Wallas cookers

[seacat]

Anyone had any experience of Wallas cookers? They cost an arm and a leg and then some - more expensive than Taylors I think - but don't product water vapour in the cabin like gas or paraffin, and apparently provide very good heat control for the chefs amongst us (don't look at me)

 

[30boat]

Hi
I Have a Wallas parafin hob with the two cast iron circular plates.I think it's fantastic.It heats up very fast ,is very economical and looks good to boot.
Instalation was difficult as in a frustrated attempt at saving money I used normal stainless tube for a flue.I routed it to the transom and made a skin fitting for it.I should have used their own "flexible" aluminium tube .Expensive.
The hob is gimballed and I'm still to solve the problem of the flexible connection to the bit of the flue attached to the hull.I found some flexible aluminium tube of the type used for gas water heaters.The problem is that the smallest diameter I could find was 90cm.Anyway I made some S.Steel fittings to adapt everything and I think I got it right this time.
The electrical part is easy and as it takes a lot of amps on startup it needs a big fuse.I made a small dedicated electrical panel and it looks quite neat.

 

[FergusM]

In PBO 428, August 2002, there is an article looking at alternatives to gas for cooking. The test team looked at Wallas diesel, Taylors paraffin and the Origo meths cookers.

They really liked the Wallas, though it was expensive. One thing they said was that it made excellent toast Aga-style, by laying the bread on a rack over the hotplate. They reckoned that the Origo was the best buy. I have an Origo in my boat, and have had on my previous two boats as well. I think they are excellent.

It might be worth you asking the copy shop for a copy of the article, pages 114 to 121.

 

[trouville]

Arnt the PBO achives online somewhere??As this is their forum too could we have a link please.

On a very much smaller scale im also considering other cookers than gas

 

[FWB]

I have used a Wallas diesel cooker and think it's very good. Takes about 4 minutes to start, which is same as Taylors Paraffin stove.But Wallas needs electrics to run.
I chose a Taylors in the end because during the decision process of which type to buy, our home electronic hob failed. I decided that I didnt want to risk this at sea. Probably wrong decision but electronics can fail, the Taylors is very basic and easy to service. Contrary to popular opinion the Taylors is very easy to light, the trick being to put a kettle on the flame during the preheating process.

 

[seacat]

We have a Taylors 028 unit at present and very good it is too. I remember the PBO report with respect to the Taylors and decided the test panel were a bunch of pathetic wallys in that they couldn't learn how to light it. Its not rocket science. Its easy; the trick is to ensure adequate preheat (we always fill the meths reservoir up and let it burn all the way) and then it lights first time, every time, no flare-ups, no worries. My wife took to it like a duck to water, and she uses it most.

The only thing is its a bit like camping, and we want to move on from that. I am worried about the electronics with the Wallas though - another thing to go wrong. But it does look and sound good.......... Plus, like all flame cookers, the Taylor adds water vapour to the cabin atmosphere, which in my book equals more condensation, which the Wallas doesn't.

 

[Abigail]

Hi - we have a Wallas cooker and hob which we have lived aboard with for nearly two years.

We did have some initial teething problems, and in the end wallas replaced a necessary part with no problems. We have also just serviced the hob burner for the first time and found it not too difficult (though, as karunda acknowlege, the instruction manual could be improved).

It is extremely expensive - we decided to go ahead for two main reasons:
(i) getting rid of gas and
(ii) freeing one of only two deck access lockers for safety gear like sea anchors etc.

We would not have done it if not living aboard though, because of the costs.

Having said that, we do really like it. It's v simple and and excellent cooker. You do have to think like an aga - ie turn it on when you start cooking, rather than like gas - turn it on after you've chopped everything up and put it in the pan - but that's not so hard. It does indeed cook beautifully.


HTH but ask if you want to know more.