Cookers - Gas Vs. Spirit Burners

Welcome to the forum .We have an Origo 2 burner spirit/meths stove .Really pleased with it after about 8 years of use. It doesnt have a grill but we manage OK .

Very safe as the fuel isnt pressurised,no gas bottles and pipework to bother about.
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I am on my first boat. I will fit my next boat with a non-gas type cooker. I have replaced all the gas pipework etc and installed a gas detector on my boat, but it is still a worry.
 
I don't know anyone who has an Origo spirit stove who isn't very pleased with it. They are simple, robust, as safe as you can get with any on-board heat source, and almost nil maintainance. You can't have a grill I'm afraid.

I'm not against gas, it has many attractions (I'm a gas engineer when all is said and done) but its comparatively high maintainance, and you have to keep a safe regime to make sure you do not get accumulations of the stuff in unwanted places.

Tim
 
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr................

Nice bit of steak going there !

I've had both, and steak never tasted so good as when we used to cook on meths.

Apart from the smell, meths was fine, although some forumites say you can add water to help with this. Might be worth doing a search.

I do love my gas grill though. Toasted cheese underway at lunchtime is almost indecently pleasurable .
 
I have always used gas, I think its safe or I wouldnt use it. Always turn off at secondary valve near cooker,when not in use. Cooker is excellent, Nelson Spinflo. It is fitted with flame failure devices on 2 burners,grill, and oven.
 
Gas is ok just do a good job installing it ,If you are in doubt about your skills get help off someone who is or a professional...and always turn off at the bottle before getting in your bunk..very annoying to have to get out when you remember you didn't turn off the gas!
 
Welcome to the forum. We've had two Origo stoves now. They do do an oven version but it's VERY expensive. The best we've had is the flush mounted twin burner which looks the business. I always distrusted gas, insidious and ready to blow you up, "one flash and you're ash". But a professionally (or very experienced amateur) installed gas system combined with a two point gas alarm, remote gas switch and servicing of the gas appliances is a tried and tested system. It's just that I couldn't afford the massive cost of getting the existing gas system replaced, and we had no idea who had installed the system or how well they had done it.

Meths can be smelly but you can get a licence to buy the non-smelly stuff. We just buy it in bulk from France / Belgium where it is as good as odourless. Spirit burns cooler than gas so very cold water in the winter takes an age to boil - in a marina we use an electric kettle. Cooking food is no different to cooking with gas. Toast is done via a toaster on the top, but you have to change it over half way through!

Overall, definitely not as convenient as gas, but about a million times safer. Beware that with gas your insurance company will periodically require a gas safety certificate.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Overall, definitely not as convenient as gas, but about a million times safer.

[/ QUOTE ] I do love hyperbole

[ QUOTE ]
Beware that with gas your insurance company will periodically require a gas safety certificate.

[/ QUOTE ] No insurance company has EVER asked me for a safety certificate for my gas system on ANY of the boats we have had. Some of our boats have been commercially coded, some have been private pleasure yachts. We have used a variety of insurance companies. I don't know why you are making such a sweeping statement.

Gas can be dangerous.

Be sensible with it and the risk can be managed successfully.

Most boats have gas.

A few people are paranoid about a few things.

Its a free world - and life is full of choices.

[ QUOTE ]
But a professionally (or very experienced amateur) installed gas system combined with a two point gas alarm, remote gas switch and servicing of the gas appliances is a tried and tested system

[/ QUOTE ] Fair do's...
 
Bought my boat with a dodgy gas installation which I decided never to use without replacement which was going to take some work.

Origo 2 burner installation took around 30mins. Very pleased. Ultimately simple: no pipes, alarms, bubble testers, vented lockers etc etc.

I have tried "alcool a bruler" from France but IMO(nasal), it's not odourless. Perhaps I haven't found the right stuff yet.

I keep the spirit in the stern locker and since I also carry a gallon of petrol for the tender, I don't consider it any increased risk. You can take the resorvoirs out for filling outside to avoid any spillage inside. Best thing for lighting is a piezo kitchen lighter (yes I know it's got gas in it). Otherwise you need long matches.

The only downside I see is not having a grill but that's never bothered me and the pans do get a little blackening but it easily comes off.
 
"No insurance company has EVER asked me for a safety certificate for my gas system on ANY of the boats we have had."

However, if you were to have a fire related insurance claim the insurance company might suddenly become an awful lot keener about the existence or otherwise of a gas safety cert. The lack of same MIGHT provide them with a nice get out clause.

It can never be a bad idea to get the system safety checked. You just need to find a competent engineer you can trust who charges reasonably

Tim
 
I've never even heard of a gas safety certificate for an offshore yacht.

I just take the servicing seriously, check the pipes, renew fleixbles every two or three years, (should probably do that every year).
Once the gas locker is built in, it's maintenace free, copper pipes, clipped properly basically inspect, maintenance free.
Flame failure devices, basically inspect, clean.
So wheres all this expensive maintenance?

Make sure you turn it off, you can have electric shut offs, simple.

I like gas, if you dont want dangerous substances onboard, dont buy a petrol boat or have a petrol outboard and stow fuel onboard.

A well maintained gas system is fine. I like gas.

But again I live aboard and like to have the comforts.
 
[ QUOTE ]
However, if you were to have a fire related insurance claim the insurance company might suddenly become an awful lot keener about the existence or otherwise of a gas safety cert. The lack of same MIGHT provide them with a nice get out clause.



[/ QUOTE ] They might be keen - but its not in their small print so the court isn't going to give it the time of day. Keeping the boat in reasonable sealike condition IS in the small print. That's why the regulator and flexible pipes get changed regularly - and I keep the receipts.

My post was a jibe against the doom and gloom mongers - perhaps 'paranoia-mongers?' who say they won't EVER have gas on their boats. Properly installed and maintained and with a dose of common sense the risks associated with gas can be easily and successfully managed.
 
Wow, thanx to everybody for their replies. I never thought that this question would create so much debate.
I can see the pro's and cons from all your comments and the First Mate(Wife thinks she's more like the Galley Skivvy...)) and I have decided to go for the Spirit burner option for now. This is all very new to us as this is our first boat, so we are going with Low maintenance. Who knows, I might be asking for everyones opinions on Diesel Cookers in five years time!!

Thanx again
 
[ QUOTE ]
Toast is done via a toaster on the top, but you have to change it over half way through!

[/ QUOTE ]

I am a huge fan of the Origos. I am also a fan of stove-top ovens (shaped like a round jelly mould with a lid) but have never tried the two together. An experiment is called for. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I have a Wallas parafin hob.It's a fantastic piece of kit as long as it doesn't break down.Had it for a few years and no problems so far.In case it goes wrong I'll get a new one.
 
Hi,

We use an Origo 3000 that replaced a questionable bottled gas arrangement, and have been using it for a couple of years with the round stove-top ovens, which have recently re-appeared on the market. Great for baking cakes and heating up 'half-baked bread'. Once you know where to set the thing (between 1 and 2 on ours is right for the cakes) it works just fine. We don't have space for a real oven.

Jonathan
 
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