Electric Cookers

[PhillM]

I’ve got an electric kettle and plan to get a one ring electric hob for when in marinas. I’ve ordered an bio-ethereal furled Origo-a-like for when on passage or anchor: see even is small boats can join in this move away from fossil fuel (if you ignore the outboard of course) ?

 

[seajayare]

How does one generate 5kWh on a cloudy December day in Blighty?

5kWh is 5 Chickens! A Frey Bentos pie and oven chips about 500Wh. 100A alternator for 25mins getting to/from your berth? bit of solar bit of wind bit of regen

 

[lustyd]

5kWh is 5 Chickens!

I assume you didn't read my next post so won't respond.

move away from fossil fuel (if you ignore the outboard of course)

And the fuel needed to transport the lithium cells, wiring, controller, panels, new cooker etc. halfway (or more!) around the world, and those used to create these items which will replace perfectly working cooking systems. If you ignore all of that, then yes, it's a move away from fossil fuel. If you don't use a diesel engine/generator for the power, then it's just a massively less efficient use of fossil fuels ?

 

[Pete7]

I assume you didn't read my next post so won't respond.

And the fuel needed to transport the lithium cells, wiring, controller, panels, new cooker etc. halfway (or more!) around the world, and those used to create these items which will replace perfectly working cooking systems. If you ignore all of that, then yes, it's a move away from fossil fuel. If you don't use a diesel engine/generator for the power, then it's just a massively less efficient use of fossil fuels ?

If you see us out on the water over the next couple of weeks, do call on us for a cup of environmentally friendly heated tea


,

 

[mjcoon]

There are only 2 or 3 useful hours in December though ?

Ah, another reason to head south, and eat salads!

 

[PhillM]

I assume you didn't read my next post so won't respond.

And the fuel needed to transport the lithium cells, wiring, controller, panels, new cooker etc. halfway (or more!) around the world, and those used to create these items which will replace perfectly working cooking systems. If you ignore all of that, then yes, it's a move away from fossil fuel. If you don't use a diesel engine/generator for the power, then it's just a massively less efficient use of fossil fuels ?

Sorry mate I was trying to be ironic. No offence meant.

 

[seajayare]

"...I don't think it's unfair to expect a week at anchor in winter months, before returning to base for a charge. That's 14kWh for cooking alone,...."

2 chicken dinners a day, hungry crew?

 

[sailaboutvic]

I won't mind being your crew if your doing a roast every night .

 

[lustyd]

2 chicken dinners a day, hungry crew?

No, it's an evening meal, lunch, and multiple kettle boils with a few breakfasts thrown in. We also bake bread rolls so we always have fresh.

 

[Pete7]

No, it's an evening meal, lunch, and multiple kettle boils with a few breakfasts thrown in. We also bake bread rolls so we always have fresh.

In that case can you share your location so that if we run short we might pop over and tap on your hull for a boiled kettle? You will be allowed a smug grin ?

Interestingly, one of the few things we have ever borrowed from a fellow yachtie was an electric kettle one night when the gas ran out. We bought our own the following morning. We are pretty religous about replacing cylinders as soon as they are empty, so still a mystery what happened to that cylinder. Possibly given an empty camping gaz cylinder by mistake.

 

[geem]

We did the calculations for cooking electrically and it didn't stack up for us. With 720w of solar we simply don't have enough. It all comes down to what you cook and how often. If you are a fray bentos pie kind of cruiser then it might work for you but if you are liveaboards like us it's a different issue.
My wife loves to cook meals from scratch. Home made muesli baked in the oven, bread, etc are all high energy users. Add in numerous cups of tea and electric cooking is not a choice for us. Since we are mainly Caribbean based we use gas. It's cheap in the Caribbean. You get your own bottle refilled. Most cruisers use grp 13kg type bottles. Over there its referred to as cooking gas.

 

[sailaboutvic]

This guy has no problem cooking a roast on batteries power .

First look: Zen50 - innovative wingsail rig - Yachting World

 

[Bodach na mara]

Thanks for the link. Says it all really about why all-electric cooking is a non-starter on the type of cruising boats that one normally finds in anchorages and marinas in the UK.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Thanks for the link. Says it all really about why all-electric cooking is a non-starter on the type of cruising boats that one normally finds in anchorages and marinas in the UK.

Look there many who use electric cook and many more who are in the half way house and just use hob as we did for many years .
You have to remember many who post here are just weekend sailor , although that don't mean they couldn't cut there gas by more then half by using a induction hob and even a ele kettle.
The amount of gas that use to boil a kettle and say you did that a few times a day that's quite a lot of gas .
I'm suprise Geem not converted at the very less partly electric .
Agree as one person said if you want to cook a roast two of three times a week you need a lot to replace that power but using the hob to do some boiling , frying or streaming of veg it's more then possible .

 

[Bodach na mara]

Actually I agree with you Vic. Our current (second hand) boat came with a toaster and electric kettle. After years of spending the seasons on a swinging mooring we bit the bullet and shelled out for a berth in a marina and, now having shore power in the sailing season as well as the winter, I installed a redundant microwave kindly donated by my daughter and her family.

Since then I find that we use a lot less gas, both while day sailing and when we are away cruising, as there are now many pontoon berths available in the Western isles with shore power. We do try to use anchorages at least half the time, but old age and diminishing fitness levels do tend to encourage us to take the easy option.

 

[geem]

Look there many who use electric cook and many more who are in the half way house and just use hob as we did for many years .
You have to remember many who post here are just weekend sailor , although that don't mean they couldn't cut there gas by more then half by using a induction hob and even a ele kettle.
The amount of gas that use to boil a kettle and say you did that a few times a day that's quite a lot of gas .
I'm suprise Geem not converted at the very less partly electric .
Agree as one person said if you want to cook a roast two of three times a week you need a lot to replace that power but using the hob to do some boiling , frying or streaming of veg it's more then possible .

We use our spare solar output to make domestic hot water. We save our gas by never needing to heat hot water for a shower or washing up. With lead batteries you don't want to be putting large loads on the batteries unless you are happy to accept premature battery death. LifePO4 is another matter but you still need to be able to put the charge back in to the batteries. The charge acceptance rate of lifePO4 is only 20% better than lead. You still need to produce the power if you want to cook with lecky.

 

[sailaboutvic]

We use our spare solar output to make domestic hot water. We save our gas by never needing to heat hot water for a shower or washing up. With lead batteries you don't want to be putting large loads on the batteries unless you are happy to accept premature battery death. LifePO4 is another matter but you still need to be able to put the charge back in to the batteries. The charge acceptance rate of lifePO4 is only 20% better than lead. You still need to produce the power if you want to cook with lecky.

Tim before we sold up we had 780w solar 400ah lithium ,
We never need boiling hot water throughout the summer warm was enough so we did this around mid day when the batteries where full , coffee in the morning we use the ele kettle 1000w, and we mostly boil that two or three times each morning plus the toaster, the kettle il was also boil to get steaming hot water for dishes at night . The induction hob wadnt use every night due summer , may evening meal where cold meals but later on the year and spring time it was used a lot more for stews and hot meals .
The freezer run of our 3000w inverter as well as the kettle , hob and hot water .
We never had a problem , of cause if we was at anchor for say 4 days and it's been over cast we had to manage it ,
Hot water wasn't heated for one .
We found the 400ah bank just about right but doing it all again which we will over this winter I think I go for 500ah because we now in northern Europe, plus we won't have such a big solar array.
Just to add as many know we spend most of the year at anchor and even the few months I winter we where in a marina we only turned on shore power if we had load of days when the solar wasn't enough .
Last winter we put in €25 for the 5 months we was in the marina .

 

[lustyd]

So to recap, if you have a large solar array and lots of battery, don't cook much and don't stay out for more than a couple of nights, and make a bunch of compromises then electric cooking is OKish if you're in warmer lattitudes? What a glowing endorsement!

 

[Kelpie]

So to recap, if you have a large solar array and lots of battery, don't cook much and don't stay out for more than a couple of nights, and make a bunch of compromises then electric cooking is OKish if you're in warmer lattitudes? What a glowing endorsement!

I'm not sure anything is ever going to convince you, as you've obviously made your mind up. I'm not on commission trying to sell lithium batteries so I don't really care. But what you're saying is a willful misrepresentation.

Lots of solar, big battery- correct.
Don't cook much, only stay out for a couple of nights- incorrect.
Warmer latitudes- probably! Funnily enough lots of people do sail in these places so it seems valid to discuss it.

 

[sailaboutvic]

So to recap, if you have a large solar array and lots of battery, don't cook much and don't stay out for more than a couple of nights, and make a bunch of compromises then electric cooking is OKish if you're in warmer lattitudes? What a glowing endorsement!

@Kelpie as hit the nail on the head . Nothing going to convince you and most of us who are happy with electric couldn't give a monkeys one way or the other what you think , it just a shame your posting could put people off from trying .

By the way We been living on our hook for the last 13 years for 9 at times 10 months every years,
Not a couple of nights as you keep suggest.