Stove top cooking

Divecoz · Post by **Divecoz** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 8:02 pm

Too good to be true / Junk of a real find ?
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... mber=43343
What do you think ?

Greg · Post by **Greg** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 8:37 pm

I checked it out at the local Harbor Freight store. It's pretty heavy and bulky- it didn't impress me enough to want it in my gally which I'm in the process of redoing now, or to set up for portable use. I'm sticking with the single alcohol stove and the grill aft.

Greg

Duane Dunn, Allegro · Post by **Duane Dunn, Allegro** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 8:41 pm

Keep the propane appliances outside. Our boats don't have the proper galley setup to handle propane appliances in the cabin.

DLT · Post by **DLT** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 8:52 am

It has been my experience that most things at harbor freight are too good to be true... You get what you pay for, in many cases...

I very breifly looked at that stove once upon a time. I'm not sure it comes with all the fittings you'll need to mate it to a cylinder...

Divecoz · Post by **Divecoz** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 3:25 pm

But from my experiences as well it was too good to be true .
Just. . . . Wishful thinking I guess.

Randy Smith · Post by **Randy Smith** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 6:37 pm

I used a single burner one like this for six years. I took and fitted it to a hose and could use small disposable bottles. When I lived on my boat, I found it to be a great stove. It is well made and I found it to be very effective. It is large. It is a good stove. The Admiral liked it. I have recently taken it out of the galley as it is cumbersome and wanted room more than the stove. I did have it attached so it was a fixture, not portable. I would not be afraid to use it if fitted to bottles. Again, it was great when I needed a dedicated stove for living on the boat. I have gone to the little portable butane stove, as I don't live aboard. Purchased it at Sportsman's wharehouse.
OK, the stove at harbor freight is great for what it is and depends on what you want it for. I have a friend who uses a stove like that, also attached to the small bottles as Duanne is exactly right, care must be take with propane...then again, flames on a boat are always something to be concerened about.........it isn't a bad idea and I commend your divergent thinking, are there better out there? Yes, but is it right for you? Maybe?

Randy

Murv Barry · Post by **Murv Barry** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 6:47 pm

I saw that stove quite some time ago and would have bought it except I had already purchased a 2 butner from an RV store. Best to keep the propane outside. Home Depot sells 1 gall propane bottles that fit in the fuel area.

Murv Barry 01X - San Diego

Divecoz · Post by **Divecoz** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 7:38 pm

For the cost I'll take a look and maybe try it... if I dont like it I can take it to Coz someone will make good use of it down there.

Mark Chamberlain · Post by **Mark Chamberlain** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 7:55 pm

I bought a 39.99 two burner stove from Wal-Mart. it uses the 1 lb bottles. I found this to be the best on the Mac after 4 years of the built in acohol one I got with the boat.

Coffee took far to long, one burner, and no grill.
The 39.99 propane stove folds away in a small slim package.
We have stayed on the boat every year for 4 5 day trips without coming on land.

Propane was my answer for cooking on a Mac.

Heats water fast and after 4 days no shower and water is too cold to get into it is nice to have a haot wash down in minutes.

Go Propane!!!!
Mark
Wind Musher

Randy Smith · Post by **Randy Smith** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 11:24 pm

Propane is fine as long as you are careful and vent the cabin(forced with fan) All fuels, except alcohol are heavier than air, so they will settle in the bottom of the boat.......alcohol scares me because I can't see it burning.......everyone be careful and dilligent about their fuels regardless of choice. I found the little butane burner is great because I only take the chill off the cabin as I make coffee. I only cook out on the BBQ/Stove hanging out on the rail. I used the propane burner and it was really great, as I said before, no problems and yes I could heat a bath full of water quick. I used to wake up at five every morning, heat about two gallons of hot water, cool it to temp in a little tub at the bottom of the companion steps, have a little bath/shower/scrub...be to work by 7:oo comfy as a bug. I know I couldn't do that with butane or alcohol. Of course, I don't know if I would live on the Mac again...I think I would go get a different boat to live on and continue to play with the Mac. It does ruin the fun to go recreat in your house.........

Randy

Catigale · Post by **Catigale** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 2:48 am

We had a long thread on this last winter, but its worth repeating asa safety item

Alcohol (denatured Ethanol) is more dense than air, so it will stick in your bilge. Its safer than all the various Hydrocarbon fuels as its vapour pressure (degree to which it likes to be in gas phase) is much lower.

Keep all bulk fuels topside in locker rather than down below
Use common sense and keep fire extinguishers handy when cooking below
All fuels will make water (annoying) and CO (lethal!) while burning, so no heating up the soup while sleeping below.

We went to propane on Catigale last summer and use it for
two burner stove
BBQ on stern
Hot water heater for showers

We keep propane cylinders in a ziplock with dessicant tto keep them from rusting in the port side fuel locker up top. They go on to the appliance, get used, then come off and right back up top.

tcoltrane · Post by **tcoltrane** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 2:52 am

My stove is a single burner "coleman matchlight" propane unit. I paid $18.95 for it
at Wallmart. She cranks out
10,000 BTU's. I cut a 6 1/2"
hole in a cutting board and
mounted the stove on it. I
then cut a hole in the counter top and mounted the cutting
board to the counter top with
a carriage bolt and wing nut
so it is removable. I
can change cylinders for it
in the cockpit with not danger.
Most of my boat cooking is done in presto stainless steel four
quart pressure cooker. If I
wanted a two burner I would
just have two of these mounted.
a pressure cooker.

DLT · Post by **DLT** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 6:35 am

If you guys want a cheap portable propane stove, check this out. I have one of these that I use for camping and love it... I've just used it with the disposable propane bottles, but it will also take butane or the larger propane tanks (with an adapter).

I have yet to use it on the boat, but that's because I have yet to really need to cook anything on the boat.

One thing to keep in mind with propane (which has been mentioned before but I just didn't see it here), is: Everytime you remove the bottle from the stove, a little propane leaks out. So, if you do this while in the cabin, that little bit of propane settles to your cabin sole or bilge. Do that enough times and you could have a problem...

Of course, any gas lost while lighting the stove would also go somewhere...

So, I'd recommend keeping the propane outside at all times, even while cooking. If you really must cook inside, at least mate the bottle to the stove and remove the bottle from the stove outside...

Catigale · Post by **Catigale** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 11:25 am

mate the bottle to the stove and remove the bottle from the stove outside...

Good advice indeed.

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