Wow - Induction Cooktop

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by flee27

In addition to running inductive loads a true sign wave inverter is WAY more efficient than a modified sign wave inverter (like 30% more). This alone is worth the price when you translate that into battery capacity needed.
...

MSW inverters are more efficient with resistive loads.

I still want a nice Victron 3000 watt inverter charger combo to replace my older Xantrex 2000watt/100amp combo unit. But it's not all peaches and cream. Pure Sine Wave inverters cost more, seem more likely to fail and they use more power heating water, which we do almost daily on the boat using solar.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by nwdiver

Also if people can talk brands.......I use a cheap little $150 portable, I'm thinking about a 2 burner unit to gimble will spend up to $500-600 for a good one, I looked at a Wolfe but it didn't look like it would handle a marine installation.....

Also doubt you could find a Wolf for under $1000.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by wingssail

Kenomac, you have a 24 volt system, right, so that 4Ah at 5 mins = 48 amps=1200 watts. correct? (but of course it's only for 5 minutes, so 100Wh.

So, if you cook two meals a day (breakfast, 2 eggs, coffee toast) (dinner, steak, veggies, potatoes) for two people, how much power do you estimate that will take?

What about the wash-up afterwards?

No, I used a total of 4Ah from the battery bank over the five minutes for frying steaks and 2Ah from the bank for the eggs, so the total draw/egergy consumed was 6Ah for the preparation of both meals.

Anywhere between 20-30Ah for the entire day for cooking, depending of course on what we eat and how long it takes to prepare... sometimes less. If it’s a big meal for guests and includes baking, we can always turn on the generator and use up to five high energy draw appliances at the same time. We are limited to no more than two appliances at medium energy settings when on the 2500w inverter alone.

Clean up is simple, just wipe off the top.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Paul L

I can see that working fine in a marina and at anchor. I was wondering what people do with indiction cooking on passages, like a trans-Atlantic or Pacific.

We still have the propane stoves on each boat with the fiddles for backup. Getting a convection cooktop doesn’t have to mean getting rid of propane.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

We still have the propane stoves on each boat with the fiddles for backup. Getting a convection cooktop doesn’t have to mean getting rid of propane.

Undestod. It would just be nice to be able to ditch the propane system altogether.

[coopec43]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Undestod. It would just be nice to be able to ditch the propane system altogether.

I'm 100% with you there. You don't have to get rid of gas but what a great idea?

I'm going to see if the gas bottle locker is big enough for a small a/c inverter generator.

[cj88]

I always quite liked this idea of replacing the old gimballed setup with a gimballed induction cooktop and underslung convection/microwave oven.


https://www.reddit.com/r/sailing/com...tion_oven_and/

[alctel]

Originally Posted by Paul L

I can see that working fine in a marina and at anchor. I was wondering what people do with indiction cooking on passages, like a trans-Atlantic or Pacific.

In my case, I use my propane stove as it is gimbaled with potholders. I could probably have bodged something up as the induction cooktop fit ontop of the stove but it was just easier to use the propane stove for cooking until I got to an anchorage.

Still used an electric kettle on passage though.

[Tillsbury]

I like the idea of replacing the propane system entirely, although I guess that removes the possibility of still having hot food even if there’s an electrical failure. I have a convection microwave, so would love to replace the propane oven with a dishwasher if I could organise that and still get a gimballed cooktop above it. Something to ponder for the future...

I doubt that a generator would be good where most gas lockers are (if they’re at the stern). But it sure would be handy to gain all the space they take up.

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by Paul L

I can see that working fine in a marina and at anchor. I was wondering what people do with indiction cooking on passages, like a trans-Atlantic or Pacific.

If you are doing away with gas altogether just build a gimballed platform/mount for the induction hob(s) with adjustable pot fiddles similar to to a normal marine gas hob.

I envisage a recessed platform to retain the flush characteristics of a normal induction kitchen counter installation, which is especially nice for cleaning and as added counter space when not cooking. NB: pay attention to the 'under counter' ventilation requirements of the induction unit.

Catamarans with induction hobs report that at the most they use a silicone mat between the pot and the hob when at sea and that this is sufficient.

But I would still prefer some type of fiddle system, removable for normal conditions. And of course that is essential on a monohull for use at sea.

There are other threads discussing this.

Also many boats are moving to all electric galleys and doing away with gas. It is much more easily achievable now, even without needing a generator, and instead using the LiPo batteries and good Solar panels that are readily available these days.

The good Battery bank is really the key to all of this. LiPo is particularly good at not having a big voltage drop when hit with a big amp load like from a galley appliance. How you then recharge will still be boat dependant - Solar, Alternator, Wind, Generator, or combination thereof, is still up to each boat to decide.

Below is my favourite thread on the subject which really demonstrates what is possible now, and it almost seems magical compared to years past.

Other boats could easily have a simpler setup using the same theory, some existing equipment, some new, and some mods (as a few people have already posted here).

Personally I would my next boat to be a catamaran, with outboards, and this would mean only one fuel (petrol) would need to be carried for both propulsion, extra/emergency charging (backup Honda genset), and the dinghy. Some people are even putting electric outboards on their dinghy too now.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ey-201795.html

[coopec43]

Originally Posted by Tillsbury

I doubt that a generator would be good where most gas lockers are (if they’re at the stern). But it sure would be handy to gain all the space they take up.

I have an infrared microwave which browns the meat like an ordinary oven. (Actually I just checked that is the same as a "convection microwave")

My gas locker is toward the stern so why does that make it no good for a generator? I am bewildered!

[Dockhead]

One more very satisfied induction user here. I agree with "Wow" as the best adjective. I have to say, I didn't expect it to be so good. A great leap forward in cooking technology.


I have two of them, but one is in a locker somewhere. I used the gas stove a few times on passage from the UK to Finland (1400 miles in 9 days) in May, but haven't used it since.


My NuWave is a European version which uses 2200 watts, but you can reduce the wattage if you are juggling loads. It runs happily off my nominally 2500 watt Victron charger/inverter.


I use a silicon mat to reduce slippage underway, but I haven't found a good way to use it on a heel. Putting it on top of the gimballed gas stove makes it top heavy, and the pot is then too high to be caught by the fiddles, so I don't do that.


If one wanted to use two of these at once, you would just keep one of them on the low wattage setting and I think the power demand would be manageable.


Induction cooking is the best thing since sliced bread. Next boat will not have gas.

[cj88]

Some options.

[jmh2002]

^^^ And thank you to @cj88 for posting pics of exactly what I described earlier.

Originally Posted by jmh2002

...just build a gimballed platform/mount for the induction hob(s) with adjustable pot fiddles similar to to a normal marine gas hob.

I envisage a recessed platform to retain the flush characteristics of a normal induction kitchen counter installation...

The variant that appears to have a convection oven/microwave underneath seems especially well executed and attractive

[Tillsbury]

Originally Posted by coopec43

I have an infrared microwave which browns the meat like an ordinary oven. (Actually I just checked that is the same as a "convection microwave")

My gas locker is toward the stern so why does that make it no good for a generator? I am bewildered!

A generator is a pretty hefty piece of kit, and ideally you want it fairly central and low down in the boat if you can. Certainly not high up on the stern where many gas lockers are.