Keep or toss Toaster Oven and Microwave?

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by svBeBe

There are all kinds of cheeses produced in the US as well as different US brands of the same type cheeses. As in most things, you get what you pay for. Buy the cheap 'cheese' and you are most likely buying an imitation processed cheese product and not real cheese. There are Wisconsin cheddar cheeses that rival any English cheddar. And then there are the supermarket cheap imitations. Frankly, my favorite for cooking is Longhorn cheese because it melts the best. The English cheddars tend to raise up oil on top when melted rather than melt into a creamy texture.

As for Budweiser, you might have a point. Never tasted the stuff.

Judy

I know we're off topic here but there are other brands of cheese that melt well gruyere comes to mind, Gorgonzola melts well as many types of French cheeses

Dave

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by montenido

Hi all,

I am now officially signed up for the Baja-Haha, which leaves San Diego in October for the tip of Baja. With that in mind, I am busy prepping my boat in all manner of ways. In the galley I currently have both a toaster oven and microwave, which both came with the boat. I don't see the need for either, but I wanted to ask all of you who cruise, are these items worth keeping aboard? Or are they something to lose in favor of gaining valuable counter space?

Thanks in advance.

Cheers, Bill

My boat had a cubby for a microwave but, I filled it up with kitchen stuff and wine. So I don't think I'll ever put the microwave back. But, I am thinking about a toaster oven. One because the propane oven scares me and uses too much propane and two I have a Honda 2000 generator on board that can power it as well as power a number of other things on board. Sometimes I would like to make a Lasagna without heating up the whole cabin.

[redsky49]

As mentioned above, a microwave avoids the inevitable heat/condensation of a propane stove. In addition, there is the safety advantage of being able to walk away from an operating microwave, while that is often not the case with a stove.

Also there is the speed/convenience of warming/rewarming soup or coffee - something that may be critical to an alert and capable crew.

We recharge our batteries with a diesel generator, during which we fire up all the electric conveniences, including the microwave if needed. We don't use it daily, but probably four or five times a week. The propane stove, maybe twice or three times a week.

Depends a lot on how you cook/prepare food. We like to eat, but neither my wife nor I care to spend a lot of time in front of a stove. The microwave saves time.

Give it a try and see if it works for you.

[zeehag]

have never experienced condensation from my propane stove. not in coldville, not in tropics.

if you havent used one or the other in the past 3 yrs, ditch em.you wont magically begin to use em when cruising.

would be glad to meet ye...come on down...is beautiful here.

[sww914]

We don't have a microwave and I don't miss it. Most stuff comes out better heated another way. I'd like to have a toaster oven if I were all marina'd up all the time, a well toasted croissant or danish is a pretty great thing and I like many different toasted sandwiches. The broiler heats up the whole boat.
On the coffee subject, the Octopus's Garden in La Cruz has the finest dark roasted coffee that I've ever had. I buy a kilo at a time when it's still warm, vacuum pack it in 1/4lb packs and it's always perfectly fresh.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by sww914

We don't have a microwave and I don't miss it. Most stuff comes out better heated another way. I'd like to have a toaster oven if I were all marina'd up all the time, a well toasted croissant or danish is a pretty great thing and I like many different toasted sandwiches. The broiler heats up the whole boat.
On the coffee subject, the Octopus's Garden in La Cruz has the finest dark roasted coffee that I've ever had. I buy a kilo at a time when it's still warm, vacuum pack it in 1/4lb packs and it's always perfectly fresh.

I luvs me coffee. How much is it down there Steve?
By the way...Nelsons closed down...

[sww914]

90 pesos a kilo for still warm French & Espresso roast.
I heard that about Nelson's. Where's Stu going to live now?

[zeehag]

cs--whenye get to barra and zihuatenejo the coffee is priced at 120 and 150 pesos per kilo...been trying to find good coffee for less, will keep you both advised..

[JPA Cate]

Montenido,

If you're just going for the Ha-ha, and you don't use the items ashore, why not just chuck 'em? If you should miss them, then you could put them on after you go back. However, if the toaster oven is the only oven, keep it, it's big enough to bake a single loaf of bread in.

We've been cruising about 25 yrs. now, and make toast on the stove top with a camp toaster. The space represented by a toaster oven would allow you to store 4 kilos of coffee beans, for instance. But our marine stoves all have had an oven (and not all do), so foods that are really best baked, we have a way of doing that doesn't involve gasoline or diesel fuel and a genset. It is really easy to become dependent on a genset. And they require maintenance, just like the ship's engine does. If you're already tied in to using it, then you'll be maintaining it routinely anyway, so the "dependency" argument becomes irrelevant.

Anyhow, enjoy the HaHa.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by sww914

90 pesos a kilo for still warm French & Espresso roast.
I heard that about Nelson's. Where's Stu going to live now?

I was there today...Stu's there still bitchin about that damn O bama and his boat also is almost done...LOL!. I see a few boats that have been there for years having the lead cut out of the keels.
Wow...$7.50 a Key...

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by zeehag

cs--whenye get to barra and zihuatenejo the coffee is priced at 120 and 150 pesos per kilo...been trying to find good coffee for less, will keep you both advised..

Still pretty cheap...

[Abrain]

Originally Posted by montenido

Hi all,

I am now officially signed up for the Baja-Haha, which leaves San Diego in October for the tip of Baja. With that in mind, I am busy prepping my boat in all manner of ways. In the galley I currently have both a toaster oven and microwave, which both came with the boat. I don't see the need for either, but I wanted to ask all of you who cruise, are these items worth keeping aboard? Or are they something to lose in favor of gaining valuable counter space?

Thanks in advance.

Cheers, Bill

Hey have fun on the trip I will be trying to make the run sometime in the near future.

We have no toaster or microwave on board our Westsail and have learned to do without them. In fact I wonder why we ever needed one when we lived in a house.

[kingwoodie]

Originally Posted by montenido

Hi all,

I am now officially signed up for the Baja-Haha, which leaves San Diego in October for the tip of Baja. With that in mind, I am busy prepping my boat in all manner of ways. In the galley I currently have both a toaster oven and microwave, which both came with the boat. I don't see the need for either, but I wanted to ask all of you who cruise, are these items worth keeping aboard? Or are they something to lose in favor of gaining valuable counter space?

Thanks in advance.

Cheers, Bill

Congrats Bill. We started our circumnavigation with the Baha-Haha in Oct 2002. Now, get rid of all the stuff in your galley in favor of ice chests and pack them with as much ice as you can. You'll need it for the hangovers and drinks. We navigated by following the odor of beer in the air. Get ready for the time of your life but I doubt that you'll remember much of it.
Have fun and always obey the Gran-Pooba.

[GypsyHawk]

A question from an ignorant Aussie. What is a toaster oven?
Re other posts, IMO all comes down to an approach/philosophy to cruising, a continuum from simple and low maintenance to all the modern (and high powered and high maintenance) household conveniences. All an individual choice factored by wants, needs, budget and boats capacity.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Generally for small ticket items like this, power draw and space are the biggest considerations. The only electrical appliance I use in the galley is a stick mixer (and that needs an extension cord to be dragged from the workshop and the inverter turned on).

Having come from a kitchen back home bristling with all the 'latest and greatest' it was a big change for me, but one I have adapted to in time. No appliances at all I really miss.

Before ditching something you already have on board though, I would suggest try living with the boat set up as it is before deciding if these items are vital for you. It is not something someone else can answer .