Where's the Dometic alcohol stoves?

[Sailor George]

I love my Origo stove. I removed the old pressurized alcohol stove and never looked back. The only problem I’m having is California has ban the sale of denature Alcohol. I have a few gallons in stock but does anyone know where I can purchase it and have it shipped to Alamedia, CA. Thanks.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Sailor George

I love my Origo stove. I removed the old pressurized alcohol stove and never looked back. The only problem I’m having is California has ban the sale of denature Alcohol. I have a few gallons in stock but does anyone know where I can purchase it and have it shipped to Alamedia, CA. Thanks.

Check with West Marine, I can get it down here in Ventura and Oxnard at 2 locations. I bet you can up there too. It's just more pricey now.

[Don C L]

I just looked up the Alameda store and this is what I found:
https://www.westmarine.com/buy/seafi...26?recordNum=3
I bet it is on the shelf or they will order it for you.

[Sailor George]

Thanks for the tip. Never thought that they would be allowed to sell it in California! I ordered 3 gallons to be delivered to their Alameda store. The order went though, so we shall see if it shows up. I will let you know. Thanks

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Sailor George

Thanks for the tip. Never thought that they would be allowed to sell it in California! I ordered 3 gallons to be delivered to their Alameda store. The order went though, so we shall see if it shows up. I will let you know. Thanks

Yeah I stocked up thinking they were going to run out. They haven't.
BTW do you know a boat there in Alameda, a Freya 39, owner's name is Jim?

[Sailor George]

I know a Jim Hancock who own a Freya.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Sailor George

I know a Jim Hancock who own a Freya.

That's him! We grew up together, elementary school and we were diving buddies in high school. Tell him hi for me and I hope his sailing museum out on Yerba Buena is going well. Gotta give that guy a call.

[loneshark64]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

Invisible flames are always fun to play with.
Pouring flammable fluid inside a rolling vessel.
Having to find suitable alcohol.
Almost no one has them anymore.

Other than some old boats with old stoves, they are going away and with good reason.

This is nonsense. Non pressurized alcohol stoves are safer than propane. Less fumes, less explosion risk, less cost. Also less heat, and this is the reason they have become less popular. You can get the fuel at any hardware store. The PRESSURIZED alcohol stoves were dangerous.

[timb7734]

I have used diesel (slow heat up); alcohol (inconvenient fueling and storage); propane ((my second favorite as a 5 gallon tank lasts months, heats up fast and is safe in a proper install); electric (have to run gen); and my now favorite induction stove off 1200 amp hr lithium battery bank.

[Ken Pole]

Ås previously offered, I have a free but unused Origo which I'm willing to send to whomever pays shipping costs. I'm in Ontario.

[Phantom Jim]

timb7734

Your setup is very nice but it does not appear to be practical on smaller boats where a large battery bank and related equipment would be required.

[carstendenmark]

I have been looking into this matter as my admiral is chinese, and she cooks mainly by WOK.

It is so, that some cookers can deliver up to 15000 BTU of heat (double as usual), and the gas comes from a cheap standard 8oz butane cartridge.
Perfect for chock-burning of food in a small steel wok !
A cartridge will last up to 40 min's, and usually this kind of cooking usually just lasts for 5-10 minutes.

It should be mentioned, that butane gas for heating is no good for use in cold conditions (less than 10C), but my wife won't sail with me when it is that cold, so no problem.

For all other cooking and heating (well, MY cooking :-), I'll prefer a non-pressurized alcohol fueled Origo 3000, if I can get my hands on one.

[Dsalvail]

We've also used our Origo stove for 5 years, as weekend liveaboards. I wanted to switch it for a propane-burning unit, which would have been relatively easy on our 34' Hunter. Friends and dock-mates strongly advised me to consider the actual safety of our non-pressurized alcohol stove and oven: unless you're completely brain-dead, spills will be limited to a few drops, and the occasional spill evaporates quickly. The clean-burning alcohol is hot enough to make soup, re-heat spaghetti sauce, and warm and even toast garlic bread in the oven. Denatured alcohol is cheap and easy to buy at the hardware store (people use it in fancy decorative balcony stoves in colder climates), and my insurance company in Canada actually charges LESS for origo stoves than for the deck-bursting propane tank-connected stoves. Same insurance company limits the amount of propane one can store on the boat at 20 lbs, but allows us to carry 5 gallons of alcohol without raising an eyebrow. Plus, I can wash my paintbrush in the stuff if I'm fixing things on the fly. Count me in the Origo-lovers team.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Rockinar

Dometic quit making the Origo alcohol stoves. Any reason why? Not popular? I dont like my propane stove and was going to take it out and put in an alcohol stove.

I have an Origo stove on my boat. I had an Origo stove on my previous boat. I have also used other stoves -- the pressurized ones, propane ones, butane ones, etc etc for camping and off-grid cabins, and RVs, and so on.


As pointed out upthread, the pressurized alcohol stoves made by Kenyon among others are a completely different design, and are prone to flare ups and refuelling-related fires just as pressurized naptha (Coleman fuel) stoves are. Origo stoves have none of these problems.


The great thing about Origo stoves is that they are self contained. No propane system, no electrical system, nothing. That makes them ideal for smaller cruising boats that don't have a propane system, and for occasional use on daysailers/weekenders.


There are two reasons they have declined in popularity:


1. Fuel availability has become a problem. California no longer allows denatured alcohol to be sold as a paint thinner, and some west-coast distributors have quit carrying it. Prices are up nationwide and there are a growing number of retailers that don't sell it any more because of declining market, regulatory burden, and supply problems. Marine stores are still selling it but it's clear that the problem is just going to get worse.


2. In practice, people are switching to the restaurant-style butane box stoves. No, you're not supposed to use them on a boat. Yes, people do anyway. No, there isn't a pattern of serious accidents. No, I don't have one. No, I don't recommend them. But in reality they have a number of safety advantages over propane because the pressure is lower, there are fewer fittings, and the maximum cylinder size is only 8 oz.


Good luck in your search. Used ones do come up for sale from time to time.

[gonesail]

my propane stove (and heater) is one of the things I like the best about my little boat.