Whether your cruise takes you around the bay or the world, a nice wood stove with a character is essential for your marine experience.
Floor space is precious in every yacht unless you own a massive vessel. In general, most boats are smaller than the average home, so you need to find a stove that will enable you to utilize the limited cabin space cleverly. Choosing a compact stove will also make the installation process more comfortable and save you many headaches.
Here are some practical tips to help you choose a marine wood stove that will provide you with the right amount of heat and take up minimal space.
Features of Boat Stoves
Cooking aboard a boat is different from cooking at home. It is essential to understand that galley stoves are other than household stoves. They usually operate at angles up to 30° without the cookware sliding off.
In case the boat heels and leans over to one side, the oven doors are not forced open by the weight of the baking containers inside. The controls are located on the front or along the side. The chef does not have to reach over hot cookware on a moving boat.
Marine stoves use various fuels: alcohol, kerosene, LPG (liquefied petroleum gas/propane), or CNG (compressed natural gas).
Some boats rely on electrical appliances, which run off the engine’s alternator/inverter, shore power at the dock, or a generator on board that can produce 110V AC of electricity.
Most marine stoves are gimbaled. Gimbals are an essential safety feature on a marine stove as they keep your pots and pans on the stove or level in the oven, even when the boat is heeled or rolling.
Marine stoves are made from non-corroding materials like stainless steel. Most will have two or more burners on the top to heat pots, and many have a burner in the oven for baking. Some have a broiler with a flat burner on top of a broiler compartment to enjoy broiled sandwiches, steaks, and other foods during the cruise. Both power and sailboat stoves come with potholders, convenient for keeping the cookware where it belongs.
The Benefits
Let’s take a closer look at the advantages that marine wood stoves offer.
Affordability: Compact-size burners deliver a proper amount of heat to cabins, small rooms, and even boats with low operating costs.
Quick Heat: Compared to some ventilation systems that can take longer to get entirely going, wood stoves heat up instantly. When installed in small cabins, it will get toasty warm.
Backup System: These appliances have got you covered even in a power outage. The backup system will keep you and your family warm. These stoves are also considered eco-friendly as they burn very cleanly and are an excellent choice for environmentally-conscious people.
Ambiance: Small wood burners have a unique character to them. They supply a cozy, homely atmosphere that genuinely serves to attract people to your domain. There’s a reason there are so many pictures of these beauties on Pinterest.
Cooking: Tiny portable wood stoves also come armed with a cooking surface. You can heat water and cook. Although surface cooking is not recommended, it is technically a possibility.
Exercise: Don’t want to pay for your fuel? You can always chop it yourself! It’s a great workout that will keep you in shape.
Types of Marine Stoves
Marine Propane Stoves
Once you experience the ease of cooking on a propane stove, you’ll never go back to kerosene or alcohol. Propane, also known as Liquid Petroleum Gas, has become the fuel of many marine stoves. It has a high heat factor, lights quickly, and has no offensive odor.
The primary safety factor with propane is that it can ignite and cause an explosion. However, propane stoves have improved over the years, and the new models come with built-in safety thermocouples that automatically stop the flow of gas within seconds if a flame is not present.
Marine Alcohol Stoves
Alcohol marine stoves are a safe choice; if there’s a fire, it can fire out with water. These marine stoves, which heat through pressurized tanks or non-pressurized burners, come in a wide variety.
On the downside, alcohol lacks a high heat level, which puts it on the less efficient side. It’s also expensive and gives off an unpleasant odor.
Electric Marine Stoves
Electric stoves are considered the safest choice as they do not have an open flame. However, they are also the most expensive choice and are primarily used on large powerboats and super-yachts as they require a large amount of electricity from generators.
However, if your boat has an AC Genset, you’re good to go with an electric marine stove.
Induction Cooking
Induction stoves are the new trend on the market. Induction cooktops heat food via magnetic fields, requiring compatible cookware with perfectly flat bottoms.
This stove’s advantages include increased safety — clothing and paper towels coming into contact with the burner can’t burn.
They put the most little extra heat into the boat than any other type of stove and cook the food faster. Also, induction stoves have a flat surface, are easy to clean, and can double as extra counter space.