Induction cooktop for sailboats (a boat-life review)
Being free from dangerous and bulky propane gas bottles is a dream for many sailors. An induction cooktop for sailboats can liberate us from annoying searches for refills around the globe. Besides having to be refilled, gas bottles do change from country to country, causing a constant expense in new connectors or bottles. We preferred spending once on an induction cooktop.
Induction cooktop for sailboats
An induction cooktop is a great solution, but the market does not really offer induction cooktops for sailboats. For years, we looked at induction cooktops in hardware stores to find one that would fit our marine gas stove. We did find single induction burners that fit on top of our marine gas stove but left a lot of non-utilised space. On the other hand, all two-burner induction cooktops were too big to fit on our marine gas stove.
How much does it cost to live on a sailboat?
A good idea for sailors is to keep an eye on the camping market, where we found the perfect induction cooktop for sailboats. The ideal induction cooktop for sailboats has two induction burners, is energy-optimised and fits on the standard gimbal gas stove. Vango Sizzle Double checks all the marks.
Power Usage of Induction cooktop for sailboats
Their induction cooktop is easy to install, and the power usage is reasonable. We tried different combinations of burners and heat levels to showcase the power usage of the induction cooktop used on a sailboat.
1 burner on high heat level: 800W
2 burners on high heat level: 1,3kW
2 burners on middle heat level: 800 W
2 burners on low heat level: 600W
1 burner on low heat level: 400W
The great thing about an induction cooktop for sailboats is the speed of cooking. The pan heats up in a second; trust me, I burned my finger, and water boils as fast as in a water kettle, which uses much more power. Our water kettle uses over 1.000 W, compared to 800W or 600W, which is an excellent sawing.
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Induction cooktop tips for sailboats
by an anti-slip baking mat to avoid getting scratches on the cooktop and keeping your pans in place in rough seas
it is preferable to keep the gimbal if it was previously installed on the boat
keep the burner at the highest level to get the pan quickly hot and cook at lower heat levels once the pan is hot to reduce power usage
check plug as so far they seem only to sell a UK version
Conclusion
Overall, we are thrilled with our induction cooktop. For now, we keep the gas stove as a backup and for rough seas. Like for all safety measures, and we count cooking as one:), it is always great to have a backup.
