Alcohol Stove

Big dave · Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2015 6:39 pm Post subject: Alcohol Stove

I would like to get some input on the alcohol stove from folks that have used them. (Origo 3000 Alcohol Stove)
I have used my Wallace 95D for the past 11 years, and about every 5 years i take it in for service to Scan Marine and pay around $300.
Well my fan no longer comes on in the lid and I can see that the switch leaver is broken off and some corrosion on the circuit . Scan says it will set me back about $400 for a service and fan lid repair. Which for $360 I can get a nice two burner alcohol stove. From what I have read I like the KISS principle of the alcohol stove.
The cooking part of my Wallace works fine taking about 16 minutes to boil 7 cups of water in the kettle, I have never been one to want boiling water in 5 minutes or less.
Well let me know what you all think, and thanks for any replies.
Dave
Raven Dancer

thataway · Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2015 7:08 pm Post subject:

The Origo 3000 Alcohol Stove is very simple--about 7,000 BTU per burner, and non pressurized, so much safer than the old stoves. The disadvantages I see are the fuel is expensive, and the fumes can be an issue. The amount of water vapor in the cabin is increased, since the stoves are not vented to the outside of the boat, as the Wallas is.

The stoves are not expensive, are safe, and have heat rapidly. You can buy a whole bunch of alcohol for $400. I still love the Wallas.

Will-C · Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2015 7:20 pm Post subject: Alcohol Stove

If you don't need cabin heat I would buy one or two of the butane stoves that come in a nice little grey case. They are pretty cheap to buy and to fuel. Asian foods stores have butane canisters for about 5 dollars each or less. They put out a fair amount of btu's and are easy to control. They don't take up much room. If you have 120 volts (generator/shore power) available the induction cookers are nice and are great for cooking pasta, heating sauces, or making rice etc.
D.D.

journey on · Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2015 7:34 pm Post subject:

I installed an Origo stove on a sailboat, back in the '80s. They're basically a pot with wicking inside. Judy mentioned that it took a long time to heat and didn't really have a high heat. It was a long time to the first cup of coffee. A new Origo 4000 sells for ~$450, if that's cheap. And the fuel wasn't easy to find.

The fan on Journey On's stove quit. How the switch in the lid got corroded is beyond me. I replaced it with a manual switch. To tell the truth, we use a Caframo Ecofan heat powered stove fan, ~$65. It sets on top of the open stove and we can point it in any (horizontal) direction, such as the v-berth. Put it on the low heat burner and it puts out as much as the Wallis fan, quietly and with no electricity.

If you're really cheap, like me, order the parts from the dealer and install them yourself. It's straightforward.

As an alternate to the Wallis, in the morn, Judy uses a single burner butane stove, ~$20, for coffee, etc in the morn. Butane cylinders are $1.50 ea at your local Asian food store, as of yesterday. Yes, Bob, of course we keep our cylinders outside in a sealed and properly vented box.

Boris

journey on · Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2015 7:38 pm Post subject:

I installed an Origo stove on a sailboat, back in the '80s. They're basically a pot with wicking inside. Judy mentioned that it took a long time to heat and didn't really have a high heat. It was a long time to the first cup of coffee. A new Origo 4000 sells for ~$450, if that's cheap. And the fuel wasn't easy to find.

The fan on Journey On's stove quit. How the switch in the lid got corroded is beyond me. I replaced it with a manual switch. To tell the truth, we use a Caframo Ecofan heat powered stove fan, ~$65. It sets on top of the open stove and we can point it in any (horizontal) direction, such as the v-berth. Put it on the low heat burner and it puts out as much as the Wallis fan, quietly and with no electricity.

If you're really cheap, like me, order the parts from the dealer and install them yourself. It's straightforward.

As an alternate to the Wallis, Judy uses a single burner butane stove, ~$20, for coffee, etc in the morn. Butane cylinders are $1.50 ea at your local Asian food store, as of yesterday. Yes, Bob, of course we keep our cylinders outside in a sealed and properly vented box.

Boris

Sea Wolf · Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2015 7:43 pm Post subject:

Dave-

The two-burner Origo stove came standard with the CD-22 Cruiser for all of the 28 years that I am aware of. That says something about it's workability, I'm sure!

The original owner of my 1987 model replaced the Origo with a 3-burner Gaffers and Sattler RV propane stove because (he claimed) the incomplete combustion odor of the alcohol made him nauseous!

The propane stove is great, IMHO. You just have to understand the dangers of propane and act accordingly. I added a Force 5 Cozy Cabin heater plus all the safety equipment, and never looked back!

I do know you can smell most alcohol stoves when they are operating. A hood over the stove and an exhaust fan would do a lot to eliminate that plus all the cooking odors generated.

Some folks use a small portable single-burner propane stove that uses little canisters that is used a lot in the Far East, and is available at Oriental Markets in the U.S. for about $20-$25, plus the canisters (about $3 each).
They say the stove works well and heats fast. You just have to be careful in storing the partially used cylinders, as once in a great while one will leak! A cabin full of propane is to be avoided at all costs, so the canister (or the complete stove with the canister attached) has to be stored outside the cabin where fumes from any leak won't accumulate.

Alcohol stoves can be problematic, especially the ones that pressurize the alcohol, but the Origo works pretty much like a Sterno food warmer non-pressurized can under a chafing dish.

My Sea Ray has a Kenyon alcohol/electric stove in it that works off 120 VAC (Shore Power) or pressurized alcohol. It has a copper fuel tank with a pressure pump right underneath the electric heating element with a metal baffle separating the two. Just the idea scared the previous owner so much he cut the wiring so the electric part couldn't be used! So who's afraid of a pint or so of alcohol 2 inches away from a 6000 btu red glowing electric element?

One of the problems with alcohol is that when it burns, the light blue flame often cannot be seen, especially in daylight, unlike gasoline which burns bright yellow/orange. This can be a problem with stoves, but not as much as when refueling high performance racing engines, where you don't know you have a fire until the car's paint or your clothes start to burn as well as the fuel.

Every once in a while an Origo 2-burner comes up for sale on this site for sale by an owner who has gone to a Wallas or another route. Someone out there might have one available in their workshop/garage right now.

Good Luck, tough decision! Lots of compromises, no perfect solution!

Joe. Teeth

Sunbeam · Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2015 8:10 pm Post subject:

Perhaps Dora~Jean will chime in, or if not you might PM him. I remember that he's had an Origo on two boats (put one on the second time because he liked it a lot the first time). And if I remember correctly, he likes to cook (so I mean, he's not just making Mountain House insta-meals, which just about anything can do).

I think for someone who's going to live aboard and cook day after day, alcohol is a bit expensive. But for the semi-regular use most C-Dory's get, I'd say it's a good contender if it suits your likes.

drbridge · Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2015 9:12 pm Post subject:

We have a Wallace that still works very well, But we too have one of the inexpensive butane stoves. ours is Coleman, but there are many other brands that all look like they are made by the same manufacture. for $20 on sale you get a one burner with pizo lighter that works flawless and takes up very little room. you can get butane bottles on ebay for as cheap as $3 if you buy quantity. If it is cold we use the wallace. If not we use the butane stove, as it is much quicker and sits perfectly on top of the wallace, or we have a shelf on the transom that it can sit on. If we need another burner we will use both sometimes. For $20 you can't go wrong.

Steven Dore · Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2015 9:45 pm Post subject:

I ordered the alcohol stove when I had the boat built. It is simple and doesn't need a lot of maintenance. The down side is it doesn't produce a lot of heat.

I am happy with it, but I also have a two burner GE electric flat surface, a single burner butane (like you see at an omelet station), a two burner Coleman propane, and most recently a Coleman one burner/grill combo (keeps me from hauling out the big stainless steel grill that clamps to the railing). I always have alcohol on board, so I can use the alcohol stove at any time and I take one of the other stoves on board if I need something different.

I don't have $400 tied up in all of them combined, plus I have use of the additional units in case of power outages at home.

lloyds · Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2015 10:08 pm Post subject:

Like everyone said, the alcohol is slow, puts out some fumes and puts lots of water vapor into the cabin. I had a two burner on a sailboat, it also had the oven. I did find that if I could buy the alcohol from canada it worked much better, bit still not near what the little butane burners do.

johnf · Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2015 12:32 am Post subject:

Hope I'm not changing the subject but related question...

For those of you with alcohol stoves...what do you use for heat at night?

Thanks,

John

kennharriet · Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2015 12:34 am Post subject:

All we have used is the Origo two burner that was stock in our 22. We like the way it cooks. Alcohol like propane generates moisture but it is not an issue with a little ventilation while cooking. No more so than any stove boiling water. Alchohol is very safe in that it can be extinguished very easy by smothering or with water.

Denatured alcohol is ready available in any hardware store, Walmart, etc. It runs about $15 per gal. but a gallon lasts a long time. We added the Dickinson P9000 propane stove for heat and love the simplicity and reliability of both.

thataway · Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2015 12:48 am Post subject:

B~C · Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2015 9:46 am Post subject:

Hey Big Dave, I have two burner Origo in my shed that you can test drive. If you like it & it will work for you I'll make you a real good deal on it

Big dave · Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2015 4:38 pm Post subject:

Thanks Ken it's a deal.
I think I sent you a email with my info on it.
Thanks Dave