Finally new gas cooker

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Sailfree

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After much cogitating i have decided to replace our 13yr old cooker with new.

After previous thread I hesitated as for all their money the Force 10 cookers appear to suffer from repeated igniter failures and one report on internet of gas leak.

Hence brief is still min 500 wide with grill (inside oven OK) but looking at SMEG/Dometic range at 35% of Force 10 prices.

Any opinions
 
Just make sure whatever you buy that is made in Britain, or that Duster septic loving character will be calling you a traitor to the cause :)
 
TQA said:
Buy the Force 10 and stash a barbecue lighter in the kitchen drawer.
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Is it worth the extra £1000 though.

I just bought a Weber Genesis LX BBQ for Portugal which while dearer than others I decided was worth the extra but need more practical experience of others ref boat cooker to make a value judgement.
 
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Sandyman said:
Just make sure whatever you buy that is made in Britain, or that Duster septic loving character will be calling you a traitor to the cause :)
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Yes finishing off the boat for the summer sail to Portugal to new berth in Nazare and living there without a divided population is very friendly and cheap - so I agree with your postscript.

Berth Hamble point £11,500, Parkstone YC £4,600, Nazare €1,600. !!

I am just so much better off living in a nicer climate in Nazare I just wish things were better in UK for my children/granchildren.

Duster wont be welcome with all his guns.
 
Well my Force 10 is 11 years old, been in daily use for the last 9 years. I gave up on fixing the igniters 5 years ago and use a barbecue sparker.

I had a flame failure solenoid fail last year and had to replace that. This requires that the top burners be dismantled which the tech told me is usually impossible so I bought new burners and screws. The burners are retained by dinky little screws which duly broke off. All is working again.

Yes it is expensive but the stainless is top quality and mine at 11 years still looks good. I would buy another.
 
TQA said:
Well my Force 10 is 11 years old, been in daily use for the last 9 years. I gave up on fixing the igniters 5 years ago and use a barbecue sparker.

I had a flame failure solenoid fail last year and had to replace that. This requires that the top burners be dismantled which the tech told me is usually impossible so I bought new burners and screws. The burners are retained by dinky little screws which duly broke off. All is working again.

Yes it is expensive but the stainless is top quality and mine at 11 years still looks good. I would buy another.
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Thanks for info - still open to either being best value.
 
Limited range in 500mm. Most available in UK are 450mm of which most popular are Neptune 4500 and Nelson Spinflo. Both British made, get good reviews both on tests and from owners. Spares easily available.
 
Tranona said:
Limited range in 500mm. Most available in UK are 450mm of which most popular are Neptune 4500 and Nelson Spinflo. Both British made, get good reviews both on tests and from owners. Spares easily available.
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Appreciate that but starting already with a small cooker going from 500 wide to 450 is a step diwn and at 500 there are 3 burner hobs.

Still invstigating but the Dometic is narrower than 500 and gimbal set higher.
I appreciate it's wishing for the moon but would love one that just drops into the space!!
 
Sailfree said:
Appreciate that but starting already with a small cooker going from 500 wide to 450 is a step diwn and at 500 there are 3 burner hobs.

Still invstigating but the Dometic is narrower than 500 and gimbal set higher.
I appreciate it's wishing for the moon but would love one that just drops into the space!!
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The important thing is the internal capacity of the oven, not necessarily the external dimensions. 3 burner hobs really need to be wider than 500 to get space to actually use 3 pans. The Neptune 3 burner is 550.

As with everything it is a compromise and the 450 wide cookers are perfectly adequate, plus they have a separate grill rather than the messy grill in the oven than is common on some of the European cookers. Personally I dislike grills for cooking anything other than toast, so my last boat just had hob and oven. Added benefit was that it fitted in the space under the cover. It was a Neptune, but no longer made and replaced a rubbish Techimpex (avoid them!). New boat has one as that is all Bavaria fit, but fortunately it will not get much heavy use so should see me out!
 
Tranona said:
The important thing is the internal capacity of the oven, not necessarily the external dimensions. 3 burner hobs really need to be wider than 500 to get space to actually use 3 pans. The Neptune 3 burner is 550.

As with everything it is a compromise and the 450 wide cookers are perfectly adequate, plus they have a separate grill rather than the messy grill in the oven than is common on some of the European cookers. Personally I dislike grills for cooking anything other than toast, so my last boat just had hob and oven. Added benefit was that it fitted in the space under the cover. It was a Neptune, but no longer made and replaced a rubbish Techimpex (avoid them!). New boat has one as that is all Bavaria fit, but fortunately it will not get much heavy use so should see me out!
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My Plastimo Neptune is now 19 years old and though it has required rebuild of the grill reflector has given unbroken service for at least 6 months annually.
Leisure Products in Bolton still import them for Plastimo and when I researched it 8 months ago, the top end of the range has all the mod-cons you could need and are marginally superior to the Neptune.
It's unlikely that any stoves are assembled in Europe - there are far more, nimble, Chinese fingers to do the job and the Europeans only design, re-package and distribute the things.
 
Getting there!

Between Force 10 (2 or 3 burner are options) or GN Espace ocean chef (only 3 burners).

I was happy to go for 3 burner but note advice ref 3 burners and only 500 wide hob.

Hopefully this thread is also useful to others.

Appreciate others experience on question of 2 or 3 burners

Dometic approx £550

Force 10 approx £1400

EN Espace Ocean Chef approx £3500

Almost buy cheap and replace every 2 yrs is an option!!
 
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I've just replaced a Plastimo Neptune 4500 with ENO Grande Large 3 burner. Taking out the spacer blocks and gimbals for the Neptune left just enough space for a 500mm wide cooker. Grill is inside the oven and not been used yet but the oven is very good and controllable. A little bigger than the Neptune inside but most of the extra volume goes to insulation. 3 burners on te top are very good indeed and plenty of space for 2 normal pans and a smaller one. The smallest burner is much faster than the big one on the Neptune.
Apparently ENO have recently taken over Force 10 and I was told Force 10 had been having quality problems. Price wise mine was about mid way between Nelson Spinflo and Force 10
 
Pasarell said:
I've just replaced a Plastimo Neptune 4500 with ENO Grande Large 3 burner. Taking out the spacer blocks and gimbals for the Neptune left just enough space for a 500mm wide cooker. Grill is inside the oven and not been used yet but the oven is very good and controllable. A little bigger than the Neptune inside but most of the extra volume goes to insulation. 3 burners on te top are very good indeed and plenty of space for 2 normal pans and a smaller one. The smallest burner is much faster than the big one on the Neptune.
Apparently ENO have recently taken over Force 10 and I was told Force 10 had been having quality problems. Price wise mine was about mid way between Nelson Spinflo and Force 10
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Who are the importers for ENO? Where did you get yours from?

For Force 10 it is Penguin and they are closed down until 14th july. I think they are also the importers for ENO
 
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colhel said:
Sailfree, what are you doing with your old cooker?
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If I get one before I leave and get it fitted Iookslike I am giving it to my mate Colin.

At present it works OK but I had to strip it down a year ago and knock out a cup cull of rust powder from the oven ring.

At present it's OK but boss want a grill!

Will contact you.
 
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