Cooking on board

[Will-C]

We have used this Dickinson grill for 3 or 4 years. We have bought the optional griddle plate for doing breakfast items. Seems to work well lights up and does not seem to blow out when on low. A little pricey. I made an aluminum plate and a locking bar for our radar arch and that is where it rides in cruise mode. We also bought an induction cooktop and a seven piece set of induction cookware. The boats built in Butane stove seems to have issues and I don't use that anymore. However the butane stoves that come in a little case work well and don't take up much space.
D.D.

[Will-C]

Griddle plate installed by remove one of the grates. Good for breakfast items.
D.D.

[Will-C]

Barbie on the radar mount. Does not seem pose a problem with the radar.

[Sunbeam]

[Aurelia]

There are many types of butane stoves and some have more control than others but if your is one of the single burner type roughly like this...

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/portable-gas-stove-butane-burner-with-1-range/472E10SL.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=CK_au43eqb8CFQqIfgodNAYAGg

Then it should have a low setting that works fine. We have owned three of these type and they have all simmered very well.

Greg

[pat.jack]

Thanks to all of you who have responded to my question about cooking on board. I've held off buying one of the Magma kettle grills, it sounds like those units have a number of issues. Sounds like the rectangular design is a better option. I appreciate the thoughts on where folks have mounted their grills, that is very helpful. Not many C-Dorys in my part of the country to take a look at-so it's good to hear from you folks.
Regards,
Jack Howell

[Sunbeam]

[Ron on Meander]

Here's a type of bbq I haven't seen before. It looks interesting. Certainly would answer some peoples need for speed when cooking. Don't know much about them or where to get them in NA. A neighbour I was talking to picked one up at the Vancouver boat show in Feb. Seems to like it but hasn't used it a lot.
http://www.lotusgrill.com.au/

[Robert H. Wilkinson]

Sunbeam, the stove that came as standard equipment on my Stingray is a Princess. It is a bit pricier than the Wal Mart specials, I think it is around the $100.CA mark. Not 100% sure but I think one difference might be in the safety features. For one thing - if the flame blows out the butane shuts off automatically. It worked great for the first 2 years then last year it started acting up. I did try to do a little research on it because I would rather spend some money on it than replace it with a cheaper model. I do see where it requires something called a sun battery which may be the problem and requires replacing, but have not got that far yet.

Regards, Rob

[Sunbeam]

If/while I'm using a butane canister stove, I'd like to keep it portable/removable. Reasons are that I sometimes use it in the cockpit or ashore (adock), and also that for a permanently installed system using gas, I think I'd prefer an "official" propane system. The Princess was handy to use, and it was easy to pop the canister out to store it in the vented locker (port lazarette), but I'm still not totally comfortable with using these as a "permanent" solution.

I do appreciate your posting though. I have actually looked at the Princess enclosure and thought about using it with a regular propane burner (with tank in vented locker and the rest of the "official" system) just because I really like the form factor of the Princess enclosure-plus-cutting board that sits flush with the counter top. I had used one (albeit with the butane canisters) on Powell on a boat similar to a C-Dory and liked the form factor.

Kind of expensive if I'm just going to gut it, so maybe a better way would be to use it as a model and have someone just make up a "tray" from stainless that is similar, and fits a known cutting board. But I always like to have something to look at for an idea, even if I end up modifying it (was always better at remodeling places than building from scratch, too).

For those wondering, it looks like this, and as-made takes the butane canisters:



For now I'm happy with the portable butane stove, but I just wish it would turn down to low! It sounds like some might, but since they are all clones (essentially), I hate to have to buy two, three, four (or more!) just so that I can test them to see if they do turn down low. If I had a specific brand/model that someone knew would go down very low (like to simmer rice after turning it down from boiling), then I could just buy that specific one. Mine absolutely does not (aggravating).

Edited to add: I see they say this is "ABYC compliant." I wonder how that works? Having a pretty good idea of the ABYC propane guidelines, I'm not sure how they consider this compliant, but I guess I'd have to think about that for a few minutes.

What makes me a bit uncomfortable with this or the portable version I am using now is the fact that the canisters are a commodity that is "cranked out" based on price, from what I can see, and I'm not as comfortable with the quality control as I would be with a DOT Cylinder (such as a regular propane system would use). If it were not for that, I would have no worry about using the stove and then putting the canister out in the locker afterward (which is what I do now, but wit some concern).

[jack keifer]

Thus far it seems all the grilling discussion revolves around propane fuel sources. We have had a Magma charcoal grill for about 15 years and it has served us very well. In fact it is on its second C-Dory, and we have used it both tied up and on the hook. Two elements have made it work well. First, I took my wood lathe and turned an adapter so we could use it in a rod holder socket and extend the grill beyond the side. Second, we only use match light charcoal which has started quickly every time. I have never wanted to carry gaseous fuels aboard, and this solution eliminated that concern.
Jack

[Sea Wolf]

[thataway]

Although I also share the concern about LP fuel in pressurized containers, we always keep outs in the port Lazarette, which is sealed off form the cockpit, and drains overboard. We had used charcoal for many years, but in the long run, we decided that the LP cylinders had more advantages and the charcoal many disadvantages. Each of us has to have our own comfort zones.

[johnr]

[Will-C]

The charcoal thing is nice. I like it when someone else does it.. But the secret to using blow type fuel (butane/propane is to drink enough alcohol before bedtime so you don't have bad dreams about dying in a huge fireball.
D.D.