Choosing a stove

jhogle

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Sep 16, 2016
24
Catalina 22 Topeka
I am looking to purchase an alcohol stove for my boat. I have decided on alcohol, as I don't want to have to worry about the small chances of an accident while cooking with gas in an enclosed space. It seems that the Origo 3000 is the stove that usually comes with the Catalina 22. So far it seems to be the only real option I am able to find.

Are there any other options for alcohol stoves this size, that I am missing? I am not crazy about the price point on the Origo for what seems like a really simple device. But I am willing to pay, if its my only option.
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
Hmmm. Most people are removing their alcohol stoves. Ours is in the garage. The PO replaced it with a convection oven since they only cooked in the slip. I'm holding onto the stove for resale value.
 

Pat

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Jun 7, 2004
1,250
Oday 272LE Ninnescah Yacht Club, Wichita, Ks.
We've used our origo 4000 nearly every weekend since we bought our boat in 1986...It was standard equipment on the boat
and has served us very well......We've cooked a lot of stuff on it including Eggs Benedict, salmon steaks, etc.....perfectly safe
and easy to care for....still looks like new....
 
Oct 9, 2008
1,739
Bristol 29.9 Dana Point
I have an Origo.
Fantastic quality. All stainless.
And brilliantly simple.
It delivers enough heat to boil water in 5 minutes. The internal-wick reservoirs are huge, enough to cook for a week.
Operation only requires opening the valve, which is merely a mechanical reservoir cover, and hitting the top of it with a torch. Adjustable flame using the valve.
Extinguishing is as easy as turning the valve off which closes the cover.
No flaring, no leaking, no pumping. Safe as can be.
Mine is gimballed with pot holders. Can cook under way.
Or you can lift the stove a little and pivot it down flat on the surface, securing it.
Cleaning is just popping the grill off with one motion, and wiping it down.
Fuel is cheap and can be found in any hardware or paint store. No trying to find a propane station, many of which now only exchange 5 gal tanks i.e. Rhino. Not (need confirmation) the 1 or 2 gallon that a sailboat needs.
Side note, it gives off a beautiful blue flame, which reflects nicely off the stainless in low light. :)
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Edit: Not sure I actually answered your question :) except to say you already found the right one.
Kenyon makes one but it's even more expensive, and not nearly as good imo.
Buy it as an investment. Take it with you when/if you sell the boat, and use it on the next boat if it needs it. Or use it as a free-standing camp stove, or RV stove. Even do that now - use it in multiple formats. It's portable.
 
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Sep 15, 2016
790
Catalina 22 Minnesota
It depends on they type of C22 you have. If it's a "new design" most people chose not to cook in the cabin and instead choose a single or double burner stove for use in the cockpit. If you want to use the original location on the boat with the original stove don't buy a new one. Check ebay, craigslist, and here in the classifieds as @Justin_NSA is correct and the majority of C22 owners just do away with their original stove so they are plentiful at times in the "new used" market. I have one that has never been used yet (87 boat) but I was thinking about trying it out this summer so I am glad to hear good things about the Origo stoves.
 

jhogle

.
Sep 16, 2016
24
Catalina 22 Topeka
Thanks for all of the information guys. Its good to hear that these stoves are quality. I will definately have a look around for a used one.
 
Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
It depends on they type of C22 you have. If it's a "new design" most people chose not to cook in the cabin and instead choose a single or double burner stove for use in the cockpit.
I can't speak for other new design owners, but that is definitely not the case with us! This is the first time I ever even heard that said.

We used an Origo 3000 for a couple years, and were thoroughly unimpressed. We've switched to a single-burner Iwatani butane stove, and never looked back. 30 bucks vs 300, and it kicks the Origo's clunky old @ss in every imaginable way. Iwatani even makes cookware that locks onto the stove, so as not to slide around.





 
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jhogle

.
Sep 16, 2016
24
Catalina 22 Topeka
That little thing looks pretty nifty for 30 dollars. Are there any safety concerns to take into account when cooking with butane in an enclosed space? Is it about the same as using propane?
 
Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
That little thing looks pretty nifty for 30 dollars. Are there any safety concerns to take into account when cooking with butane in an enclosed space? Is it about the same as using propane?
Yes, butane stoves carry the same inherent risks as propane. Use appropriate caution. ;)
 

sdstef

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Jan 31, 2013
140
Hunter 28 Branched Oak Lake
Buy the Origo, yeah it stings at first, but you will be 100% happy with it. Safe, virtually nothing to go wrong with it. Ours is old, still looks great and works awesome. Denatured alcohol is readily available at any hardware store, and is cheap for weekend cooking.
 
Nov 22, 2011
1,192
Ericson 26-2 San Pedro, CA
I am looking to purchase an alcohol stove for my boat. I have decided on alcohol, as I don't want to have to worry about the small chances of an accident while cooking with gas in an enclosed space. It seems that the Origo 3000 is the stove that usually comes with the Catalina 22. So far it seems to be the only real option I am able to find.

Are there any other options for alcohol stoves this size, that I am missing? I am not crazy about the price point on the Origo for what seems like a really simple device. But I am willing to pay, if its my only option.
I have a Cookmate, which is an Origo knock-off. I'm not sure if they are still making them. They use canisters identical to the Origo, they are made out of all stainless, and they are totally bullet proof. I do see one on e-Bay, though this one is for recessed mounting: http://www.ebay.com/itm/CookMate-Mo...ash=item4b146bdf55:g:A8AAAOSwax5Y2VsR&vxp=mtr

I agree with the other comments about just how well these stoves work. I pulled out a functioning (though not well installed) propane system and replaced it with the Cookmate and have not regretted the decision for a moment. It's nice to have a few things on the boat that are essentially indestructible. And don't listen to the naysayers who claim alcohol stoves don't get hot enough. Maybe that's true for some of the older pump up ones, but the Origo-style stoves get plenty hot.
 
Mar 2, 2008
406
Cal 25 mk II T-Bird Marina, West Vancouver
The non-pressurized alcohol cook tops are an excellent choice. Had a single burner Origo 1500 on my previous sailboat and now have a two burner Origo 3000 with pot holders. I think their patent has expired as there is the much cheaper Chinese Cookmate available now. Buy menthol hydrate at you local hardware store for fuel.

Remember a couple of things:

- Get the pot holders.

- Get all of your pots the same size.

- Replace the rubber gaskets when not using the stove.

- Fill the canisters on the dock or in the cockpit NOT in the stove.

- Decant the alcohol / menthol hydrate fuel into properly labelled ½litre or ¾litre water bottles for easy filling (empty canister takes one litre of fuel).

- Use long-reach butane lighter to light it.

- Don’t let the burner fuel run empty or you will burn the wick material.
 
Nov 19, 2008
2,129
Catalina C-22 MK-II Parrish, FL
I'm with Gene Neil, never understood the paranoia with butane or disposable propane bottles. Oh yeah, I've heard all the horror stories, just never had any issues, and some common sense goes a long way. We cook with a fully gimbaled propane stove that mounts to the compression post, a single burner butane stove that we set up in the companionway on top of the cooler, and a propane Magma grill that fit's into the fishing pole holder on the stern pulpit. Our butane stove came from Costco, Stainless Steel and was $26. Bought 5 of them, and sold 4 for $50. a piece.

Don
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Sep 14, 2014
1,251
Catalina 22 Pensacola, Florida
I am on board with the little bistro propane/butane stoves, about 20 bucks for the coleman model and cans are like 2.
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50 at walmart and last 4-5 days at least.
 
Oct 9, 2008
1,739
Bristol 29.9 Dana Point
I'm the Origo fan from earlier.
In the long run, alcohol fuel is a giant amount cheaper than butane. $5 a quart which would last a month on a single burner Origo, cooking 2 meals a day for one person.
Also safer.
And can be used in any sea state a good navigator would ever allow himself the possibility to enter.

However, due to others' posts, I'm starting to see the value of a brand-name butane stove, --- in a Catalina 22.
Because the reality is that you're not going to be living aboard nor sailing abroad, so the fuel cost increase won't add up that fast. And you're not going to be cooking in rough weather, so gimballing may be superfluous.
As long as you can secure it to the boat, secure the cookware to the stove, ventilate the cabin, and handle and store the fuel properly, on a price point I'd look hard at the butane stove.

Edit: My Korean wife uses one to cook certain Asian things on the back porch, to avoid smells in the house. :)
And I can say that the stove cooks as good as any.
 
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Nov 19, 2008
2,129
Catalina C-22 MK-II Parrish, FL
"And you're not going to be cooking in rough weather, so gimballing may be superfluous."
Skipper,
I would have to disagree..... A fully gimbaled stove is very useful for safely brewing a pot of coffee, or making some early morning oatmeal while underway, or taking the chill out of the cabin on those chilly Southern California nights on the hook, or heating up some mid-day soup or stew on that day long journey from Dana Point to Catalina Island.
We also found our fully gimbaled stove handy on those sailing trips to Catalina Island on our Capri-18 also.
Don
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Capri Mini Galley 001.JPG
 
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Oct 9, 2008
1,739
Bristol 29.9 Dana Point
"And you're not going to be cooking in rough weather, so gimballing may be superfluous."
Skipper,
I would have to disagree..... A fully gimbaled stove is very useful for safely brewing a pot of coffee, or making some early morning oatmeal while underway, or taking the chill out of the cabin on those chilly Southern California nights on the hook, or heating up some mid-day soup or stew on that day long journey from Dana Point to Catalina Island.
We found our fully gimbaled stove also handy when sailing our Capri-18 to Catalina Island also.
Don
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Agreed. I said as much earlier.
I said, "may be" superfluous. :)
IE: if he only cooks in slip or harbor (flat) anchorage. Or even during a smooth sail.
I had a non-gimballed pressurized alcohol stove on my Capri 26, and with pot holders it did fine in favorable conditions. Just a little more sloshing but no spills - in favorable conditions.
He'll have to decide, based on his use intentions.
 

jhogle

.
Sep 16, 2016
24
Catalina 22 Topeka
So I bought this, my first sailboat, last fall. Out of all the restoration and projects I have done I figured SURELY choosing a stove would be pretty straight forward. But nooooooo! :p

I'm thinking the best thing might be to start with a cheap propane stove that I use in the cockpit and just see what I really think I need once I start cruising. Thanks again to everyone for all the advice.
 
Feb 11, 2015
212
Catalina 22 Lake Jacomo
I had a twin burner Homestrand Mariner pressurized alcohol stove on my old boat. It was big and bulky but it worked well and I miss it. On my C22 I really have no need for more than one burner so I bought the same Coleman butane stove that Jacktar pictured a few responses back. For $20 you can't go wrong, it's just about perfect for my needs. I'm a lake sailor and my cooking never takes place while underway, so I have no need for a gimballed system. The footprint is just right for my sliding galley with room to spare and it won't tip over like many backpacking butane stoves. I overnight quite a bit and cook breakfast and coffee at a minimum each outing. I am getting ready to launch for my third season in this boat and just bought my 4th can of fuel for the stove.

Before you resign yourself to only cooking in the cockpit, consider that there will be times where cockpit cooking is not the most appealing option and those are the times when a warm meal or hot beverage is the most welcome. Cooking in the rain (even under a bimini) is not very fun. Windy conditions will make cockpit cooking challenging and not very fun. Being in eastern Kansas, you know all about the humidity we experience and our typically high dew points. When overnighting, this translates to waking up to a very wet boat most mornings. Climbing out into a wet cockpit to cook is not fun. You also know how our weather can go from one extreme to the other at the drop of a hat. Many times I have gone to bed at 80 degrees and woke up to 50's. It's really nice to reach over and put the coffee on without climbing out of my cozy bed.
 

dzl

.
Jun 23, 2016
159
Catalina 22 Trailer
I would recommend the Coleman butane. I don't have one, but I saw them the other day at Target before this thread started and I decided to get one for the boat. I have a propane camp stove that I use for camping but it's so bulky and the tank is just always hanging off in the way. I've never used it on the boat for this reason. I like the butane stove because it's self contained and fits inside a plastic case which is better to have sliding around on your gel coat or paint than a metal contraption. I'm not bothered by the single burner since I only use one burner on my camp stove usually and we'll tent camp up to a week at a time...