stove top cooking

x 2! No offense to folks who don't use their amenities but we use everything in the trailer to the max. We travel with people who don't use their shower & toilet for only #1 emergencies, preferring to walk to the campground facilities. Or do all the cooking outside on a camp stove or BBQ. We just scratch our heads - that's one of the main reasons we have an RV - I like knowing the owner of the previous feet in the shower or butt on the seat personally! And nothing seems more like camping to me than a pot of stew or chili simmering on a low flame on a rainy day in the trailer. (Plus you get a nice source of heat as a bonus!)

Ok, /rant...sorry to veer off-topic.

ChopperBill wrote:
We use the heck out of our gas stove and oven in the fifth wheel. Beats the heck out of using the gawd awful slow electric in the house. One thing I think is better than all the new age, fancy, expensive stuff they throw at you now days.

X119!

We drycamp at lot and carry along two generators for reliable electrical backup (.... plus the main engine's alternator).

HOWEVER, we do not want to fire up the built-in genny (not good for it to run short runs) just to heat something up on an electrically powered 1500 watt cooktop burner just for a few minutes here and there. We also don't want to deal with the cleanup of (greasy) iron utensils when on a limited water supply.

We also have a propane oven for very occasional but priceless uses.

After spending all that money, we basically wanted a motorhome that could provide everything our home provides ... but just in a miniature version that can be off the grid for awhile whenever and wherever we want.

BTW, this summer we're switching our all-electric home over to propane gas in only the kitchen cooktop to duplicate the cooking experience of our motorhome.

Hi pnichols,

I use my inverter for "short burns", so no need to run the genny.

first, thanks for comments regarding these induction stoves.... let me explain why I am interested in them - I've tried elec burners outside for shrimp and crab boils and the one I had never did the trick. I also have a smaller kitchen now and the gas stove is usually covered with cutting boards etc - not much room.

If I were boondocking of course I would use the propane....I have been told the induction heats faster etc etc.... but I also know advertisements often exaggerate, so am especially interested in the brand names which are recommended (or not)

My theory: If the elctricity is included in the parking fee, and the Propane is not.. I'm not burning Propane lessen I have to.!!!!

I do not use an induction cooker, since not all my cookware is compatable, but I do use an electric,,, One with the full top (Aroma brand) not a coil.. Slow to heat yes, but no cost for Gas.

If I need to do SERIOUS cooking... Gas is the only way.. I learned on Gas, I love to cook with gas,, But,, It cost more.. so I use Electric.

I will not fault anyone who does likewise.

Hi,

When using a traditional electric hot plate the burner gets hot and then transfers heat to the pan by conduction.

When using the induction cooker the energy goes directly into the pan--so it is more efficient. My hot plate is 750 watts, but the induction cooker can do over 1200 watts on the highest possible setting. When I do that the induction is considerably "faster" than the hot plate--but also uses more energy.

I get a lot of my energy from the sun--so if the batteries are in good shape I prefer to cook electrically.

One draw back of induction cookers is that they require a true sine wave inverter.

okwaterdog wrote:
I have been told the induction heats faster etc etc.... but I also know advertisements often exaggerate, so am especially interested in the brand names which are recommended (or not)

I concur, I think a hot plate outside would be just the ticket when my wife heats up HER garlic butter mussels! Haven't run into that problem in the trailer but will keep it in mind at home.LOL

Okwater, I went with the "nuwave". I got mine off the online goodwill site, WAY cheaper than the web site. I like them so much I'm looking for a third.

For all of you that say you use your gas in the rig we do as well But I have stepped into the new age in a couple of situations. When it is hot out the induction burner provides an alternative to the gas which heats the rig up. The induction is overall much cooler. The speed to boil water and get to cooking speed simply kicks the gas stoves Butt. We use everything we have and found a place for our Burton 6200 induction burner it is a great addition.

I'd like to see a demo on YouTube of an induction cooktop of any power up to 1500 watts kicking the butt of an RV propane cooktop's high BTU burner when heating water. Note I'm NOT referring to a standard RV cooktop propane burner ... but the high output one that is included in some RV cooktops (like ours, for instance).

BTW, the new propane cooktop being installed in our stick house has one of it's five burners rated at a BTU level that's through the roof - the grill covering it is even extra large for holding crab pots, etc., right in the kitchen if we want so we don't have be outside for large boilings. We could kindof do that in the RV if we wanted to.

I will concede that propane cooking can heat up an RV more than induction cooking. However, that is often a desirable thing in an RV. Our RV's cooktop overhead fan does vent a lot of residual heat to the outside if the weather is warm and our roof vent fan can also aid the cooktop fan in getting rid of interior cooktop heat as it occurs.

I thought the claims-to-fame for induction cooking, if you have the electricity for it, were safety from hot burners and ease of cleanup on a smooth surface.

BTW and speaking of the ease of cleanup of a smooth surface cooktop - don't the marine diesel cooktops have a smooth surface where the cookware sits?