Alcohol Stove "Smells"

[alofns]

I have a big cut out in my galley countertop where a stove used to be and was planning to fill it with a stove. I have an old colman (white gas) pressurized stove, and 2 primus multi flue packable stoves I use in my sea kayaks.

I'm not real keen to use any of the camping stoves based on comments I've read on here in previous posts and so I was thinking about buying a new 2 burner alcohol stove. Someone cautioned me that they smell bad? is this true?

[mitchbrown]

We have a Heat Pal heater/cooker that uses denatured alcohol, The smell is minimal as far as im concerned but i do know that they bother some people more then others. It would be nice for you if you could find someone who has one and be around it for awhile and see how you like it. I personaly think non pressurised alcohol stoves are very safe and a good way to go.

Mitch

[fordo]

I have an Origo 4000 that came with the boat and I'm very happy with it. It's much faster than I expected. I thought I'd try to put in propane but the Origo was completely satisfactory, so I saved a lot of money.

[hellosailor]

Alcohol has a particular smell, which varies a bit with the exact fuel. You may or may not like it.

But it is also the coldest flame and produces the most moisture in the process, leaving condensation problems in colder climates.

Personally I'd rather eat cold food than use an alky burner. And that's not mentioning the dangers of the invisible blue flame and fuel spills.

[bubb2]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Alcohol has a particular smell, which varies a bit with the exact fuel. You may or may not like it.

But it is also the coldest flame and produces the most moisture in the process, leaving condensation problems in colder climates.

Personally I'd rather eat cold food than use an alky burner. And that's not mentioning the dangers of the invisible blue flame and fuel spills.

You must be talking about a pressurized alcohol stove. A non-Pressurized alcohol stove has no explosion risk, as propane or a pressurized stove does and a alcohol flame can be put out with water.

When my wife and I order our new Beneteau 10 years ago we had the propane stove deleted in favor of a Origo 4000. We have been happy ever since. There is nothing we can't cook and the the safest way to go.

[mitchbrown]

It's my opinion that the least safe fuel that is carried on a boat is gasoline the next least safe is propane, alcohol is probably the safest. My boat is equipped with a 3 burner and oven stove which uses Compressed Natural Gas this is pretty safe since it is lighter then air and so won't accumulate in the bilge ( it just floats out the companion way hatch ). However I do most of my cooking on the heat pal alcohol burner that I have because it's cheap and easy.

Mitch

[scottyt]

i like alky, heck i have deep fried on my non pressure one

[JimsCAL]

White gas is far more dangerous than alcohol on a boat. The Origo non-pressurized stoves work well, are safe, and have little or no smell when operating.

[bljones]

Everyone has their own preferences, but I use my non-pressurized alcohol stove daily while onboard. It is dead-nuts simple, easy to light, easy to extinguish, and it is SILENT, which is nice when you are brewing your pre-dawn coffee and do not want to wake up the rest of the crew. I find a gallon jug of alcohol will last more than a month, and it is easy to stow.
In fact I use our alcohol stove more often than I use my rail mounted propane bbq.

[justified]

Last year I replaced an old pressurized alcohol stove with a new non-pressurized cookmate stove. what a difference, quite,easy to lite and no smells what so ever. My youngest daughter always complained about the smeel of the old one, it never bothered me -but it did stink. Should have done it sooner.