# Kitchen equipment.



## utchuckd (Apr 4, 2010)

Does it matter what quality of kitchen stuff a cruiser uses? Is the marine environment any harder than on land on knives, tools, silverware, etc? What do you use?


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## ccriders (Jul 8, 2006)

I've had problems with stainless tableware rusting when it gets just a little salt water on it and is not rinsed off before storage. Copper pans will heat faster and more evenly than almost anything else thereby saving fuel and providing good cooking results. You sort of have to decide to let copper discolor as proper maintenace will be all but impossible. Even at home I have streamlined my knives to a 17 and a 12 cm santoku knives, a parer and a bread knife. If you are filleting fish then a filet knife would be good. If you grill, good tongs are in order. etc, etc. Good quality will serve you well.
John


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## SlowButSteady (Feb 17, 2010)

Spray-on cooking oil (e.g., Pam) is your friend. Use it often. Use it liberally. Just use it.


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## PorFin (Sep 10, 2007)

It's kind of up to you. 

There's nothing special about the marine environment that would require a fundamentally different composition of materials; if it works at home it'll probably work on the boat. Cookware is cookware. 

Your biggest constraint will be stowing it when not in use. Think smaller than what you'd use at home, and lean heavily towards multitaskers. That perfect omelet pan that you use only for breakfast may not be the best thing to bring aboard.

A good pressure cooker is worth its weight in gold.

OTOH, your home kitchen ain't gonna be asked to provide meals while leaning 15 degrees to port. Things have a tendency to move a lot more, seemingly all by themselves. For serving wares like plates, bowls, cups and the like stick to sturdy stuff like either plastic or even better Corelle.

For tools, plastic or stainless are the best bet -- except for knives (personal preference here, but I've yet to find a decent stainless knife that can hold a good edge.)


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

If you have good carbon-steel knives, you now they'll rust in Kansas or Nevada just form the humiduty in the kitchen. That's one reason stainless became the craze 60? years ago.

But a little surface rust doesn't hurt anything, a little cooking oil can keep it down. One new option are the ceramic knives, which really seem to work well and just can't rust. The usual "german" stainless cutlery brands seem to hold up perfectly well, and a good stainless blade can always be thinner than a ceramic blade will be. 

If you own a cast iron skillet...you may already know rust can be kept away, even from cast iron. Or it can conquer, depends on how you treat the stuff.

Silverware? Well, tableware, not made from silver but from stainless or something shiny these days, doesn't seem to care about marine environments. Tools? Oh yea, you want a can of Boeshield or other corrosion inhibitor, or some corrosion inhibitor strips in the tool box, because rust never sleeps and it loves tool steel.

You can buy surplus berylium-copper tools, used in the arms industry because they don't spark, and those won't corrode at all either. Berylium dust is toxic though, so you don't want to grind or sharpen those.


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## SlowButSteady (Feb 17, 2010)

hellosailor said:


> ...
> 
> You can buy surplus berylium-copper tools, used in the arms industry because they don't spark, and those won't corrode at all either. Berylium dust is toxic though, so you don't want to grind or sharpen those.


Beryllium isn't just toxic, it's REALLY toxic. One speck in your lungs can (and most likely WILL) result in pulmonary cancer. I REALLY wouldn't advise using beryllium tools anywhere you didn't absolutely need them.


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## wingNwing (Apr 28, 2008)

In general, I think you can use the same stuff as you would on land and not pay the inflated marine prices. We use a mix: some plastic picnicware from Target, Corelle dishes, and a set of marine nesting cookware. As was previously stated, stowage is really the enemy here. Our knives are Henkels (sp?) and are stowed in a relatively dry locker; in 10 years fulltime living aboard we haven't had rust issues. Lots of collapsible silicon things, like colander and muffin cups. Pressure cooker is a must-have for so many reasons - not only does it save water & fuel, but the locking lid will prevent splashes, and dry beans themselves store better and make less trash than canned. Of course, we don't have a lot of electric gadgets, although we do have a cordless immersion blender ("stick" blender).


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## Brent Swain (Jan 16, 2012)

My magnetic stainless spoons and forks rusted in the tropics, as did my magnetic stainless sink and strainer, but not the non magnetic ones. The stainless "Made in India" is non magnetic, and super cheap. They don't corrode.
I took my magnet to a scrapyard, and found that the lighter coloured sinks are mostly non magnetic , but the darker ones with the black coating on the outside are magnetic. I switched to the non magnetic one , and have had no further trouble. I couldn't find a non magnetic strainer and bowl, so I had to weld my own up, out of a three inch ss flange and a 1 1/2 inch ss pipe nipple from the scrapyard. No problem with it.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

*Non Stick Cookware*

As most have stated, I don't think it much matters, the biggest obstacle seems to be stowage.

I cant believe I am saying this but...if there is one thing I have more of on the boat than anywhere else, its non stick cookware! Why? Easier and faster to clean = less water usage. I would add, don't spend $$$ on non stick cookware, I have found Tefal a pretty good value. I Never understood why someone would buy a non stick All Clad pan 

I have a lot more tools than I really need aboard, I just cant help myself. The best electric tool you can have in my opinion (other than the coffee grinder, that more of a necessity) is the item wingNwing mentioned, an immersion blender. Of course this item is only useful if you have an inverter/generator, if not I suppose you could buy one of the rechargeable ones and recharge when plugged in. I also have a very handy fish scaler for all that fresh fish, LOL. High Carbon SS knives are my preference on the boat, I have several Wustof Grand Prix series knives held in place with a three magnet rails.

I have a cast iron skillet and griddle on board, I treat them the same way as I would at work/home, light coat of oil after cleaning.

I don't care much for the thin SS stuff, especially the camping type stuff, but it has its place if you have limited stowage  I am not familiar with the "nesting" cookware a lot of folks seem to like.

As much as I like cooking with a Wok, I cant get it hot enough with the boats stove/burner for it to be useful in my opinion so thats out.

A pizza stone works great on the grill. Fits our old Magma grill perfectly, and cooks up a nice pie, plus keeps the heat out of the cabin on those hot days. Just don't preheat it much or it will crack, ask me how I know. 

Another item I recommend is something you can use for steaming, I like the collapsible ones found in most grocery stores. Steaming foods such as veges and fish uses a lot less energy than boiling/blanching them, I steam a lot more often on the boat than at home/work.


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

i have always--since i moved on board in 1990, used just what i used at home. except my mom took my sterling silver away and is keeping it as she seems to think it would only disappear anyway-----smart lady! i currently use plastic tableware, paper plates and cook on whatever i want to --from cast iron, of which i have a small set, to aluminum covered with teflon. btw--i am permanently cruising.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

As usual Chef nails it pretty well. 

We have a a few pieces of Tefal non stick and it does perform extrememly well plus a non stick wok. I'd like something better in the wok department and we'll get that when we move on board but for the moment its OK though we don't do a lot of frying in oil so no need to super heat the thing. I find it works admirably on the Magma BBQ. We also have a traditional Korean stone platter than is fabulous on the BBQ though its weight is a negative. For cooking bacon and eggs it is just wonderful. 

Our tableware is china for at anchor though we keep a set of melamine for eating at sea. Getting really good quality melamine is difficult these days but worth the effort. Our china is heavier than we use at home. Finer would be nice but we found some stuff that has a raised lip which seemed more suitable. We also have good quality wine glasses cos I really do hate drinking decent wine out of plastic. Interestingly enough we've only broken three glasses in the past eight years and they were all down to the people using them not waves. 

Most replaced items would have to be tongs cos the moron who does the bbqing keeps dropping them overboard. 

Oh yes, and we do have a set of Magma stackable cookware that is actually pretty good though doesn't really get a lot of use except for the deep pot used for casseroles and the like. We had a La Crueset type casserole on the old boat which I loved but it is a tadge heavy. Even so it is about to go back on board as it performs so much better than the Magma which I think will eventually get the boot.


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

This is from the context of a liveaboard foodie who sails the bottom paint off my boat and that of others.

As so many have posted above you don't need special "marine" equipment. The only possible consideration is stowage of cookware. Personally I'm not a fan of the removable handles so many stacking systems use. I don't have confidence in them not wobbling when I need good structural connections.

The three most-used pieces of cookware on my boat are a Diamond Swiss high-sided saute, a 5l Kuhn-Rikon pressure cooker, and a 3l glass-topped sauce pan made in Guang Don that my sister brought back from Nepal. I have and carry a set of Farberware pots and pans I bought out of college but they don't get used as often as the above listed items.

Tableware is stainless that my grandmother bought at Macy's sometime in the 50s. No problems in three homes and no problem on the boat.

Cutlery is Henckels Pro-S. It's well made and lasts beautifully. I'm still hunting for the right knife roll to carry them. I have a tri-stone for annual sharpening and use a steel every single time to maintain the edge.



SlowButSteady said:


> Spray-on cooking oil (e.g., Pam) is your friend. Use it often. Use it liberally. Just use it.


To each their own. I use olive oil either drizzled into a pan or sprayed from a manual sprayer. I don't like the chemicals in the commercial sprays.



PorFin said:


> Your biggest constraint will be stowing it when not in use. Think smaller than what you'd use at home, and lean heavily towards multitaskers. That perfect omelet pan that you use only for breakfast may not be the best thing to bring aboard.


I left my omelet pan out of the list above. It's small and doesn't take up much space. I use it for sauteing small amounts of veg sometimes but mostly it's for omelets.



PorFin said:


> For serving wares like plates, bowls, cups and the like stick to sturdy stuff like either plastic or even better Corelle.


Right. Agreed. I have some boatware with nice rubber rings on the bottom for non-skid. I also carry service for two of Great-Aunt Elizabeth's antique china. Janet and I enjoy special meals on china.

Oh yeh - Reidel offers lovely stemless crystal. You don't have to drink out of plastic.



hellosailor said:


> If you own a cast iron skillet...you may already know rust can be kept away, even from cast iron.


Right also. I have a cast iron griddle that does lovely things to meat and fish in the oven. No issues with rust.



wingNwing said:


> Of course, we don't have a lot of electric gadgets, although we do have a cordless immersion blender ("stick" blender).


Bingo. The only electric galley tool I use (and even carry on some deliveries) is a stick blender.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

SVAuspicious said:


> Cutlery is Henckels Pro-S. It's well made and lasts beautifully. I'm still hunting for the right knife roll to carry them.


I may be able to help with this Dave, what are looking for? I have two in my office right now I dont need


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Auspicious-
You might try the Sears tool section for the knife roll. Oddly enough, they make a very nice black nylon tool roll which is probably better sized for knives, and of a nice durable yet flexible cloth,complete with ties.


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## johnnyquest37 (Feb 16, 2012)

My galley is better equipped than my kitchen. Pots and pans are heavier/higher quality stainless for better heating and for safety - it's dangerous enough cooking on the boat without cheap handles coming undone, etc. We do use the extremely overpriced table ware with the rubber bottoms, but we have found using the rubberized shelf liners as a tablecloth keeps the dishes stationary. Rust is a bit of an issue with silverware, so we buy cheap forks, etc and replace as needed - you can get a decent setting for 6 for less than $20 and they will last for a couple of years. I have a wire mesh collander/strainer that has rusted through.


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## CorvetteGuy (Jun 4, 2011)

I just saw some plastic cutlery set and it had a chrome finish, actualy had to open the package to see if they were steel or plastic. BTW it's a galley on a boat not a kitchen


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## AirborneSF (Dec 14, 2010)

I still use a 'Boy Scout' cooking kit, military cook kits work also, good stuff and cheap. 02.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

Stainless steel by itself is a crappy conductor of heat. Used to line a pan such as all clad cookware it is great


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

I'm with Auspicious re the spray Olive Oil. Either pour it or spray from a refillable spray bottle. Apart from the chemicals (??) its the waste in a non reusable container that I don't like.

Though we don't use the stackable cookware as much as I envisaged when we bought it the removeable handles have never been a problem. The only complaint I have with the stuff is that the bases are not thick enough so simmering is well nigh impossible and the act of pulling the whole assembly out of a locker, unpacking it and ultimately having to pack it all up again is a pita. the small amount of space saved is not worth the inconvenience. OTOH .... on a 30'er I may well have different thoughts.

Slightly smaller sizes that on land are a good idea, yes, but don't overdo it. Almost all the very small stuff we had on Raven has been upsized and that is not necessarily due to extra space available. The really small stuff was just annoying to use.

For glasses ... we have some nice European (Polish I think) wine glasses that work for red or white and have relatively short stems, rims are not rolled but cut (if that's the correct way to put it). The Reidel stemless don't have a firm enough base IMO and are too expensive for boat use. Ikea have a copy but I'm still not convinced. We do carry a set of Basque glasses for beer, juice, spirits and sometimes wine if in an unsettled anchorage. They stack really well, lightweight, pleasant to use. Typically Basque but available all through Spain, come in about four different sizes.

Hey ... I went looking for a pic of those Basque glasses and found these ... similar shape but with silicon base ... interesting ...










Here's the original ...










Regarding Porfin's comments ... I don't like Corelle I confess. We use melamine for serving and salads, also for eating out of at sea.


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## vega1860 (Dec 18, 2006)

utchuckd said:


> Does it matter what quality of kitchen stuff a cruiser uses? Is the marine environment any harder than on land on knives, tools, silverware, etc? What do you use?


We buy good quality and maintain them. Quality kitchen cutlery and flatware, washed, dried and stowed properly does just fine, in our experience. We even have a couple of cast iron pieces that see regular use. We treat them just the way Mom taught us and have never had a problem.

Same applies to any tools.

Tool care we learned from Dad (Who never went to sea): Clean, lubricate and put away after use. We keep tools in heavy canvas bags (We learned that on our own after bringing a metal tool box aboard once.)

Good quality will always last longer than cheap junk and a little bit of preventive maintenance can make things last until you are tired of them.


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## utchuckd (Apr 4, 2010)

Thanks all! I'm not a big foodie and the only nice things I have are a couple of Henckels knives, just trying to decide what to keep/store/yard sale.


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## JimMcGee (Jun 23, 2005)

tdw said:


> ...unpacking it and ultimately having to pack it all up again is a pita. the small amount of space saved is not worth the inconvenience. OTOH .... on a 30'er I may well have different thoughts.


As someone sailing a 30'er I agree. Storage space is a real issue for us. I went with the Magma nesting non-stick. Easy clean up, stores inside the oven and the handles are solid when they're attached. A collapsible strainer, rectangular melamine plates that don't waste space in narrow cabinets, dollar store plastic spatulas and soup spoons and a good set of tongs were all chosen with size in mind.

I added an all clad 9" stainless sautee pan for when I want to get a good sear or do a sauce from the caramelized bits. All clad calls this a French skillet. For me the important thing is I can fit a 9" pan into the cabinet, but not a standard sized pan. Our first tableware set started to rust right away, the current set is a bit better quality and is on its third season. We do paper plates and plasticware too, but sometimes it's nice to each on real plates with real silverware.

I have a couple of Wustof knives in a block attached to our backsplash that don't seem to mind the salt air.

I've also focused on reducing the size of containers. I have a small olive oil bottle that I refill and I've recycled some of the smaller spice containers to save space. Leftovers go into two small containers instead of one big one to fit the fridge better. Cutting boards do double duty. One covers the stove when not in use and one covers a side of the double sink. Together they add a lot of counter space.

I think it also depends on whether you weekend or live aboard. I usually cook stews in the dutch oven at home and bring them to the boat in smaller containers to reheat. There's just nowhere to keep the thing on the boat.


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

30'er? I'd LOVE to have the space of a 30'er! The mind boggles at having all that room for galley equipment. I could get a third pot! maybe, even, be still my heart, an oven!
We don't have any specialized marine galley gear aboard Whiskeyjack, but, and this is a big but, we are in a freshwater environment. However, having said that, if you take care of your equipment, keep it clean and dry and/or clean and oiled, good old fashioned dirt-kitchen stuff works just fine.

Do you like to cook, or do you like to reheat? Do you enjoy chopping and shredding and peeling and slicing and marinating, or are you a heat and serve cook?
It makes a difference in what is important to have aboard.

Whiskeyjack is not as well equipped as Auspicious, and our presentation is not as , er, presentable, but we believe that living small doesn't mean you can't live large.
Olive oil in a pump sprayer, or even just a squeeze bottle, is a must-have. a little oil goes a long way.
Good nesting cookware is great- Cheap bad, crappy nesting cookware isn't worth the space it takes up. you don't have to have magma, but you do need something better than World Famous or Coleman. And, really, at Defender the difference in price between a cheap set and magma isn't that great.

With a little thought and planning any galley can become much more usable. 
Before:








After:








A site with some good info:

Outfitting - Boat Galley Equipment


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

When we had a 28'er I put in a stove with grill and oven. Took up space but I never regretted it. Did the same on the 34'er and sacrificed other storage space to allow for cooking implements - pots pans crockpots baking dishes and the like. BBQ is indispensible for hot weather. Reality is that having space for a better galley was a major reason for going larger. 

Even on 42'er space is still limited to some extent though only compared to home kitchen but thoroughly agree with Jonesy that even on a smaller vessel planning is so important. That is of course if cooking good food is a priority.

It also depends on how long you spend on board. A couple of days and preparing at home for reheating can be a plus , alternatively plan on all those two potters we've discussed in the other thread. 

Biggest mistake we've made previously was going for small size. The space saved is really not worth the pain of trying to cook in undersized kitchenware. Its annoying and messy though of course you are always limited to some extent by the smaller size of boat stoves. A frying pan e.g. that is too large to permit using the second burner is simply not a practical idea. 

Again in the 28'er we made do with melamine tableware. Crockery was a luxury we could not afford but now we have both and it really is worth dealing with the storage hassles of breakable stuff. 

One thing that is of immense help , and I note that Jonesy has done this on WJ is having one or two fold downs. Sure it can limit movement around the boat but having that extra bench space when you need it is a great boon. 

We managed on our smaller boats and Jonesy has shown it in exemplary fashion on WJ. You can eat well on board, you just have to see it as a priority and do the planning. 

btw ... I've just received a copy of the Cruising Chef Cookbook. It probably doesn't tell me a lot I didn't already know but for those of you who want to eat better on board and don't know where to begin, this is a fine place to start.


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## mdi (Jan 15, 2009)

tdw said:


> When we had a 28'er I put in a stove with grill and oven. Took up space but I never regretted it. Did the same on the 34'er and sacrificed other storage space to allow for cooking implements - pots pans crockpots baking dishes and the like. BBQ is indispensible for hot weather. Reality is that having space for a better galley was a major reason for going larger.
> 
> Biggest mistake we've made previously was going for small size. The space saved is really not worth the pain of trying to cook in undersized kitchenware. Its annoying and messy though of course you are always limited to some extent by the smaller size of boat stoves. A frying pan e.g. that is too large to permit using the second burner is simply not a practical idea.


I think that folks who do not really cook or know how to cook often make this mistake under the pretext that they can get by with a smaller galley, almost like the galley is an after thought or they will just make do. How someone who intends to live aboard can have a sub par cooking station is strange to me.

_Tell me please "tdw" what model and brand of "grill and stove" did you install?

Anybody got a link to some upgraded equipment like this or other galley upgrades?

_


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

bljones said:


> Whiskeyjack is not as well equipped as Auspicious, and our presentation is not as , er, presentable, but we believe that living small doesn't mean you can't live large.


I'll cook on Whiskeyjack any time. She looks very nice.


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## ehmanta (Sep 12, 2006)

For the galley on shore, I splurged on cookware and appliances and the old stuff that once occupied my kitchen, a lot of it went to my on-board galley. This includes a sweet little 9" cast iron skillet, a 9" Scanpan non-stick, a 12" skillet, old Presto pressure cooker (hopefully to be upgraded one day) plus some heavy-bottom pots. I have a set of SS knives and forks (cheap) and a moderate set of knives from Cuisinart mounted in a home-made wall block. I have a nice three burner propane stove with oven which we use quite a bit.....nothin' finer than sailing along in the autum while a chicken is baking in the oven.....the smell wafting up into the cockpit makes your mouth water AND the cabin is nice and cozy-warm while at anchor


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## Ferretchaser (Jan 14, 2011)

If your kitchenware survived your dishwasher shore side with all the salt that you poor into it, it will survive live on board your boat.

ATB

Michael


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## rmeador (Jan 16, 2010)

I live aboard, and I love cooking in my galley far more than I ever did on land, largely because of the way I equipped it when I moved aboard. I bought a Cuisinart nesting cookware set (I think the model is "stowaway"). These pots and pans are the best quality I have ever used, on land or sea. They have a clad bottom which distributes heat very well, which is important on my pitiful and uneven galley stove. They have removable handles, but they are very secure when attached (no discernable wobble). I got the all-stainless instead of non-stick partly out of concern for the chemicals in the teflon, but also because I wanted to use them in the oven -- I don't have any baking-specific pans except a tiny muffin pan. I haven't had any problems with sticking or cleanup (just clean it quickly after the meal), and I even make omlettes without a problem. My dishware is Corelle (I have a very deep hatred for melamine), which can stand the rough treatment and is also oven safe (great for baking rolls or reheating food). My knives are Henckles and show no signs of rust. My silverware is some stuff I got as hand-me-downs from my mom, which she got in college... I'm pretty sure it's stainless, and it shows no sign of rust. The thin, flexible HDPE cutting boards are a must IMHO, since you can stow a dozen of them in the space of one rigid cutting board, and if you wear it out (haven't yet), they're dirt cheap. Quality tongs are a must for the grill. I like bamboo spatulas and such for the stove (quality, environmentally friendly, and no risk of rust).


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## Ajax_MD (Nov 24, 2009)

I have two cast-iron skillets that I scavanged from the local thrift store. I keep 'em well oiled. I love the spray bottle suggestion, I'll have to start using that. I've been wiping them down with a oil-moist paper towel.

All I know, is that cheap, thin pots and pans do not retain enough heat on an alcohol stove. You either need copper-clad pans or at least thick metal to absorb and retain enough heat to boil or sear.

I don't like teflon, don't like the chemicals, or the risk of ingesting it when the teflon eventually separates from the pan. I have a stacking set of SS serving dishes and all of this stacks up neatly.

I am in need of plates and cups and found what I was looking for in the "entertaining" section of a gardening store- BPA-free plastic plates, cups and wine glasses. I also need some stainless flatware to eat with... I'd also like a pressure cooker because I don't and won't have an oven. The pizza stone is also a good idea if I can find a safe place to stow it.

...and the trick is for me to remember to pack all of this stuff.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

mdi said:


> I think that folks who do not really cook or know how to cook often make this mistake under the pretext that they can get by with a smaller galley, almost like the galley is an after thought or they will just make do. How someone who intends to live aboard can have a sub par cooking station is strange to me.
> 
> _Tell me please "tdw" what model and brand of "grill and stove" did you install?
> 
> ...


MDI ... my apologies, I missed your post.

On Raven we went Force 10, two burner. In many ways a great piece of gear. The burners work well, the oven is quite usable though the grill is pathetic and the pot holders are rubbish. Ah yes, the fold away oven door is very clever.

On Kukka we have a Smev also two burner. Doesn't have a grill and we miss the fold away door but the pot holders work and to buy they are significantly cheaper than Force 10.

In due course we will upgrade to a three burner with grill, probably Smev cos of size restrictions. OTOH, I'd be happy to go F10 again especially as I notice they have now redesigned those rotten pot holders. Neither Smev nor F10 have particularly good flame adjustment on the burners. I find I cannot get either them low enough for some applications.

Remember I am in Oz so F10 may well be cheaper for you in the US.

Note - I believe what we call a grill you lot call a broiler.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

" I find I cannot get either them low enough for some applications."
That was an early ocmplaint of the MSR camping stoves, which were designed to be HOT in order to ensure winter campers didn't die from being unable to melt adequate water.
The solution was to ship tin can lids ("Heat diffusers") with the burners. Place the extra lid between the pot and the burner, it diffuses the flame, and you can simmer cream sauces without burning them. A pie plate, etc. would do equally well.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

Just an add on to my previous post .... if you look at WhiskeyJack's galley the absence of an oven allows for a fridge. In the light of day I'd have to say that fridge is almost certainly more important than oven. 

Also MDI ... if by grill you meant BBQ ... we have a Magma Kettle. By preference I'd have charcoal but for practical considerations (charcoal is a bugger to store) we have LPG. If I was to do upgrade I'd go for something like the Magma Catalina but havn't decided as yet.


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## mdi (Jan 15, 2009)

tdw said:


> if by grill you meant BBQ ... we have a Magma Kettle..


Thanks for taking the time to detail the specifics, your plans and thoughts. It was an internal grill on the stove I was hearing, I think you said a Broiler. That is what I was questioning. We are completely reworking our galley and am looking for folks who have done such things. We certainly agree with the propane Q, it is a necessity when using the stove is out of the question. A successful liveaboard boat to me includes a working galley, not a camping experience.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

hellosailor said:


> " I find I cannot get either them low enough for some applications."
> That was an early ocmplaint of the MSR camping stoves, which were designed to be HOT in order to ensure winter campers didn't die from being unable to melt adequate water.
> The solution was to ship tin can lids ("Heat diffusers") with the burners. Place the extra lid between the pot and the burner, it diffuses the flame, and you can simmer cream sauces without burning them. A pie plate, etc. would do equally well.


We do have a simmer mat which works fairly well though in reality all that does is waste a bit of gas. It would be nice to have decent adjustment but I take your point nonetheless.

MDI ... when talking grill, yes I mean broiler, i.e. a burner at the top of the oven. Galleys on small boats will always be a compromise but they can, even when tiny, be useable.


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## nailbunnySPU (Apr 8, 2009)

I'm a liveaboard on a 30, 3rd year.
I use

Magma nesting nonstick set - i started with a stainless set, broke down and got a teflon saute pan, thank god for teflon
Camping pressure cooker - use constantly for beans, lentils, split peas
Zojirushi fuzzy logic rice cooker - since i'm usually on shore power, can set this thing to have steel cut oatmeal in the morning
cuisinart cooking knife - just need one good knife, with a plastic caddy
Good Cook -side-cutting safety can opener - the side-cutting can-openers are vastly superior to the conventional kind
silpat silicon baking sheet - supernaturally slippery, like teflon for baking
ninja food processor - little dinky thing from wal-mart, use it for hummus and such
oxo good grips stainless salt grinder - I went through a lot of shakers and grinders, this one is good. bed bath and beyond
ronson tech torch - like a creme brulee torch, i got tired of chintzy bbq lighters and use this to start all my fires. lasts long, burns hot. wal mart.
That's all good stuff i can recommend. For glassware, i go cheap. It all breaks eventually, but I can't stand plastic. For holding beans and rice and such, I go with screw-top square containers, as they tend to stack better and be antproof.


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

i finally found a small bbq to replace my gone weber smokey joe--isnt a weber, but uses mesquite bits nicely... and i found the side cutting canopener that came with boat died after i had it 2 yrs on board--so i use a swimg away--best lil can opener--no plastic on plastic to kill your day when they strip and die, as did my side cutter....and no special pans as yet--havent found any i LIKE besides my cast iron ones...i RARELY use the presto pressure cooker here in hotville---outdoor cooking is much better than heating up a hot boat....wont bake in summer---same thing about heating up a hot boat.
i use no electric gadgets as i like to anchor rather than use marinas--unless the anchorage is too windy with big seas, as is the anchorage here in l acruz de huanacaxtle, nayarit, mexico.....


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

I find a side-cutting can opener is useful if you want to keep the lid and store the opened can 'closed' again. But for any kind of tinned meat or fish, I still prefer the regular can opener, because you can press the lid down and drain out fluids.

Apparently this is a common complaint, the "as seen on tv" folks sell a can drainer lid for this purpose now. (One more than to wash and stow, haha.)


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

*Re: Non Stick Cookware*



T37Chef said:


> High Carbon SS knives are my preference on the boat, I have several Wustof Grand Prix series knives held in place with a three magnet rails.


A _REAL _chef uses Shun's...... (grin). Haven't you learned anything from me!!???

Brian


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

*Re: Non Stick Cookware*



Cruisingdad said:


> A _REAL _chef uses Shun's...... (grin). Haven't you learned anything from me!!???
> 
> Brian


Well they are his "boat knives!" ;-) My next knife will be a Shun or Global. Most likely just a paring knife, I like more weight behind my chef's knives than anything Asian I have tried. I have seen a Kanemasa AUS10 Western Gyutos in 270 mm that looks really nice and not too expensive (around $200) supposed to hold it's edge quite well. And they hold there value quite well, so if I don't like it I can always resell it.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Brian, would a "real" chef be caught dead in a tiny boat galley? 

Paul, as much as I appreciate good blades I can't see a 10" knife being worth $200 unless it was Damascus steel, hand forged, hand quenched, and made from an alloy that had damned little crude cheap iron in it. 

But then again I'm an unreasonably cheap bastard, I refuse to pay $32 million for a Picasso, too.


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

Shawn (t37chef) and chef2asil were kind enough last year to give me their opinions on the Shuns. It was my 40th bday present from my wife, though I got to pick them! They are outstanding knives, the best and sharpest I have ever used. 

I actually use a set of Wurstuf Tridents (spelling??) on the boat, but the SHun's are about to take over and replace them. I still like the Tridents, but there is no comparisson to the weight and sharpness between the knives. I do use a Henkel Twin 4 star II for carving because it is a bit heavier blade and this Costco Gunther WIlhelm meat cleaver for chopping up briskets and the like. Different knives for different purposes I guess.

I am no expert. Shawn and chef2sail are. I am just harrasing them of course. However, pin the three of us on a BBQ, and I will give them a run for their money! Those boys could use to learn a thing or two about good ole Texas grillin'!!

Brian


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

Cruisingdad:883816 said:


> T37Chef said:
> 
> 
> > High Carbon SS knives are my preference on the boat, I have several Wustof Grand Prix series knives held in place with a three magnet rails.
> ...


oh please BBQ boy...go burn some fish or something 
;-)

truth is...we (chef2sail &I) just wanted CD to purchase the most expensive knives to help with the stimulus plan...didn't work so well I suppose? bawahahaha


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

I've been vacillating for some time but I really do need to get a pressure cooker.

Any thoughts from my betters on preferred brands ? 

(Oh heck, you can chime in too if you wish Brian  )

Ref the Magma stackers .... we have a set of that and to be frank never use it. Too much of a pain in the arse to unpack. I find that I reach for anything but.


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

The best gear in the world won't improve low quality ingredients and lousy technique. 
That requires booze. Lots of it.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

bljones said:


> The best gear in the world won't improve low quality ingredients and lousy technique.
> That requires booze. Lots of it.


..... absolutely but back to pressure cookers ...










Kuhn Rikon ... very highly regarded I believe but somewhat ouch when it comes to buckazoids.

Next question is size .... remembering that we are but two.


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## nailbunnySPU (Apr 8, 2009)

Re: pressure cookers, here's the one i got






GSI halulite 3L

For my purposes of cooker selection, smallest is best and this is it. It'll cook a pound of dry beans and no more. It's not feature heavy but I've used it half to death and the closure is a lot less aggravating than the old-fashioned kind.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

Interesting indeed Bunny but too small for my needs. While I only want to feed two people that still means something big enough for a whole chook or a small roast and I'll often do soups or casseroles that are more than a couple of servings.


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

I have a Fagor that I love and the price was good. Get the biggest one you have room for.
And you want stainless.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2


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