Cooking onboard

[Ray W W iii]

This forum has been very helpful so here is another question. Has anyone ever cooked with denatured alcohol? Our boat is a 1981 Bayliner Monterey Sunbridge and has a 2 burner stove in it. We have never used it, but would very much like to make coffee on the boat, were just a little nervous.

 

[88wellcraft]

Re: Cooking onboard

We had a boat that had the combo electric and alcohol.....used the alcohol once but didn't like the way it heated up....seemed to take forever.....so we used the electric mostly for coffee and such.
I do believe that someone sells a 12 volt coffee maker but i'm not sure.

we did have a magma bbq that we could mount on the back rail of the boat that we used all the time. you could use a perculator on one of those.

 

[Ray W W iii]

Re: Cooking onboard

Thank you very much

 

[JoLin]

Re: Cooking onboard

Same setup as 88Wellcraft. I've used the alcohol once too, to perk a pot of coffee. Took 35-40 min utes to make an 8-cup pot. I'll try it again to make 6 cups instead of 8. My impression is that it's probably better for reheating food than cooking.

I've used a propane camp stove on the boat, too. They work great, but it's another thing to store. My previous boat had a single burner butane stove that was easily transported around the boat and very easy to use, but also slower than propane. The problem is BTU output. Alcohol produces the least, then butane, then propane.

There are numerous 12-volt appliances available, but from what I've seen and heard, most don't work very well, and 'cooking type' appliances draw a lot of amps.

Anyway, give it a try- find the manufacturer's instructions on the web. If it's a Kenyon, they're located in CT and have great customer support.

 

[seaboo]

Re: Cooking onboard

I've used a propane camp stove on the boat, too. They work great, but it's another thing to store. My previous boat had a single burner butane stove that was easily transported around the boat and very easy to use, but also slower than propane. The problem is BTU output. Alcohol produces the least, then butane, then propane.

+1
I use a propane stove alot. A small backpacking model (so storage in no problem) I fire it up either on the swim platform or beach the boat and use it on land (or at the marinia on the picnic table) Great for a perculator (and bacon and eggs )

 

[JoLin]

Re: Cooking onboard

I get your point about removing propane from the boat, but I don't have a big concern with using my propane stove in the cockpit. Whether the fuel is alcohol, butane or propane, you need to monitor it. They all have inherent risks, but all are perfectly manageable if you pay attention to what's going on.

 

[riptide09]

Re: Cooking onboard

We use a small propane grill all the time. My buddy welded together an arm for it with a mount. Bolt the grill to the arm and mount the arm in a hole previously used for a cup/rod holder. It sits out over the side of the boat and no problems. I have a small boat so we only bring it along when we know we are going to use it. Can't imagine being without it when we are spending the day anchored at the sand bar eating, swimming and blasting tunes along with all the other boats. Before I had a mount for it we would sit it on the seat in the bow of the boat and it worked good that way.

I have seen people using small charcoal grills on their boats but I am not that brave.

 

[ewenm]

Re: Cooking onboard

i have the same style alcohol / electric twin hot plates. the alcohol scares me witless i wont even consider using it, the electric only works at the marine when we are on shore power. otherwise we use a small butane burner, like a little camping job and it works perfectly

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Cooking onboard

I've got the same combo stove. The alcohol is OK for warming but not worth much for cooking. It will do coffee in an old style aluminum percolator pot (yuck) but not much else. They're safe to use, they just don't get very hot so hard to cook with.

 

[Grand Larsony]

Re: Cooking onboard

No harm in trying the alcohol stove. I had one in prior boat, and with limited shore power I could not use the electric.

For me, contrary to the postings above, the alcohol was GREAT. It's very safe if handled properly. Just remove the cans, take them to the dock, pour alcohol slowly into the cotton packing, wipe off, insert in stove, light with a match. Watch out as it's hard to see the flame.

Like I said, it was a GREAT alternative for me and worked just fine.

 

[Fishing Dude too]

Re: Cooking onboard

Just looked at a 12v coffee pot at the local Piolot (truck stop) was not a bad price but if that's all you want it for. Just remember that if you use a heat producing device it will pull lots of power so you may want to use a isolating circuit on a second battery so you still have power to start you motor.

 

[stackz]

Re: Cooking onboard

$25 power inverter from walmart. $7 12v plug from walmart wired to the battery. $13 electric single cup coffee maker.

as many cups of coffee brewed in a minute each that you could want.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Cooking onboard

I used the alcohol stove on my carver all the time for bacon and eggs in the morning.... the worst thing about it was the fumes... I have a genset on the wellcraft and a alchohol/electric stove so I just use the electric... it has a built in coffee maker and microwave (both from 1989 lol) too so i'm spoiled now

If you are gonna use the alcohol stove, look up the lighting instructions on the manufacturers website... there are often some adjustments that are not obvious that make a BIG difference on how it burns and how much fumes it puts out.

 

[Ray W W iii]

Re: Cooking onboard

I want to thank all of you with your help!!! These forums are the "BEST HELP" we have been searching for a 12 volt coffe maker and have'nt had much luck except online. I do like the Coleman stove idea so we can do more than just make coffee. i really like the fishing pole holder and arm idea that's slick!!!

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Cooking onboard

go to a big truckstop and you can get all sorts of 12v appliances

 

[Ray W W iii]

Re: Cooking onboard

We are going to the closest big truck stop we have (35 miles) this afternoon

 

[John3]

Re: Cooking onboard

I've got a 2 burner Alcohol Stove. Use it for all basic cooking. Mine has a hand pump to pressurize the tank. When the burner is cold I pressurize the tank, open the burner valve to let a SMALL amount of Alcohol in the burner (Mine has a couple of small plates under the burner for that purpose, don't let the Alcohol overflow the plates). I light the liquid Alcohol & let it burn out (Don't turn on the valve until it's completely burned out.), then I light the burner. It produces a good hot flame for cooking, frying, boiling.
Of course a nice thing about Alcohol is, it mixes with water & an Alcohol fire can be extinguished with water.

 

[rbh]

Re: Cooking onboard

+? on the propane stove!!!

The older alcohol stoves have a tendancy to have the o-rings dry out which then becomes a major fire hazard.
At this time we have converted an old 3 burner coleman stove over to propane.

20 pound propane tank on swim grid.

Would like to re and re the old alcohol/electric stove to propane, but would have to run the hose to the back of the boat (swim grid) for ventalation purposes.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Cooking onboard

I've got a 2 burner Alcohol Stove. Use it for all basic cooking. Mine has a hand pump to pressurize the tank. When the burner is cold I pressurize the tank, open the burner valve to let a SMALL amount of Alcohol in the burner (Mine has a couple of small plates under the burner for that purpose, don't let the Alcohol overflow the plates). I light the liquid Alcohol & let it burn out (Don't turn on the valve until it's completely burned out.), then I light the burner. It produces a good hot flame for cooking, frying, boiling.
Of course a nice thing about Alcohol is, it mixes with water & an Alcohol fire can be extinguished with water.

Hopefully the OP doesn't have a pressurized alky stove. They fell out of favor long ago because of the potential to spew burning fuel. They must be very carefully operated and maintained. They probably burn hotter than the gravity/passive models (like mine), but I personally wouldn't use one.

My .02

 

[Ray W W iii]

Re: Cooking onboard

once again this forum is the best and because what i have heard the alcohol stove is out. We have small children and the clear flame makes us nervous. I looked at your setup rbh and that looks like a winner I do appreciate all your help!!!!