# Galley: Outfitting from Scratch



## hriehl1 (Aug 8, 2007)

1968 Hinterhoeller HR 28; not the roomiest boat on the seas but OK storage room, just not much galley surface area.

I must equip the galley from scratch. We will be mostly weekending (Casco Bay Maine), usually 2 of us with at most 4. Maybe a 5-day cruise once a year. Outside we'll use a Cobb Grill for grilling and roasting. Inside I've settled on an Origo 2-burner non-pressurized cooktop. We are not gourmet chefs, but nor will you find a can on Dinty Moore onboard. We are interested if not accomplished cooks who prepare, not just heat-up morning and evening meals.

So, with those givens some questions for you.

1. Do you have cookware you particularly endorse, or came recommended but fell short? Why?

2. Given only stove top burners, how can I solve baking needs? Not looking to make a souffle, but some muffins or cornbread would be nice. Omnia Oven? Coleman folding camp over? Cast iron Dutch oven?

3. Pressure Cooker thoughts?

4. Anything else you'd tell someone starting with a clean slate?

Thanks


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I have a pretty nice set of Cuisinart nesting stainless steel cookware that I use aboard. It has held up quite well. 

As for baking, you can use a large pressure cooker as a dutch oven if you remove the gasket and weight. A folding camp oven would work fairly well too, as my friend uses one on her boat. 

I like the Fagor brand of pressure cookers, and use one aboard my boat. 

Storing your flatware and cutlery in a large plastic storage container can make your life a lot simpler. Also, get the McCormick Sea Salt and Pepper grinders...


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## SVPrairieRose (Oct 10, 2009)

magnetic knife rack from ikea, best 14 bucks in my kitchen!


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## SVPrairieRose (Oct 10, 2009)

oh, there is a camping company called MSR (mountain safety research) that makes a camping oven which is essentially a heat diffuser and a heat retaining cover that makes a great little oven.


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## SlowButSteady (Feb 17, 2010)

A cast iron (not enameled) Dutch oven is a handy thing to have. I use mine with my Origo stove to cook all sorts of stuff, including steaks. They're also great for slow cooking. Just remember to heat it up after cleaning it and give it a generous coating of olive oil while its still warm to keep it from rusting.


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## Allanbc (Apr 19, 2007)

All you need is one pan to put cans of food into water to cook. You don't even need to open the cans first. Perfectly safe.


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## SlowButSteady (Feb 17, 2010)

Allanbc said:


> All you need is one pan to put cans of food into water to cook. You don't even need to open the cans first. Perfectly safe.


Here we go again........................................................


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## Siamese (May 9, 2007)

It's nice to have firearms onboard to shoot the cans open first.


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## JimMcGee (Jun 23, 2005)

We purchased the magma teflon nesting cookware last year and have been very happy with it. It stores in a small space and works well for cooking real meals. Things like the OXO collapsible collander save drawer space. A bunch of plastic containers from Walmart are great for keeping chips, cereal and crackers fresh. With a good selection of spices you can turn out great dinners once you get the hang of cooking in a small space. 

I don't like cast iron stuff on board, but that's me. 

Oh, and don't 'dis Dinty Moore. After a long wet day a can of Dinty Moore and a roll with butter can taste pretty darn good


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

sailingdog said:


> I have a pretty nice set of Cuisinart nesting stainless steel cookware that I use aboard. It has held up quite well.
> 
> Also, get the McCormick Sea Salt and Pepper grinders...


Yes to both.

I would put the Magma stacking set a distant second to the Cusinart.

Get bowls with wide lips for eating under way; fewer burnt fingers. Forget yacht dinnerware with rubber rings, the plate stays put but the food slides off. get lots of the waffle anti-skid mats.

The are some real cool folding silicone utensils, like colanders and cupcake pans. The silicone hot parts are super.

Buy decent knives that will keep an edge. Dull knives cut more fingers than sharp ones.

A good corkscrew is a must.

Forget wooden cutting board, use plastic ones.


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## SlowButSteady (Feb 17, 2010)

jackdale said:


> A good corkscrew is a must.


Just one? (I always keep a spare, just in case of dire emergencies  )


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

SlowButSteady said:


> Just one? (I always keep a spare, just in case of dire emergencies  )


That is on the same list as the spare impellor and belts.


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## Allanbc (Apr 19, 2007)

I have the Cusinart stainless steel stacking pots and pans. I really like them and they are very high quality. I have a nonstick skillet because of easy clean up. When we start cruising fulltime, I plan on adding a cast iron skillet.

I have several collapsible mixing bowls. (like these Amazon.com: Progressive International 3 Quart Collapsible Bowl, Blue and White: Kitchen & Dining). I have a 3 and 5 quart. It is nice to have a large bowl sometimes and they store well.

I also have a collapsible colander. Again, a large size is handy and it stores well.

Silicone utensils are great. (I even keep a couple of the silicone hot pads in with my tools. It makes working on hot engines much easier. The small pads are nice to let you lean on hot engine parts and a the large silicone mitt is ideal for holding a hot engine part.)

Good knifes are a must as well as good kitchen shears.

I have a good cork screw and emergency spares. 

I have a good plastic cutting board and am putting a wooden one over the sink. However, I use the flexible cutting boards and they are great. I even put one over the wooden cutting board to make clean up easier.


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## SlowButSteady (Feb 17, 2010)

Allanbc said:


> I have several collapsible mixing bowls. (like these Amazon.com: Progressive International 3 Quart Collapsible Bowl, Blue and White: Kitchen & Dining). I have a 3 and 5 quart. It is nice to have a large bowl sometimes and they store well.
> 
> I also have a collapsible colander. Again, a large size is handy and it stores well.


I saw a line of these (bowls, colanders, and dish drying rack) the other day and I was wondering how durable they are. Do the flexible silicone bits hold up?

Another handy thing to have is a good sized plastic dishpan (or two). I store most of my pots and pans in one, so it doesn't really take up any space and serves as a second sink when washing up.

Oh, and don't forget to install one of these (you'll save yourself "boat-loads" of time not having to search around for a loose opener):


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## hriehl1 (Aug 8, 2007)

Thanks for the helpful replies. 

I'm very interested in hearing first-hand experiences (and methods) with baking over an alcohol flame cooktop. The Contoure Omnia oven has been well-reviewed, but it has an odd shape. Coleman folding ovens have been around for years, are cheap and fold for easy storage. 

Could those who have baked in dutch ovens or pressure cookers elaborate on those methods and your (good or bad) experiences? 

Also, it was not my intent to demean with the Dinty Moore comment... it was to characterize our cooking habits where we assemble from multiple ingredients rather than using convenience foods. I am sure there will be times when we'd kill for a can of Dinty Moore onboard (and maybe we'll keep some, just in case).


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## rmeador (Jan 16, 2010)

I'm glad I came across this thread. I _almost_ bought the Magma stainless nesting cookware last night, but at the last second decided to delay. I love nonstick cookware, but I have no need for nonstick for my pasta water or soups, you can't use nonstick in the oven, and I already have a non-nesting nonstick frypan. Also it's nearly impossible to brown meat in a nonstick pan. I used to have a cast iron pan for that purpose, but it disappeared a couple moves ago. I really wish I could find a nesting set that had a mix of stick and nonstick, but it seems I have to choose. So, nonstick or stick? Cuisinart or Magma? Can someone with experience with both compare and contrast?


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## Allanbc (Apr 19, 2007)

SlowButSteady said:


> I saw a line of these (bowls, colanders, and dish drying rack) the other day and I was wondering how durable they are. Do the flexible silicone bits hold up?


I have found them to be quite durable. I use them often at home and run them through the dishwasher. The only problem I ever had was with one colander that didn't like to close up all the way. It was only the last fold so it really didn't affect its shape when folded up.

I also have a silicone steamer basket which is really nice for steaming veggies and such.

I don't like baking in silicone pans as much because things don't brown as well. Oh well, it is a small sacrifice for a pan that you can squish into any available space.


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## Allanbc (Apr 19, 2007)

rmeador said:


> I'm glad I came across this thread. I _almost_ bought the Magma stainless nesting cookware last night, but at the last second decided to delay. I love nonstick cookware, but I have no need for nonstick for my pasta water or soups, you can't use nonstick in the oven, and I already have a non-nesting nonstick frypan. Also it's nearly impossible to brown meat in a nonstick pan. I used to have a cast iron pan for that purpose, but it disappeared a couple moves ago. So, nonstick or stick? Cuisinart or Magma? Can someone with experience with both compare and contrast?


I have the Cuisinart all stainless, non stick. I really like it. The nonstick will eventual peal and scratch. The Cuisinart nesting seems much better made than Magma.

I like a nonstick skillet for many things and the clean up is easy. I have a separate nonstick skillet from the set.


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## Allanbc (Apr 19, 2007)

SlowButSteady said:


> Oh, and don't forget to install one of these (you'll save yourself "boat-loads" of time not having to search around for a loose opener):


I thought those were standard on all boats.


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## rmeador (Jan 16, 2010)

Allanbc said:


> I have the Cuisinart all stainless, non stick.


This seems to be a bit of a contradiction. Do you mean you have the nonstick coated ones, or the ones with exposed stainless inside? (I realize they're both made of stainless)

Also, do you know of a reputable source for the Cuisinart set? Amazon sells an 8-piece all-stainless, but that's all.


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## Allanbc (Apr 19, 2007)

rmeador said:


> This seems to be a bit of a contradiction. Do you mean you have the nonstick coated ones, or the ones with exposed stainless inside? (I realize they're both made of stainless)
> 
> Also, do you know of a reputable source for the Cuisinart set? Amazon sells an 8-piece all-stainless, but that's all.


Stainless inside and out. That is why I said "all" stainless and not nonstick. 

I have the 8 piece set and that is all I've ever seen. I got it from the Admiral as a Christmas present. Yep, I am both Captain and Galley Slave on "my" boat.


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## arf145 (Jul 25, 2007)

Siamese said:


> It's nice to have firearms onboard to shoot the cans open first.


:laugher

Also good to use the cans as part of your anchor.


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## johnnyandjebus (Sep 15, 2009)

SlowButSteady said:


> I saw a line of these (bowls, colanders, and dish drying rack) the other day and I was wondering how durable they are. Do the flexible silicone bits hold up?
> 
> Another handy thing to have is a good sized plastic dishpan (or two). I store most of my pots and pans in one, so it doesn't really take up any space and serves as a second sink when washing up.
> 
> Oh, and don't forget to install one of these (you'll save yourself "boat-loads" of time not having to search around for a loose opener):


Excuse me while I play the village idiot for a moment, what is that? I assume a wall mounted can opener? Perhaps beer, I mean bottle opener? Where do I get one?

John


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## SlowButSteady (Feb 17, 2010)

johnnyandjebus said:


> Excuse me while I play the village idiot for a moment, what is that? I assume a wall mounted can opener? Perhaps beer, I mean bottle opener? Where do I get one?
> 
> John


Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth (and LORAN was a fancy thingamabob that every coveted, but no one could afford), beer came in bottles with caps that didn't twist off. After a six-pack or two "real men" (a.k.a., Bubbas, high school football stars, and certain powerboaters) might be able to open the bottles with their teeth. For the rest of us, the aforementioned gizmo would be used to take the cap off of the bottle.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

rmeador said:


> I'm glad I came across this thread. I _almost_ bought the Magma stainless nesting cookware last night, but at the last second decided to delay. I love nonstick cookware, but I have no need for nonstick for my pasta water or soups, you can't use nonstick in the oven, and I already have a non-nesting nonstick frypan. Also it's nearly impossible to brown meat in a nonstick pan. I used to have a cast iron pan for that purpose, but it disappeared a couple moves ago. I really wish I could find a nesting set that had a mix of stick and nonstick, but it seems I have to choose. So, nonstick or stick? Cuisinart or Magma? Can someone with experience with both compare and contrast?


*Try HERE.*

The all-stainless is more durable, will last longer and is far healthier for you. Once you learn to cook on good all-stainless steel cookware, you won't ever use non-stick again.


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## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

SVPrairieRose said:


> magnetic knife rack from ikea, best 14 bucks in my kitchen!


In your kitchen or in your galley?

A magnetic knife rack may need you to re-swing you compass and does good quality stainless knife-ware stick to the magnetic knife rack?

The bottle opener - man, where can one get such a tool? I had one on a previous boat and it was gold. Haven't been able to find another.

Also, as far as silicone galley-ware goes, we haven't had too much success with the soft silicone baking pans, supposed to be oven proof but they are very bendy and we got lots of strange shaped loaves out of them and if they touch anything else in the oven they burn.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Andre-

Those bottle openers are pretty common here. 

BottleOpener.com :: Standard Wall Mount Openers :: Polished Stainless Steel Wall Mount Bottle Opener


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## tomperanteau (Jun 4, 2009)

Pressure cookers are almost a must if you like to do a lot of cooking. They cut the cook time/fuel consumption way down. As someone else here stated, they are also good for baking if you do it right. I once chatted with someone that used one to bake in where he put a stone plate in the bottom to help disburse the heat. He also used the stone plate for cooking pizza in the grill.


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

The stacking sets with removable handles are overrated. I certainly haven't used them all, but those I have make me very uncomfortable at sea. The connection between handle and pot simply isn't sturdy enough. Fine at anchor, but not underway.

I've been very happy with the Farberware I bought out of college a long, long time ago that have followed me through three homes and two boats. I have found the handles actually help wedge the pots into place in a locker.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

The handle setup on the Cuisinart set is quite solid.


SVAuspicious said:


> The stacking sets with removable handles are overrated. I certainly haven't used them all, but those I have make me very uncomfortable at sea. The connection between handle and pot simply isn't sturdy enough. Fine at anchor, but not underway.
> 
> I've been very happy with the Farberware I bought out of college a long, long time ago that have followed me through three homes and two boats. I have found the handles actually help wedge the pots into place in a locker.


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

sailingdog said:


> The handle setup on the Cuisinart set is quite solid.


The Magma is pretty good as well.

I have used the Magmas underway off the West Coast of Vancouver Island. I especially like the fact that both sets (Magma and Cuisinart) have vertical sides on all pots and pans, which are easily held in place by the pot holders.


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## paul323 (Mar 13, 2010)

SlowButSteady said:


>


If you like a bottle opener, try one of these from Ikea:









IKEA | Paper & media organizers | Noticeboards | SPONTAN | Container for metal board, set of 2

A brilliant friend of mine installed it just below the bottle opener to catch the caps. It's magnetic, so just pull it off and empty it out! Works great, and only costs $4!


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## carl762 (Jan 11, 2010)

> I like the Fagor brand of pressure cookers, and use one aboard my boat.


I bought myself an electric one for Christmas that browns, has low and high pressure cooking settings, low and high slow cooker settings, and a rice cooker setting that does rice in 6 minutes. Love the thing. In fact, I've been using the thing at least 3-4 days a week.

If I had room for it on my boat, I'd use it.

Currently, I use baskets and paper plates, non-stick cookware, with removable handles, plastic cutting board, a Seacook swing stove (propoane). I keep metal utensils in a plastic bag in a drawer, with ladle, spatula, etc. I might actually use my old pressure cooker onboard one day.


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## fallard (Nov 30, 2009)

Years ago we picked up a home-grade cookware set with non-stick lining at a department store--possibly Macys. I don't remember the brand, but it was a common brand from France that had removable handles. (The boat is under cover now, so its not easy to check.) This set was very affordable and nested--although not as compactly at the boat sets. One advantage is that the aluminum spreads the heat more evenly than sheet stainless steel.


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## rmeador (Jan 16, 2010)

I got my Cuisinart nesting all-stainless set in the mail last week, and yesterday I finally cooked my first meal with them. WOW! These are by far the nicest pots and pans I have ever used. They do an incredible job of distributing the heat (which is especially important because the side rails on my stove prevent the largest pot and pan from being centered on the burner). Cooking with them was a true pleasure. And the handles feel very secure. I'm extremely happy. Thanks for the recommendations.


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## Allanbc (Apr 19, 2007)

rmeador said:


> I got my Cuisinart nesting all-stainless set in the mail last week, and yesterday I finally cooked my first meal with them. WOW! These are by far the nicest pots and pans I have ever used. They do an incredible job of distributing the heat (which is especially important because the side rails on my stove prevent the largest pot and pan from being centered on the burner). Cooking with them was a true pleasure. And the handles feel very secure. I'm extremely happy. Thanks for the recommendations.


You're welcome Now, invite all of us to dinner! :laugher


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

rmeador said:


> I got my Cuisinart nesting all-stainless set in the mail last week, and yesterday I finally cooked my first meal with them. WOW! These are by far the nicest pots and pans I have ever used. They do an incredible job of distributing the heat (which is especially important because the side rails on my stove prevent the largest pot and pan from being centered on the burner). Cooking with them was a true pleasure. And the handles feel very secure. I'm extremely happy. Thanks for the recommendations.


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## GraemeInCanada (Jun 17, 2008)

I'm unsure of an oven on board, although I've seen a few really nice ones all gimballed and everything. But for the stuff I can suggest a few items that possibly others have suggested so far and you may already be aware of but what the heck:

1. 2 shallow basins. Good for washing and rinsing dishes in. The stack in each other and then just stow away nicely. You can put stuff in them too so that you're using minimal space to essentially get two more sinks that you can just empty overboard when done, dry out and put away.

2. Set of stackable stainless steel pots. I have a camping set that I bought not too long ago for last season. They are perfect. A frying pan and two pots with lids to go. They all stack in each other and fit in a bag that ties up. 

3. A portable grill/stove with clamshell lid. Great for BBQing something smokey or stinky. Good to have a stove inside and I'll let other chime in on the type but for on deck a simple propane one is great I think. Closes up nicely and stores great.

4. Sealable stainless steel containers with rubber gasket for coffee, tea, hot chocolate etc. I've got three round ones that I got a while back and the coffee has been in there since last season and hasn't got any moisture in it.. amazingly enough. They look good and are of course indestructible. They have a clear top on them to see inside as to what is in them.

5. A good cooler. I'm still working on that myself so can't suggest too much here yet, but for your purposes a generic one from the store might work well. Use block ice, not chipped or cubed, that stuff's useless. 

6. Definitely a plastic cutting board. Thin, light, easy to store. Or even one of those paper thin plastic ones, very durable..

7. Non slip mat to put things on while cooking. You never know when a wave will come along or if you are going to be doing stuff while under way. Always helps to be able to quickly put something down and not worry about it sliding away. Mats roll up nicely to be stored away for next time.

Those are the first things that come to mind when thinking of a galley from scratch.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

I'd suggest looking at REI.com and campmor.com to see what kinds of clever nesting and stackable cookware there are these days, some of it is outright ingenious.

Then a similar pass to Bed Bath Beyond or one of the other major stores looking for the same things. There are collanders and funnels and containers of all sorts made from good silicone now, that roll or fold up FLAT for storage. If you're starting from scratch...take agood long look, there's some incredible stuff out there now.

On the alcohol stove...I don't touch that debate, only mention in passing that if you haven't really looked into it, a lot of us would rather eat uncooked food than use alcohol. If I wanted something inexpensive and portable, I'd buy a pair of the $20 "korean bbq" single burner butane stoves, and just make a habit to store the butane cans in a safe locker.


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## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

Am I missing something with all the suggestions of having magnetic knick-knacks on boats?

I strictly forbid anything on my boat that has a magnet in it, on it, near it.

Maybe I have missed some sort of technical revolution that stops these thing from messing with the compass?


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## rmeador (Jan 16, 2010)

Omatako said:


> Am I missing something with all the suggestions of having magnetic knick-knacks on boats?
> 
> I strictly forbid anything on my boat that has a magnet in it, on it, near it.
> 
> Maybe I have missed some sort of technical revolution that stops these thing from messing with the compass?


So you don't have anything with a magnet inside it? No electric motors (fans, CD players, bilge pumps, windlasses), speakers, hard drives (in your computer or your iPod; these have very powerful magnets in them), CRT displays (an older television or an older radar)? Also any item that uses electricity will create a magnetic field in the wires.

Magnetic field intensity falls off with the square of the distance from the magnet. Unless you're putting magnets near your compass, you probably won't have a problem. The Earth's magnetic field is much stronger than most people give it credit for; compasses aren't as sensitive as a lot of people think. If you want to double check, bring a magnetic item onto your boat and see if the compass moves. Also they now make low-magnetic-field speakers they claim are safe for installing in the cockpit (I'll let you know when I get some next month).


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## hriehl1 (Aug 8, 2007)

Good ideas here... now I have a Goodwill / Salvation Army / Yard Sale shopping list for cookware:
- cast iron fry pans (9-10 and 6-7 inch)
- cast iron griddle (over 2 burners)
- SS or Aluminum 8-12 cup percolator
- SS or Aluminum 6 qt pressure cooker
- SS or Aluminum 3 qt saucepan


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## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

rmeador said:


> So you don't have anything with a magnet inside it? No electric motors (fans, CD players, bilge pumps, windlasses), speakers, hard drives (in your computer or your iPod; these have very powerful magnets in them), CRT displays (an older television or an older radar)? Also any item that uses electricity will create a magnetic field in the wires.


OK without going into detail, take a knife (obviously one that will stick) and stick it onto a magnetic strip for an hour then put it near your steering compass and see the result. Or even better, next to your fluxgate and then set a course on your Autopilot. Well, you're a clever guy, you know what will happen.


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## fallard (Nov 30, 2009)

You certainly don't want a magnet near your compass and you don't want to run heavy gauge wiring near a compass, either. Like "rmeador" basically said, you get a magnetic field when current is flowing. 

I once had a problem with the the flux gate compass for my autopilot being too close to the 0 gauge wiring for my keel winch. When I'd raise the 3000# keel, the autopilot would make a 30 degree turn if you forgot to put it in standby mode. The solution is simple: you move the flux gate compass and it doesn't take a large separation to effectively avoid the problem--7 ft was more than enough in this case.

Last summer we had another problem when I replaced my autopilot and a new flux gate compass was installed in a different location at the rear of a quarter berth. We had aligned it with the binnacle compass and then left the dock for sea trials. It didn't track the binnacle compass when we made the first turn, so we pulled everything out of the quarter berth, including cushions. The problem went away. We then checked the removed gear with a hand bearing compass and found our folding beach chairs had powder-coated steel tubing that was strongly magnetic. The solution was simple: We moved them to the other quarter berth, perhaps 5 ft further, and the problem went away. By the way, the technician who ran the sea test told me he has encountered magnetism is some strange places, which is why he removed the cushions. The cushions weren't intuitive, but he told be he's seen magnetism where you wouldn't suspect it. 

The lesson learned here is to check your boat with a hand bearing compass if you suspect a problem. As you move around, you simply look for changes in bearing. If you find a magnetized object, you can use the hand bearing compass to determine how far away your compass needs to be to effectively eliminate the interference.

One last story. About 20 years ago I installed a higher end VHF radio with a decent speaker in my other boat. Unfortunately, I could not compensate my compass, which was factory-installed in close proximity to the electronics area of the helm. After trying magnetic shielding (mu metal), and separating the radio as far as practical, we gave up and took the installed speaker (with its substantial permanent magnet) out and replaced it with a remote, electrostatic speaker. The sound wasn't nearly as good, but the compass was happy.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Caphalon or Analon,,,once you own it you wonder why you ever settled for "Martha Stewart" like cookware

Knives belong in a block or a leather sheath or knife roll. The sheath is safer and also for carrryimng. Anything else will dull the knife or you run the potential of it falling and impalling someone or your feet.

On your boat I would recommend an 8" chefs knife, a 3 inch parer, serated bread knife, flexible boning knife, and a slicer (carving knife) and of course a diamond tipped steel to HONE the molecules on the blade of the knife before using.

Dont skimp and by cheap here either for the Chef and paring knife. Henkles 4 star or Wusaff are the primo. Best steel, holds the edge forever...lifetime warrenties, best balance. Buy the ones with the bibnded handles not the cherrywood rivetted ones.

Mixing bowls are a must. Lightweight and nesting.

Dave


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## dreuge (Sep 18, 2009)

Baking Bread without an Oven
===================

I use the same method that I used while backpacking. Steam baking. While you don't get the hard brown crust, baking via steam is very forgiven and hard to over cook. The Chinese are big on steam baking. You have likely had a sticky bun or other meat pasty cooked that way at a buffet. 

It is simple, quick, & clean. You can use a steaming tray to drop in a pot or put a few stones in a small pot then place a wire mesh on top. Just make sure your water level is fine for steaming and not boiling.. 

I make biscuits, bread, cup cakes, and they come out great. I like to make the mix in zip-lock bag and then pipe it (or drop a ball) into a foil-paper cup cake holders. Steam for 20 or so minutes, and yum! Sometimes, I would also use the hot water for coffee. The best part is that there is nothing to clean up.

Give it a try. For the entertainment alone, the kids love it.


Dreuge


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## SailorJP (Apr 5, 2011)

I am also setting up a galley from scratch.
I am worried about energy consumption...
What does anyone suggest for coffee & tea? Is a percolator best or is it simply best to boil water in a kettle & use a French press? 

Also, what would be the difference between a pressure cooker & a toaster oven? 

Is it even worth having a toaster oven on board?

Finally, for onboard glasses (for drinking wine/juice/etc.) what do you suggest?


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

JP, I would suggest that hot food aboard a boat is a luxury and that when one is induldging in luxuries, the question is, which one suits your fancy?

Coffee and tea lovers will all tell you that the beverage tastes quite different depending on how it is made. Percolators ruled the US until Melitta taught us about drip coffee, but to many of us a percolator just boils coffee over and over again--and that drives off a lot of subtle flavor and volatiles. Same for tea.

If you, or your valued guests, prefer perc'd coffee, or drip coffee, or espresso, induldge the luxury and put that device in your galley. I'd suggest something like a large Melitta filter, so you don't need a special "machine" and you can make the coffee right into a thermal carafe or thermos, good for long watches.

A separate width-mouth thermos for tea, so you can put the tea ball or bags into it. (Teaball, yes, some folks will tell you bagged tea is rubbish.)

Glasses, again, a personal matter. Some folks hate the way plastic tastes and scratches, others don't like broken glass. Or the taste of stainless. The phrase is "whatever floats your boat" and if anyone doesn't like it--send 'em off the plank.

A toaster oven is good with shore power, but if you only need to make toast, look in the camping stores. There are little "pyramid" toasters that simply stand over a range burner, Once upon a time, that's how it was made.


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## GraemeInCanada (Jun 17, 2008)

For coffee I highly recommend a french press. Easy to use and clean, extra boiled water (if there is any) can be used to help rinse out cups etc.

Toaster oven?? on a boat? hmm.. I use a camp style toaster. Goes on the stove, has a perforated piece on the bottom to let the heat through to the bread that is standing on thin rods of metal that hold the bread up almost vertical. Manually turn by hand.

Don't bring cups on board that you want to pass down a generation. Stainless steel is good for mugs. Good plastic is great for cups if you need them. If you do bring glasses, bring them in a special box or holder or something with foam maybe. They'll be your "special glasses for special people" in the end as it probably won't end up being worth your time to use beyond one cup for one person. Not like a house, you don't just get to toss stuff in the dishwasher or sink kind of thing.. or leave them lying around somewhere to be picked up later.

Think minimal, work up from that if you need it. One fuel, one type of heat creating device for warming and cooking stuff, one cup and so on and so forth. You'll see as you go.

Just my 2 cents


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## SoulVoyage (May 9, 2010)

I would invest in a set of ceramic knives. They are super sharp and don't need much sharpening.

Ditto on using a pressure-cooker without the weight and rubber ring for baking bread. Check the 'net for pressure-cooker bread recipes. Make sure it is a pressure-cooker that won't rust.

In my galley, the most used piece of cooking eqiupment is the Force-Ten Sea Swing stove. It is a one-burner, propane stove that sits on a gimballed bracket on the galley bulkhead. It is used for everything from boiling water for coffee to making soup to making pancakes on sunday morning. I've got a second bracket that on the cockpit bulkhead...so it can be easily used for gimballed cooking in the cockpit while underway...without the hassle of using the less weather-protected aft bar-b-que.

The Origo alcohol stove hardly gets used anymore, since the Sea-Swing stove was installed! I would HIGHLY recommend it.

Here's a pic of it when it's being used in the cockpit instead of galley:


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## fallard (Nov 30, 2009)

The comparison of boating with camping is a fair one, including the notion that fresh air makes some things taste better--or at least "good enough". We wouldn't use a percolator at home but we use one on the boat and enjoy it, particularly with bottled water from gallon jugs. We don't even use paper filters: we just let the grounds settle. For tea we use a kettle and tea bags. 

We use a frying pan or griddle for toast and english muffins. A little bit of bacon grease will substitute for butter if you are going to use jam anyway.

We avoid glass (wine bottles and some mixers (tonic) are the exception). We use plastic mugs and tumblers for milk, juice and other drinks. The stainless wine glasses are compact and work for us.

We highly recommend Corelle dinnerware. It is probably a tempered glass material, but it's inexpensive, holds up well, is easy to clean, and we haven't broken a single piece. (We don't use Corelle at home, either!)


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