Paraffin as a cooking fuel

[sideshowbob]

What is the consensus on global availability of Paraffin?

Does it have any advantages over diesel, again to cook with?

TIA

 

[Kelpie]

Interchangeable with heating oil and jet fuel.

Main advantages over diesel is that diesel fired cookers are quite rare and, as I understand it, like to be left on continuously- like a seagoing Aga.

 

[KINGFISHER 9]

You could have a look at a Taylor's Cooker I suppose ... in my experience they're the invention of the Devil and would be better used as a mooring block!

 

[Tam Lin]

Hard to find in England. The young man in B&Q didn't know what it was!

 

[FWB]

I use odourless Paraffin in my Taylors.

 

[alahol2]

Hard to find in England. The young man in B&Q didn't know what it was!

Homebase sell it. But it does seem to be getting rarer.
Used in greenhouse heaters so maybe garden centres?

 

[Iliade]

Fuel of choice in India until the last five years or so. Still widely available though.

IMHO it smells better when burning; reminiscent of childhood.

 

[pvb]

What is the consensus on global availability of Paraffin?

Does it have any advantages over diesel, again to cook with?

Filthy stuff! What's wrong with gas, which is available in most of the world?

 

[Iliade]

Filthy stuff! What's wrong with gas, which is available in most of the world?

Requires heavy, usually rusting, metal bottles, complicated regulators, plumbing, has compatibility issues and costs a blooming fortune per therm.

(I have gas on the, UK based, boat but tend to camp with paraffin.)

 

[Spuddy]

I've got a Taylors. No problems with starting it up but not really as controllable as gas, although most of the time that doesn't bother me. Best to do a bit of pre-planning to avoid having to turn burner off between dishes/courses. For short blasts and kettle etc I put one of them portable gas cartridge stoves on the gimbals.

 

[aquaplane]

Our first boat had a 2 ring primus, it worked really well.

You do need to get meths to warm it up as well as paraffin to run it on.

I imagine it'll be easier to get paraffin in out of the way places. Folk don't like it here because gas/lekky is cheap and accessible.

 

[Paddy Layback]

Global, paraffin is the way to go. Cheap to run, plus easy and safe to stow anywhere. What's a "gas locker" ? Sounds like a massive PITA.
You cant use diesel in a paraffin cooker. You can use plane fuel though they love it... JetA1, Avturb, is 'global'..google how much slEasyJet etc pay for a litre..
Paraffin in the UK can be sent very cheaply in big drums to your boat from ebay suppliers eg Rye Fuels.
GLOBAL like the sound of that, what boat you got and what are your plans? regards Paddy The HOPEFUL GLOBAL

 

[GHA]

What is the consensus on global availability of Paraffin?

Does it have any advantages over diesel, again to cook with?

TIA

Maybe 30 years ago it was easy to get, nowadays everyone uses propane /butane. Round the Atlantic anyway. With an adaptor kit decant from a local bottle.

 

[Kelpie]

Does the rest of the world not use heating oil then?

 

[GHA]

Does the rest of the world not use heating oil then?

No idea, maybe not much near your average tropical anchorage where gas is being used in most beach bars for cooking.

 

[sideshowbob]

OK thanks for the answers.

As one poster put it Gas is a PITA for all those very good reasons.
Paraffin have never had a problem with using it or maintaining.
Diesel again as a poster says like a range so not so good in warmer areas.

Looks like the ideal would be a combination of either paraffin/induction or diesel/induction

 

[NormanS]

Does the rest of the world not use heating oil then?

You may find that some kerosenes (heating oil) have a high sulfur content, and theoretically shouldn't be used on appliances without flues.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Fuel of choice in India until the last five years or so. Still widely available though.

IMHO it smells better when burning; reminiscent of childhood.

Filthy stuff! What's wrong with gas, which is available in most of the world?

Also in Antarctica! Gas won't work in Antarctic temperatures; paraffin works fine. Also gas has the above mentioned drawbacks of weight etc.

 

[Kelpie]

Whenever 'paraffin vs gas' comes up, it tends to go the way of an anchor thread.
The danger is that people assume that their priorities are the same as everyone else's.

 

[Cuan]

I use this too. In a Taylor's, excellent stuff, no odour

I use odourless Paraffin in my Taylors.