Live aboards: what kind of oven do you have or wish you had?

[skyhawk]

seems like you value a microwave for veggies....so maybe get a convection microwave.

I cant speak from the perspective of boats, but I can say the little LP oven in our RV is horrible. Very hard to bake cookies or anything without burning. We barely ever use it...but use our microwave for reheating and such quite a lot.

At home, I personally don't like a microwave but my DW would not want to go without (mainly for reheating leftovers, cooking veggies, etc...). I find them to make the food odd and prefer to reheat in our big convection oven or stovetop..... (or our little air fryer). Even heating up a can of beans or something, I'll grab a small pan and put it on the stove every time. I just don't like a microwave.

at our house, my wife bought a little air fryer about a year ago. I find the name of it to be cheezy and offputting...like a gimic..... it's not a fryer...it's nothing but a convection oven! Ours is a little odd shaped round thing...which is probably good for airflow, but is otherwise odd and has limited space. Otherwise we love it and use it quite often.

If it were me, I'd look into the countertop style convection ovens (like the air fryer you linked) that are more square box toaster oven shaped. I'm not sure how they'd do for baking cakes or cookies, but otherwise it seems to be just an improved electric oven.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by fxykty

We are planning to remove our propane stove and oven and replacing with electric.

The stove seems an easy decision: induction hob. We will need to swap out some of our beloved Tefal cookware with removable handles, but that’s OK.

For oven, we’re not just sure. We currently use our oven primarily for grilling (sandwiches, flat breads, vegetables, anything with a cheesy topping), roasting (vegetables, meat cuts), baking (breads, muffins) and keeping pancakes or bacon warm while cooking more.

The only thing we don’t do on our boat that we do in our land home is using a microwave: defrosting things and cooking vegetables.

Our oven choice has three options:[LIST][*] no oven, use countertop appliances instead such as toaster oven, electric grill, etc[*] air fryer type countertop oven like this Sunbeam https://www.sunbeam.co.nz/kitchen-an...-and-air-fryer[*] built in convection oven with or without microwave capability such as this Panasonic https://www.panasonic.com/au/consume...nn-cf770m.html

The costs go up as we go down the list.

Is there any need for microwave capability? We don’t have the time pressure on the boat, but cooking vegetables in a microwave is fast and efficient with no added water.

Have not read the other replies but instead of an oven, we use this 12L Turbo Broiler for whole chicken roasts, baking, lasagna meatloaf etc

Basically a portable convection oven, its great for the tropics because we can take it outside.

25% faster than a conventional oven, runs off the inverter, and very multifunctional inside or outside

We just bought a new one after using the first one at least once a week for 12 years....just love it!

[goboatingnow]

The air fryer for the boat is a nice idea , I use our one at home a lot , but I find them bulky to store on board

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by Chotu

I’m guessing this works just as well as any of the marine or RV ovens?

Bonus is that thermometer. You can see the actual temperature.

With the marine and RV ovens, you get a lousy heat distribution and you don’t know the actual temperature . You have to rotate everything and can’t rely on timing to know how long to cook something for.

Actually works quite well for the little baking i do . Baking powder biscuits about 2 times a month . But it is better than not having anything.

Considering my 29 is not big enough for the battery bank and solar needed to run a bulky convection oven for how often I bake stuff.

[zeilersailor]

We are very pleased with our Force 10 3 burner gimballed stove.
The oven works great....

[Mike OReilly]

Seems like the OP is headed in a different direction, but to answer your question: I have a standard propane 2-burner stove with small oven (Force-10).

Works great. We tend to live on board for about 1/2 of each year. When on board we cook virtually all meals, three times a day. Lots of baking as well (roasts, bread, cookies, casseroles, etc...).

Oven is to small for a turkey, but otherwise it works great.

[SV__Grace]

This wouldn't apply to you as your oven cooking needs can be met with a microwave, but here's a couple of tips for the foodies who like to bake and do serious oven cooking.

Even though we have a newish, sizable Force 10 propane stove/oven, because the oven temp is uneven, especially at higher temps, for baking and slow cooking my wife prefers to use these two devices recommended by The Boat Galley-

Stove Top Oven

Slow cooking Wonderbag

They both work really well and save us lots of propane and time.

[zengirl]

I have a Hillarange. No microwave. I really dislike cooking with electric. You can't really control the heat. Their idea of simmer is not mine. It's like difference of a non stick pan and a cast iron pan.

[wingssail]

I know you're looking for recommendations/ideas for electric oven or baking appliances. Not being an electric boat I can't help you much.

The thing for us is space limitations in the galley. Any seperate appliance must be able to be put away when not in use. Our 43 foot boat has a lot of storage but the galley is filled already (we can fit a small microwave, and had designed a space for it but found it to be little used so we removed it and used the space for another big drawer).

What fits is a three burner gimbled propane stove with oven. Simple, no extra things to put away, no electricity to generate, and it can be used underway in any conditions. We do most of our cooking on the stove top or the propane BBQ on deck, but the oven is there and available. Yesterday we baked two pumpkin pies and today I'm baking a string bean cassarole. Other years we've roasted turkeys. It is controlled with a knob like a burner and a temperature guage is on the rack inside, you crack the door to see the temp. With a difuser at the bottom and insulation on the sides and top it works well and the heat is even but you have to watch the heat, yesterday while pre-heating it got to 550 deg. a bit too hot for a pie.

[Singularity]

In addition to the microwave, a pressure cooker can produce (in the least) safe-to-eat food with relatively least energy; accordingly I see them both a serving a niche while having both is inexpensive redundancy (space permitting). Pressure cooker otherwise quite versatile. I miss a proper oven and to date have never found a countertop oven I liked.

Anyone with experience baking in a dutch oven on an induction hob? Bread? Pizza? Casseroles? Insofar as you can ad-hoc externally insulate a dutch oven ~pan on a hob, maybe this would serve most baking needs at lower energy than a ~toaster oven?

[gonesail]

i can't imagine giving up gas for electric

[Mike OReilly]

To me, a microwave is a terrible device for cooking food. It's ok at heating some stuff up, even there is not great because of the differential way it heats some areas. I've never used one to cook an interesting meal, although I suppose you could learn to do so.

And I'm with zengirl (& gonesail) on the dislike of electric heating. Gas is so much better to cook with. That said, I've never tried induction cooking. Someday...

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by zengirl

I have a Hillarange. No microwave. I really dislike cooking with electric. You can't really control the heat. Their idea of simmer is not mine. It's like difference of a non stick pan and a cast iron pan.

Have you tried induction?

[gulfcoastsailor]

I dumped the original oven and alcohol burners. Replaced with two burner induction cooktop and 1200V mini microwave. Also have my propane oven /grill on the rail.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

To me, a microwave is a terrible device for cooking food. It's ok at heating some stuff up, even there is not great because of the differential way it heats some areas. I've never used one to cook an interesting meal, although I suppose you could learn to do so.

And I'm with zengirl (& gonesail) on the dislike of electric heating. Gas is so much better to cook with. That said, I've never tried induction cooking. Someday...

I think we've had this conversation before. Just try induction, and get back to us For most of us, it's a BIGGER difference to gas, than gas is to resistance electric cooking; a real revolution.


As to microwaves -- like other tools, they are good at certain things and not for others. Can't beat 'em for warming up leftovers, steaming vegetables, defrosting. Some other dishes are really good with combination microwave/grill. And you have to set them right and be careful not to overdo it.