Electric Cooking

[LONG_KEELER]

Just wondering how soon do you think yachts can do away with gas completely and install electric hobs ?

Gas is getting rather expensive and quite a performance install/maintain/safety/certificate.

 

[dunedin]

Today if you stay on shore power, or have a massive budget for a very large battery bank.

As ever with electric options, do the calculations on the power needed to cook meals, and size the batteries accordingly. (Interestingly I was listening to a talk about a boat with all electric domestic systems, and these overwhelmed the regeneration - partly as crew had different dietary preferences and needed to cook two menus!)

More pragmatically, how many gas cylinders do you actually use per year. In our case it is typically about 2 - so even at inflated prices under £100 pa. So £1,000 would cover 10 years - but wouldn’t come near a system to power electric cooking off grid.

However, what we do for sailing in places like Norway where Camping Gas is unobtanium is
(a) carry a portable induction hob for use when on shore power - about £40
(b) if on shore power always fill a thermos or two with boiling water via the electric kettle before departure
I cannot see that a swap to induction cooking would pay back financially in my sailing lifetime

 

[Plum]

Just wondering how soon do you think yachts can do away with gas completely and install electric hobs ?

Gas is getting rather expensive and quite a performance install/maintain/safety/certificate.

If you only ever cook while in a marina you can do it now. Otherwise you need to work out how bany KWh of electrical energy you will need each day and therefefore how many KWh you will need to generate. As you will not be generating at the same rate or at the same time you therefore need to store the generated electricity until it is needed. Until someone comes up with solar panels big or efficient enough or comes up with an efficient way of producing and tranporting hydrogen to your boat you may have to stick with gas for some time yet.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[Mistroma]

Agreed, simple physics still pushes the balance towards gas. It is similar to diesel vs. battery propulsion where energy density and availability of diesel wins easily. I have an electric hob for use when on shorepower but use gas at anchor. I have 345W solar and that's nowhere close to sufficient for cooking and hot water. It is fine for people with a generator, many friends cook with electric hobs or ovens and usually need to run the generator when cooking. A couple of boats have just installed LiFePO4 batteries to avoid always starting the generator. They will probably still run the generator but can now defer it to a more convenient time.

I'm always surprised how many people don't even have an electric kettle for use on shorepower. We use a kettle, toaster and microwave on shorepower and it does save a lot of effort lugging gas bottles around. We often spent quite a while living on the boat ashore and power is readily available.

 

[Poignard]

We have a single 'burner' induction hob that we can use in a marina. Otherwise we use an Origo alcohol stove.

 

[Robin]

Being liveaboards and 'switched on' we have been cooking electric pretty much all year as
a) we use a halogen oven rather than the gas one
b) the halogen oven creates no steam/condensation and doesn't heat up the cabin excessively in summer.
c) we have a 3 tier electric steamer
d) we have a plug in single electric infra red hob that is clean fast and efficient
e) we also have a George Foreman electric grill for steaks, burgers etc.

Our 'reserve' electric hob came out when Calor ran out of 4.5kg cylinders, even though we have adapted to a GAZ one now as our reserve.

if needs be we have a 4.5kw built in diesel generator that can run our electrics if off grid.

 

[Roberto]

Before looking into energy consumption/balance, define what is "cooking" for you.
Never heard of really gastronomic meals being cooked with electricity, be it induction, vitroceramic, traditional metal resistance or anything similar, let alone good restaurants and the like

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Our 'reserve' electric hob came out when Calor ran out of 4.5kg cylinders, even though we have adapted to a GAZ one now as our reserve.

As an aside, the Calor 4.5 kg butane cylinders seem to have made a comeback now.

 

[coopec]

Just wondering how soon do you think yachts can do away with gas completely and install electric hobs ?

Gas is getting rather expensive and quite a performance install/maintain/safety/certificate.

Probably never for yachts sailing/moored in the UK.

But if you do your sailing where the sun shines there are many yachts that have dumped their gas bottles.

Renewable energy afloat: the latest tech - Yachting Monthly

 

[Mistroma]

Probably never for yachts sailing/moored in the UK.

But if you do your sailing where the sun shines there are many yachts that have dumped their gas bottles.

Renewable energy afloat: the latest tech - Yachting Monthly

I suspect most will have generators, eat out a lot or are cats with LiFEPO4 batteries and acres of solar.

The article states:
"It all comes down to how much power you need: a kilowatt-hour over the day to run the fridge and electronics (83Ah), or 50 times that for induction cooking, air-con and even electric propulsion."

Many of the things mentioned aren't really suitable for many cruisers in the med. where you can spend many days at anchor.

e.g.
Wind: Not reliable and actually a lot less power than you'd imagine . I'm lucky to average 5-7Ah/day with a Rutland 913 (it is quite small)
Panels on sails: Not a lot of use at anchor
Hydrogen: Not a lot of use at anchor
EFOY: Expensive to buy, expensive to run, short lifespan and fuel not easy to get in med.

New technologies aren't really available yet at reasonable prices and I suspect I won't be sailing when they arrive (admittedly not likely to be a long time ).

 

[Robin]

As an aside, the Calor 4.5 kg butane cylinders seem to have made a comeback now.

We still have an empty 4.5kg so do we replace or not as we currently have 1 full Calor and 1 full GAZ? ,but still using neither whilst the infra red hob is in use and does a good job, barring power cuts.

 

[Boathook]

Before looking into energy consumption/balance, define what is "cooking" for you.
Never heard of really gastronomic meals being cooked with electricity, be it induction, vitroceramic, traditional metal resistance or anything similar, let alone good restaurants and the like

Masterchef on BBC TV uses all electric with the hobs being induction. Doesn't faze the younger professional chefs but some of the older have struggled at times.

 

[jwilson]

We (Yachtsnet) sold a boat a couple of years ago with all-electric cooking, but it was a big motor-sailer with a big genset in the engine room that just got a button pressed to turn on when you wanted power for aircon, heating, cooking, bowthruster or anchor windlass. The genset was virtually silent, you struggled to hear if it was running. The actual battery capacity was minimal, just two starter batteries. No way all that power could be provided by solar or wind or stored without a monstrously large battery bank.

 

[Mistroma]

Masterchef on BBC TV uses all electric with the hobs being induction. Doesn't faze the younger professional chefs but some of the older have struggled at times.

Induction is even more responsive than gas. I find that the controls are the limiting factor as +/- style require multiple presses or a long hold to adjust. Touch slider or rotational are just as quick to adjust as knobs on a gas burner. You have to pay more attention if tossing anything in a frying pan. Gas hobs are more resilient to being hit with the bottom of a pan and also continue to provide some heat when the pan is lifted slightly. Induction hobs stop heating as soon as there's a slight air gap and it's pretty on/off. Heat still rises from a gas flame and the heat tapers in a controllable fashion.

I prefer an induction hob and electric fan oven. The hob is certainly easy to keep clean.

 

[rotrax]

The best investment we have made recently is a small 'Instant Pot' computerised pressure cooker. First Mate can make a very good spag bol in 15 minutes, all in the same pot.
Some of our favourites like Goulash, Braised lamb, Pot roast beef, hearty soups and stews use a fraction of the energy than doing it the old way.
The old Prestige pressure cooker went to a charity shop.
She bought one for home, loved it and then found the smallest size for the boat.
At anchor or on a mooring without shore power we normally run our genset for an hour each morning for a tank of hot water and to give the batteries a kick. She charges all the devices and puts the Instant Pot on to cook at this time. The food is re-heated later, in the microwave using the genset.
We also have a small halogen hob, two elements, about 40 quid off ebay. We did not go for induction because our expensive pots - which she loves - are not suitable.
Over four months aboard this year, we used two 3.9 kilo Propane cylinders and a little of the third.
We have very good food while cruising and have the luxury of 120 litres of fridge space and 80 litres of freezer.
In fact, we prefer being on the boat than being at home during the warmer eight months of the year.

 

[thinwater]

Before looking into energy consumption/balance, define what is "cooking" for you.
Never heard of really gastronomic meals being cooked with electricity, be it induction, vitroceramic, traditional metal resistance or anything similar, let alone good restaurants and the like

I've been fed fabulous meals cooked on an electric stove. Like most tools, it comes down to the craftsman.

And a great many good restaurants have electric cookers for specific things (rice, hot water, fryers...).

 

[rotrax]

Before looking into energy consumption/balance, define what is "cooking" for you.
Never heard of really gastronomic meals being cooked with electricity, be it induction, vitroceramic, traditional metal resistance or anything similar, let alone good restaurants and the like

Well, Gambas al Plancha on our electric flat grill are as good as any I have had in Spain.

Fresh fish also.

As thinwater states in post #16, it is down to the Chef, not the type of cooker.

Quite a dogmatic statement from Roberto I think.

 

[Robin]

Well, Gambas al Plancha on our electric flat grill are as good as any I have had in Spain.

Fresh fish also.

As thinwater states in post #16, it is down to the Chef, not the type of cooker.

Quite a dogmatic statement from Roberto I think.

Agreed, we have a 'plancha' that clips onto our electric infra red hob top too, albeit rarely used, though I'd love to get some decent sized langoustines to halve/grill on it for a really special treat.

 

[Roberto]

Quite a dogmatic statement from Roberto I think.

Not dogmatic sorry, just a personal opinion, cooking is a matter of "personal taste" isn't it?
There are some facts though:
You cannot make a coffee with small moka machine, or heat a milk pan with a small diameter as the induction will not recognize it (or vitroceramic will heat the whole room).
Once they (electricity/induction) are switched off, the wide contact surface remains hot and continues cooking for a lot longer, one has to move the pan to some other place. Turn off the gas and the heat is totally gone.
You cannot use a proper wok (hemispherical, not the flattened ones) on induction or electricity. With a flat bottomed wok when one waves it it in the air to stir the food, then put it back over the hob, then stir again in the air and so on, there is always the risk of crazing/damaging the cooking surface. For the perfectionist, one cannot make the "flame" inside the wok, the one giving that distinctive charcoal taste. Agree that regular home gas burners are too small for big woks, I find them ok for small ones up to 2-3 persons.
Simmering a big flat pan with a tiny thickness of liquid to be kept at low temperature, induction working in pulses it splashes the liquid all around. Ok I had induction a few years ago maybe modern models have improved.
I find it impossible to grill vegetables like eggplants (i.e. that take a long time to cook) because after 15-20ish minutes the grill pan over induction or electricity will cause overheating, all the system goes into protection and switches itself off. Meat or gambas are ok they have a much shorter cooking time. Likewise if I have to grill say sausages or ribs during a long period (say a lot of guests and normal size pans) I must use my gas burner, or the setting on the electric must be too low to avoid overheat protection.

Anyway, the recent tendency in regulations seems to go towards all electric so I am obliged to have vitroceramic and induction at home, I just added a portable gas burner for some specific tasks; when I am back on the boat it will (happily) only be gas, each one its personal liking

 

[rotrax]

Agreed, we have a 'plancha' that clips onto our electric infra red hob top too, albeit rarely used, though I'd love to get some decent sized langoustines to halve/grill on it for a really special treat.

Try Iceland Atlantic Red Shrimp.
They are frozen, but none the worse for that.
Seen them in Lidle too. They come from Argentina.
I do them with salt and lemon juice, sometimes with Onion and garlic, topped off with a bit of Piri Piri and Chilli - to taste, of course