Good Cookers?

boatmike

boatmike

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I posted on the livaboard link that I was reviewing my cooking facilities on board and had had poor experience of cooking in little gas ovens. Several came back and said the Force 10 ovens were good and one said he liked his new Spinflo Nelson. The Force 10 ones are blindingly expensive but the Spinflo Nelson looks good on paper. Anyone else got one who would like to comment?
 
I'm another happy Spinflo Nelson owner. Been used for cakes, bread, homemade pizza, etc quite successfully. The main niggle is that the whole of the lower front is the glass oven door, so there's nowhere to mount the conventional bolt to stop it swinging. The manufacturer's solution is that the gimbal shafts are threaded, with a kind of large wing-nut to clamp against the brackets they pivot on, but it's obvious that the leverage involved makes this a non-starter. I just rest the oven door on my leg whilst opening it, but it would probably be possible to attach something to the side or bottom of the cooker to provide a lock.

Pete
 
prv said:
I'm another happy Spinflo Nelson owner. The main niggle is that the whole of the lower front is the glass oven door, so there's nowhere to mount the conventional bolt to stop it swinging. The manufacturer's solution is that the gimbal shafts are threaded, with a kind of large wing-nut to clamp against the brackets they pivot on, but it's obvious that the leverage involved makes this a non-starter. I just rest the oven door on my leg whilst opening it, but it would probably be possible to attach something to the side or bottom of the cooker to provide a lock.
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+ 1 Really happy with ours.

Ian
 
Not everyone's favourite, but the Origo 6000 is superb for me. It's meths/bioethanol and works perfectly well, but is something of a 'marmite' piece of kit.
 
I have my second Spinflo Nelson oven. The first one lasted 18 years.
No complaints about the product except that it did arrive without a grill pan fixing. I asked Marine Superstore to provide one and reminded them a couple of times but 2 years later nothing has been done. Luckily I salvaged the fixing from the old one but Marine Superstore have not covered themselves with glory.
 
Had my Spinflo Nelson for 9 years. Very happy for the first 7 or so - rings, grill, oven all worked well though never tried a souflée. The last couple of years have not been so happy - the pot stand grill has eroded badly, the burner caps have rusted on their undersides and drop rust which blocks the jet, the grill produces CO and drops rust. I have just invested ~£50 in new burners and caps and a new pot stand so, hopefully, have solved the blocking jet problem. I got the new bits from Southdowns Caravans at a price roughly half of the marine suppliers.
Overall I'm happy but wish they had used stainless gimbals, and used all stainless screws, etc.. I echo the lack of fixing bolt. Compared to the previous Flavel it is an absolute joy!
 
One for Force10. Worth the high cost. Will last you for life....... spares available and easily maintained. Built like a brick out house.

Cooks like the one at home!!! Or so she says!!
 
I have a Nelson Spinflo. Not wonderful. I find the oven is uneven - dishes have to be turned every so often otherwise they burn at the rear. Gets very hot - poor insulation. Mix of stainless and non-stainless. Burner bits and grill assembly rust and require replacing every 3-4 years. Difficult to clean.

However, for the price I don't think there is much choice. I once spoke to a cooker manufacturer (they don't sell retail themselves) and he explained that they are pushed hard by the boat builders and retailers to make something to do the job at the lowest possible price. Quality suffers. Compared to domestic cookers it is a low volume market.

As I do a lot of cooking (I spend something like 120 days on-board each year) I think I will bite the bullet next winter and get a Force 10.
 
boatmike said:
I posted on the livaboard link that I was reviewing my cooking facilities on board and had had poor experience of cooking in little gas ovens. Several came back and said the Force 10 ovens were good and one said he liked his new Spinflo Nelson. The Force 10 ones are blindingly expensive but the Spinflo Nelson looks good on paper. Anyone else got one who would like to comment?
Click to expand...
I have a Nelson and whilst they seem to be very much liked on these forums they are not entirely built from marine grade stainless and the burner fittings and rails in particular are prone to corrosion. I personally will be buying another make next time but I think you will find a chorus of people in favour of the Nelson so you will need to make your own decision.

Boo2
 
Minchsailor said:
I have a Nelson Spinflo. Not wonderful. I find the oven is uneven - dishes have to be turned every so often otherwise they burn at the rear. Gets very hot - poor insulation. Mix of stainless and non-stainless. Burner bits and grill assembly rust and require replacing every 3-4 years. Difficult to clean.

However, for the price I don't think there is much choice. I once spoke to a cooker manufacturer (they don't sell retail themselves) and he explained that they are pushed hard by the boat builders and retailers to make something to do the job at the lowest possible price. Quality suffers. Compared to domestic cookers it is a low volume market.

As I do a lot of cooking (I spend something like 120 days on-board each year) I think I will bite the bullet next winter and get a Force 10.
Click to expand...

Not sure how the prices compare these days, but I've used Force 10 and GN Espace Levante and I must say I much prefer the latter.
 
Minchsailor said:
once spoke to a cooker manufacturer (they don't sell retail themselves) and he explained that they are pushed hard by the boat builders and retailers to make something to do the job at the lowest possible price.
Click to expand...

There seem to be two price ranges, with a big gap in between. £500-ish, corresponding to your description above, or £2000+ for those who want top quality. No option in the middle for people who're prepared to pay a little more than bog-standard to get non-rusting construction and some minor design improvements, but don't want to spend superyacht money.

Pete
 
Replaced an ageing Flavel Vanessa with a Spinflo Nelson on the previous boat and agree with all the comments above. Generally very good but let down by some non-stainless parts and a bit difficult to clean in places.
The new boat came with a SMEV cooker which - based on a few months use - seems better made than the Spinflo. I think SMEV and LadyInBed's Dometic (domestic?) are the same make.
 
Interesting replies! Thanks to all. I just visited Marine Superstore to look at the Nelson and I must say the build quality does not impress. Apart from being rather flimsy with seemingly no thickness of insulation to speak of, looking up under the grill the sensor wires and bottom of the burners are totally exposed......???? They also had the Dometic Starlight there which looked better built with the grill top finished in a stainless steel plate hiding all the gubbins underneath. I simply cannot see how you would keep the Nelson clean. One load of grilled bacon and it would deposit spatter all over the pipes and wires above. The burners in the oven and hob looked identical and at around £420 the Dometic was cheaper. They are really taking the pee with £58 extra for a grill pan though. Cant see how they justify the price of that! So it looks like a Dometic unless anyone can suggest why not. I am not spending £2000 on a cooker. I bought a top of the range Rangemaster double oven induction hob cooker for home for that! (Bit too big and heavy for the boat though)
 
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