Electric Frypan Technical Advice

Almot wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

Yeah but for cooking only, you should be able to get 2-3 months easy out of a couple 30# tanks. If you are worried about needing a longer time period, buy a couple spares and keep them full (propane doesn't go bad with age).

In an emergency, you suck it up and cook inside or could collect wood and cook over a camp fire. If it's that windy that an outdoor cooktop won't stay lit, just open a couple windows and you should have nice cross ventilation.

He is not a tourist like most of us. Rigs staying put all the time or most of the time are using residential 70 or 100 lbs upright cylinders, 30 or 45 kg respectively. Or a bigger horizontal tank on the ground. Most locals are living like this in their homes, there are no natural gas lines. Upright cylinders are delivered by pickup truck. Permanent tanks are filled by tanker truck. People rarely travel 65 miles one way, 130 miles total, to "planta de propan" - except maybe remote farms with poor road where pickup truck wouldn't deliver 30-45 kg tanks and tanker truck wouldn't come either.

Wood burning stoves are all over, to save on propane, BUT not during a hurricane. Opening couple of windows for nice cross-ventilation in hurricane is not an option. Yes, it is THAT windy. And a lot of rain before, during and after the hurricane. Mid-summer to early fall is a rainy season, be it with or without hurricanes. You don't want to open windows in heavy wind when rain is coming horizontally, straight into window.

I was talking 2-3 months full time use. We don't go thru a 30# tank in that amount of time. If he has a big non-portable tank, he should be able to go years between fillups.

Hurricane is a day or two...you hunker down and make due (I doubt he is using the outdoor kitchen during the hurricane anyway). My understanding is this was post hurricane when services aren't up and running yet but it's still breezy, so opening the windows is viable. Likewise, setting up a makeshift shelter after the hurricane and using a wood stove still appears viable.

Hey Mex, we've been using this since 2013. So far it works really well. Heats evenly, maintains steady temp (not measured), cleans nicely.

Presto 06857 16-inch Electric Foldaway Skillet, Black

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00591GG58



Only thing to caution is the pouring spout will vent steam when cooking. Be sure to put it in a position AWAY from your hands when cooking ;)

Good luck!

FAMOUS LAST WORDS dept...

"Mah new fifty thousand dollar rig can not leak! Gone though leak testing at the factory!"

Hurricanes and tropical storm winds push water past barriers that are resistant to other leaks.

Little use in moaning and whining about. Find an alternative that works.

valhalla360 wrote:

Yeah but for cooking only, you should be able to get 2-3 months easy out of a couple 30# tanks. If you are worried about needing a longer time period, buy a couple spares and keep them full (propane doesn't go bad with age).

In an emergency, you suck it up and cook inside or could collect wood and cook over a camp fire. If it's that windy that an outdoor cooktop won't stay lit, just open a couple windows and you should have nice cross ventilation.

He is not a tourist like most of us. Rigs staying put all the time or most of the time are using residential 70 or 100 lbs upright cylinders, 30 or 45 kg respectively. Or a bigger horizontal tank on the ground. Most locals are living like this in their homes, there are no natural gas lines. Upright cylinders are delivered by pickup truck. Permanent tanks are filled by tanker truck. People rarely travel 65 miles one way, 130 miles total, to "planta de propan" - except maybe remote farms with poor road where pickup truck wouldn't deliver 30-45 kg tanks and tanker truck wouldn't come either.

Wood burning stoves are all over, to save on propane, BUT not during a hurricane. Opening couple of windows for nice cross-ventilation in hurricane is not an option. Yes, it is THAT windy. And a lot of rain before, during and after the hurricane. Mid-summer to early fall is a rainy season, be it with or without hurricanes. You don't want to open windows in heavy wind when rain is coming horizontally, straight into window.

We had an induction single burner for a short period. Short because neither of us liked it at all. Must use pots 'n pans that work with induction cooktops which aren't necessarily cheap and take up even more valuable space inside. Being electric can be major drawback on these things for some. Sure sold real fast on CL!

Bought a propane single burner cooktop like in photo. Sure heats things up FAST. Only drawback is high wind but the DW says she's get a folding wind shield for it. Modified it to run off our quick connect under the TT. Love this thing!

We've recently discovered ceramic "marble" coatings at home and they're sooo easy to clean. Planning on getting a large marble coated griddle/crepe pan so we can do multiple pancakes and other stuff on it.

I am convinced a simple electric skillet will be the answer.

pianotuna wrote:
Hi Almot,

He can--but the nearest refill place is at least 50 miles one way.

Almot wrote:
I'm still curious why it is not possible to run a small propane burner inside that old motorhome.

Yeah but for cooking only, you should be able to get 2-3 months easy out of a couple 30# tanks. If you are worried about needing a longer time period, buy a couple spares and keep them full (propane doesn't go bad with age).

In an emergency, you suck it up and cook inside or could collect wood and cook over a camp fire. If it's that windy that an outdoor cooktop won't stay lit, just open a couple windows and you should have nice cross ventilation.

I'm not clear how an electric skillet or induction cooker will help if a hurricane rolls thru destroying infrastructure. A gas generator will burn thru gasoline a lot faster than a propane stove will go thru propane.

Quicksilver has a Manchester 83 gallon motor fuel tank to port. And there is zeeee-roh fuel delivery either by 45 Kg and 10 Kg or bulk truck fills. Never has been and never expect there will be 64 miles round trip to the nearest Z-Gas plant.

I refuse to cook inside. The heat increase and humidity from the food and the flame is intolerable. Brenda uses a large fan in her house, but not when there is a solid curtain of rain - horizontal rain and no power.

Then some hurricanes leave 80F temps but condensing humidity. Clammy. Move the air you sweat and your skin freezes, heat turns things into a sauna. I have a custom made 10' hammock for the patio. Close weave cotton and a mile of cheesecloth for protection from the insects. A pabellon tent of insect screening. Hammocks are no steenky bueno for folks with disc problems.

Quicksilver will end up as an appendage on a house serving as a luxurious suite bedroom while I feed a tree. I built that bus to travel and now that I am on shaky ground in my 70's and gasoline and diesel is north of four dollars a gallon, those dreams have done a will o the wisp. When I rob all the spare extension cords and run power to the bus I can use the 5K Goldstar window A/C in the bedroom. If I should cook in the galley the 5K Goldstar in there doesn't have a prayer.

I love it. No matter how uncomfortable it may get, being swarmed with four loving granddaughters more than makes up for it. Tomorrow I hunt down that "Skillet" Charola Electrico.

Don Piano, semi-permanent rigs don't travel to refill on propane. They run on 70-100 lbs upright propane cylinders, refilling those isn't a problem, there are either local outfits or a traveling propane truck. People keep 3 of them if they need 2 per month, one goes empty - refill it. Many local homes and businesses rely on these "cilindros", this is not just for RVs.

To refill a 1 lb propane tank, you need to keep one of those white 20-30 lbs RV tanks - those are refilled at the same outfit as upright cylinders. You don't have to refill 20 lbs tank often for this, as 1 lb tank is only for emergency-like situations. With 7 people 1 lb won't last long, though.

I'll attempt to answer some questions

• Quicksilver may weight 18,000 lbs with water but a category 5 hurricane on the beam would roll it over
• It is attached to buried 20" truck tires by 6" x 1/2" overcenter big rig clamps and nylon straps
• RV parks are non existent in this area and it's not unusual to pay $600 month
• Mexico has grown since I parked the old girl. My income however has groan
• A 3-day trip to Patzcuaro in the rig would cost $500 versus $150 in the car
• Some of you have wrong perceptions of a hurricane
• Hurricanes down here push a bubble of hot air in front making life miserable
• Jesus was really surprised that the arrival of a bubble of air meant a hurricane is on the way
• Misery is no electricity, no A/C no lights, and only a heat and water producing propane burner in a locked tight small space my family in 7 and with Jesus' sister Andrea it's eight
• Hurricane Patricia whizzed by last year doing TWO HUNDRED + MILES PER HOUR. It was a small storm and hit the coast 200 miles north of here. It cracked the roof of the kid's house and flooded the interior
• The place I was staying in has solid foot thick walls and roof and only one window which was boarded up
• Steel door
• The gen shed is built the same way
• My new casita has 16" walls but no ceiling yet. It is a tiny 19 x 16 structure. I have fans but pushing 95 degree 85% R/H humidity around does little good
• As good as it is built the lower 12" of the genshed gets soaked. The Kubota and Kato get tarped. Remember the air is pushed out of the room past the radiator
• The battery bank has to support everything for a minimum of two days
• Sometimes the power goes off and stays off nine days
• We almost never have a day with no outages most lasting five minutes
• 4 hungry children are a handful and I am the last surviving grandparent
• After a hurricane passes it is not over, without power comes the cleanup and repair
• I have 5.54 hectarias of mangos to take care of
• The Jesus and Brenda have the restaurant
• Until something happens and the price of fuel and tolls is reduced Quicksilver stays anchored
• I attempt to survive on Social Insecurity
• lastly I have a Foreman grill great for cheese sandwiches somewhat of a pain for spaghetti.