Deal or No Deal

LakeShark · Jan 16, 2018

That's a great deal if you like to grill on the boat. Just don't loose the regulator while sailing

RoyS · Jan 16, 2018

Sorry to report that last week I trashed the charcoal version of that grill, including the rail mount. Would have given it to you. Sorry.

Kermit · Jan 16, 2018

RoyS said:
Sorry to report that last week I trashed the charcoal version of that grill, including the rail mount. Would have given it to you. Sorry.

That’s why you should NEVER discard those things. Especially if you have no sea what they are or what they’re used for. Unles, of course, you really want to know.

kloudie1 · Jan 16, 2018

That is a deal! I have had one of those for 15 years or so.. I have lost one regulator while trying to mount it on the stern rail.. just make sure the reg is fastened to the body part .. The newer ones are better at staying lit in a breeze, but with a little care, it is a fine cooker.. several pounds of chicken and steaks have been toasted on mine over the years..

Kings Gambit · Jan 16, 2018

I suppose it's a deal relative to full retail price. Although I've owned two Magma kettle grills, charcoal and propane, I don't really like 'em. I certainly would not want to pay full retail for one. I grill on my charcoal Weber at home since 1982--same one. Far superior to the Magma.

Actually, that brings up the whole matter of grilling on a sailboat which I consider as being difficult. It's something that's hard to do in the afternoon wind that we typically see here in CA during summer. It's also hard to do in the dark, as in the winter. Stuff gets lost overboard, including once three of my four chicken breasts!

The only reason I did not lose all four is b/c I had my fork in that one. The entire kettle rotated on the rail mount to the upside-down position. I eventually drilled through to secure the kettle clamp to the mount with a cotter pin so that would not happen again. I recently lost the tightening nut/lever overboard grilling in the dark after cocktails.

I've also lost the propane valve/regulator. The handle/knob on top gets so hot I usually need a kitchen glove to remove the lid. Now WHY make those knobs of hard plastic instead of wood? I'm sure the folks who designed them have never used one aboard a boat at anchor. It's also dumb that you cannot close the lower "vent."

Hydro Therapy · Jan 16, 2018

Seems like a deal to me. I eventually want to get one but it’s currently low on my boat wish list.

Kings Gambit · Jan 16, 2018

SV_GALATEIA said:
Then Kings Gambit's reality check smacks the crap out of you and you don't what's real and what's not...

Hey--some people love it; and that's probably all they do for cooking aboard. It does have some advantages--as in not having to use a low BTU alcohol stove if that is what you have aboard your C-22.

But let's go on! The grill itself is difficult to clean on board w/o making a mess. Gooey, burnt carbon sticks to the inside of the kettle and gets all over the stones or heat-reflective plate. It's hard to control the heat on the propane units b/c the low setting is not that low so stuff usually gets charred or otherwise over-cooked. However, if it was much lower the wind might blow out the flame. Unless you scrub it after every weekend of use you'll get some grime, ash, or smudge on you or your clothes every time you try to use it. These things would be better as a use-once-and-then-throw-away product. The propane canisters never empty out at the end of a session; only in the middle of one.

So, you're either changing canisters during the cooking or discarding canisters still containing some propane. I must have half-a-dozen nearly empty canisters lying about. What to do with 'em?

With the charcoal units you have the problem of what to do w/ the charcoal ash. When you're finished cooking you cannot choke off the air as with a Weber, there being no closing vents beneath, so the remaining charcoal has to burn out, making a lot of ash. The kettle therefore stays HOT for quite a while after you're done with it. So, you have to be careful not to burn yourself or let a guest get burned accidentally bumping up against it which happens b/c you're on a SAILBOAT where there is ALMOST NEVER enough clearance to get by something not physically designed into the boat w/o bumping it, even if it is hanging over the rail. The alternative to letting the charcoal burn out is to dump into the water, but to do that you have to get the HOT grill off to make way; OR drown the charcoals with water to put them out. In that case--they're no good anymore and you have to dump 'em anyway. If out for a week, you have to go through this routine every day that you use the grill. I used to dump the ash overboard at night; but later I felt guilty and started bagging it to take home to spread on the plant beds.

So when you're done--take it home, sand blast it and the grill; wash the bag; pack a fresh propane canister, and then you're ready for the next sunset adventure.

Roland5048 · Jan 16, 2018

Kings Gambit said:
I'm sure the folks who designed them have never used one aboard a boat at anchor.

I think that's true of most things. If those who design the layout of boats actually had to do any work on them, they would be designed much differently.

Ron20324 · Jan 16, 2018

Kings Gambit said:
... It's hard to control the heat on the propane units b/c the low setting is not that low ...

IIRC someone once posted there is an orifice that solves the low heat problem???

Kings Gambit · Jan 16, 2018

Ron20324 said:
IIRC someone once posted there is an orifice that solves the low heat problem???

I don't know; I'll look into. Frankly, I've nearly quit using my propane Magma kettle--we cook on the propane stove below most of the time now.

Jackdaw · Jan 16, 2018

SV_GALATEIA said:
We, I cannot say if i like grilling on a boat, haven't done it yet. I do like to grill in general though.
The picture is being tucked away in a nice sheltered cove with the misses, grilling up a nice dinner as the sun is setting sipping a nice glass of wine...

Then Kings Gambit's reality check smacks the crap out of you and you don't whats real and whats not...

Its not a reality check. Its an OPINION. Just like most of the comments here. Or anywhere for that matter.

Kings Gambit · Jan 16, 2018

Jackdaw said:
Its not a reality check. Its an OPINION. Just like most of the comments here. Or anywhere for that matter.

True; an opinion based on experience. But I'll be happy to hear from Galatiea his opinion after say 50 afternoons of grilling on the Magma!

Kings Gambit · Jan 16, 2018

SV_GALATEIA said:
Yeah, I know its an opinion. Just my attempt at being humorous.

Touché!

Jackdaw · Jan 16, 2018

SV_GALATEIA said:
Yeah, I know its an opinion. Just my attempt at being humorous.
Pretty confident it will work just fine for our use.

Even a scorched meal in a secluded cove is better then a dinner at a 5 stars restaurant...... OK, maybe 3 star...

For sure it probably will. That was my point. Your use pattern on a Cat22 is totally different than a coastal cruiser that also sports a very nice propane stove/oven inside. Pick nice days, settle down in a quiet cove, and watch the sun start to set while the steaks sizzle. That's exactly what that grill was designed to do.

Kings Gambit · Jan 16, 2018

SV_GALATEIA said:
Yeah, I know its an opinion. Just my attempt at being humorous.
Pretty confident it will work just fine for our use.

Even a scorched meal in a secluded cove is better then a dinner at a 5 stars restaurant...... OK, maybe 3 star...

Meals aboard are always enjoyable, even if not perfectly cooked, as you say. For us, the more simple the more enjoyable I find generally them to be. The so called "one-pot" meals. I know that folks, especially on charters, often wish to make up elaborate culinary delights to add to the fun of being out; and so they might. But if you're in a somewhat less than totally peaceful anchorage, trying to make a multi-step meal of many ingredients with only two burners, some of the fun and enjoyment fades with the disappointment of not having it turn out so good as expected or when as expected!! Grilling is an OK way to cook at times--those certain dishes like marinated tarragon-garlic chicken breasts--because there can be some simplification in the overall meal preparation doing it that way. It still tastes good enough even if over cooked so that everyone is happy in the end.

Lemon Drop · Jan 16, 2018

Hello to all,
The Admiral of my boat usually pre-packs steaks, eggs, and spaghetti in zip-locks for us. So when we wake just start a pot on boil then submerge the bag of pre-mix omelette or evening spaghetti and we are good to go and the steaks are seasoned thawed on ice for grilling that evening. makes dinner a easy day. Gene Neill hooked me to the one burner Coleman I keep on the sliding galley and I made my own rail mount grill of a cheapo from ACE, cheap for if trashed or lost. But for sure a crispy meal in a cove at sun set is better than any on land..

V/R
Mike

Stu Jackson · Jan 16, 2018

We've had our Magma on our boat for the past 20 years. I agree with KG that when, not if, the winds pipe up in the afternoon, it can be difficult to BBQ. In Northern California, where I lived from 1978 to 2016, it also got cold in the p.m.! But that said, we used it a lot. Even more when we took our summer jaunts up to The Delta. Now that we're here in delightful British Columbia, the afternoon winds are not that common on a daily basis. When it gets warm here it is quite nice cooking in the cockpit.

When we had our C22 from 1983 to 1987, we'd trailer the boat up to Clear Lake, sail all day and anchor out. Back then all we had was a small Hibatchi charcoal grill that we'd place on a piece of plywood across the cockpit seats, the plywood was also used to make the large bed down below with the table dropped - a standard C22 home improvement.

We brought the hibatchi to our C25 from 1987 to 1998, sailing SF Bay and The Delta.

Not having charcoal is great. One learns the ways of the Magma when cooking - it does burn hot even on low. I find it great for steaks and my son is a master at chicken on it.

I find the need to clean out the regulator periodically. A fine but solid wire does the trick.

Your boat, your choice.

I would have loved to have a Magma on my C22, but we didn't have a stern pushpit on that boat.

Lemon Drop said:
Gene Neill hooked me to the one burner Coleman

Because CNG is not available here in BC, we, too bought a single burner butane stove before we left SF in August 2016. Still going strong.