cooker, below the oven door, controls the temperature. Beneath this there is a flap which hinges down to give access to the fuel canister. We fill our canisters outside, so that any spills can be washed off easily.

I'd say that the oven is easy to light and performs well. PerformanceSailor and Shamrock have evidently had their ovens longer, so their comments are based on greater experience. In the relatively short period we've had our Origo 6000 we have been very pleased with it. I particularly like the simplicity and the robust construction.

Hope this helps.
 
Coaster said:
Hope this helps.
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Thanks a lot for that :)

Until this thread, had pretty much decided on sticking with my Origio 2 burner and not bothering with an oven (and using the space for something else - at 30' that's a handy sized space in the Galley!)......but now the 6000 gives me something (else) to think about. errrr. thanks :rolleyes:

I am guessing from the longer term 6000 owners that the oven part lasts as well as the 2 burner end? (I've got zero complaints on the 2 burner for build quality, after 5 years of my own minimal care - and no idea how long the PO had it).
 
teekay said:
A non-gas cooker test a few years back in PBO, was unable to get the Origo oven to light and were unable to make any useful comments.
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That was an outstandingly badly produced review - I seem to remember they were generally fairly negative about the Origo. The thought "RTFM" came to mind at the time. It's come to mind on one or two reviews they've done on other kit since then.
 
Coaster

Hope this helps.[/QUOTE]

Apologies for not replying sooner, have been away for several days. Tried to post this last night but managed to loose it in the ether somehow.

Coaster, what a brilliant reply! You should be writing Origo's manuals and sales literature or submit a piece to PBO!! Very informative. The remarks from PerformanceSailor and Shamrock are fair indication that 6000 will stand up to extended regular use. I just need to iron out how I'm going to fit it in the available space, more drawing and sawing, Marvelous!!
 
For filling the landmines in my origo, it came with a small half-moon shaped piece of metal that can be slotted inbetween the mesh (at the dimple) and the metal skin. This forms a spout. You then hold the landmine at 45 degrees and fill each with about 1l of alcohol à bruler.

Neg:
- boiling takes longer
- smell and irritated eyes if wrong alcohol is used (it's the blue colouring and aditifs that cause the irritating, I believe

Plus
- safety (no risk of explosion, flames and spills can be doused with water)
- fuel is available everywhere
- fuel can be stored more effectively than gas canisters.
- no piping to install/maintain
 
sad caffeinated anorak

I finally could resist no longer, and did some science (?). I boiled up a pint of mains cold water on my normal Camping Gaz (lpg butane) stove (seperate 907 cylinder) and it took 3mins 45 to boil. Made coffee. Then christened our brand new Origo (fuel into landmine but some did miss - like the idea of"a small half-moon shaped piece of metal "). Again a pint of mains cold. 6 minutes 10. More coffee. At teatime went for the big brew up, 2 litres of mains cold. Like Harry P above, it took 18 minutes (just over) to boil. Big pot of tea..... so as other posters have said, we will be planning ahead.

Using meths there was a bit of a whiff, but acceptable. Hope to go to France and get the alcohol a brulee though. As its denatured alcohol I presume there are no customs issues?:)
 
I was interested in the Origo 6000 until I saw the price.

900 euros!​

I think I shall be sticking with my 30 year old two burner job and experiment with a biscuit tin on top.

<edit> Just found this...Coleman camping oven Might alter the point of vanishing stability on the gimbals though </edit>
 
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I have a 2 burner Origo on my new to me boat and have been scared to light the thing incase i blow myself up,but this thread has given me convidence to have a go at firing the thing up later.if it works it will be about the only thing on the boat that does.:)
thanks.
 
Seven years on from this thread the time to Origo is nigh!
I have lived in the world of calor gas for sixty four years.
About fifty years ago some gas escaped and landed in a hollow under the caravan.
Something ignited it and a sheet flame flew up the side of the caravan by the stable door on which my hands were resting.Result two very thin third degree burns across my wrists and singed hair and eyebrows.
My current boat has a two burner oven and grill gas cooker,sniffer,audio alarm and cut out solenoid so safe?
Last week our domestic lpg gas oven went out.I pressed the ignitor,bang the door flew open and a brief fire ball blew out across the tiled kitchen floor.Luckily I was stood to one side.
I do not like to think what the outcome might have been in the confined space of a boat.
So I think its an Origo for me- for many years I used the Trangia camping stove variant and swore by it so no concerns over its effectiveness.
 
I like my Origo, a stand alone unit with no faffing about with gas pipes, remembering to turn off gas etc. Some say it takes longer to boil a kettle than gas, but if it takes a couple of minutes longer, no big deal. I always keep a couple of litres of Bioethanol in the locker so you know when to replace, with gas you never know how much is left & it always runs out at the wrong time, unless you can keep a spare bottle on board.
I'd happily swap from gas to spirit.
 
I'm after an update from users of the Origo 6000 stove and oven. I can't find any reviews of the oven. Anyone here using the 6000 for day-to-day cooking? What is the oven like for, say, a roast dinner? I found one blog from someone who documents baking bread, but that's it.
 
ChattingLil said:
I'm after an update from users of the Origo 6000 stove and oven. I can't find any reviews of the oven. Anyone here using the 6000 for day-to-day cooking? What is the oven like for, say, a roast dinner? I found one blog from someone who documents baking bread, but that's it.
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I like to know that too. Does it reach high enough temps for baking bread (steam)? Pizza????
 
Mctavish said:
I like to know that too. Does it reach high enough temps for baking bread (steam)? Pizza????
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I found a blog from someone who showed pictures of him baking a loaf of bread - he says it has uneven temperature and the bottom is too hot so the bread was extra crusty on the bottom, but otherwise it baked the bread well. Alas, can't relocate the link!
 
Mctavish said:
I like to know that too. Does it reach high enough temps for baking bread (steam)? Pizza????
Click to expand...

I found a blog from someone who showed pictures of him baking a loaf of bread - he says it has uneven temperature and the bottom is too hot so the bread was extra crusty on the bottom, but otherwise it baked the bread well. Alas, can't relocate the link!
 
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