cookers

[tig]

Planning to cruise full time from next year starting in the med and then... follow the sun! Currently have a Flavel Vanessa cooker but plan to change to Taylors 208 parafffin or calor to overcome problems of butane/propane availability but unsure which direction to go in. Any advice would be welcomed. Thanks

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[charles_reed]

Don't go paraffin, difficult and expensive to get in Europe and the cookers are a pain if you want to do serious cooking. I'm told the problem is even worse in the mid and far east.
LPG though is available everywhere.

Calor gas is unobtainable in mainland Europe and Camping Gaz which is obtainable everywhere an enormous rip-off costing at least x2 as much as the market rate.

I use Butagaz (Shell) cubitainer a grp cube holding 6kg of gas, which filled fits into about the same space as the Calor 4.5kg bottle and weighs slightly less full then the calor.
You can get this in either propane or butane and both will work with no conversion required to the cooker.
It's only obtainable in France and Portugal, but as one (of two) lasts me 6 weeks when cruising (water-heating is gas) and 3 months when overwintering it's not a problem. Refill cost is about €14 and they're widely obtainable.

As I get farther from France I'll ditch the butagaz and get a local regulator/bottle.

You can get a refill kit for most standard bottles - go to the local LPG car filling station (in France, Spain, Portugal & Italy) and refill your own bottles. They used to be prepared to do it for you, but a string of accidents in Spain has made them hyper-obsessive and there are EU directives which are supposed to forbid this.
Fortunately most Europeans are less hyperactive than the Brits about confrming to Brussels directives.

I would look at the top-of-range Leisure Products (in Bolton) cooker - flame failure on all burners, 2 rings, grill and thermostatic control on the oven.
It's badged by Plastimo as the Neptune, who put on a whopping mark-up.

It's only disadvantage is that you can only just fit on the hob a 6l pressure cooker and a 25cm pan.

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[Talbot]

if price is a problem, look at the techimpex range of calor cookers, but check thit carefully when collecting as packaging can be a little poor. I rejected two before getting a nice stainless cooker with all the gizmos of much more expensive machines.

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[Guest]

Post deleted by danfoley

 

[Talbot]

Had mine for 2 years now without any problems at all, admitedly I have not given it quite as much thrashing as an Atlantic crossing!!!! But I did say that you needed to be very careful with your initial check - which is why I rejected two. I admit it is not as nice as a taylors, but then it is nowhere near the same price. If you compare it with any other cooker at the same price I think you will find it is pretty good value - but as we all know you only get what you pay for /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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[Abigail]

Depending on your budget - look at a deisel cooker. I've posted elsewhere on the forums about the strengths and weaknesses or send me a PM

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[jwaldin]

We've used diesel stoves for years. Propane is the easiest of course but as a second choice diesel is best in all ways especially safety wise.

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