Galley stuff

I bought a piece at a boat show that I drilled into grill. It then fits into a fishing pole rod holder.

We have limited galley storage space in our little 30 footer and need to choose our cooking gear carefully. Still we manage to cook up some great feasts. Here's a few space saver tricks we use.


I have a collapsible kettle than flattens, so in can stay on the stove even with the stove lid closed.
We have a large stainless fire fighting bucket (required under local safety regulations) which doubles for cooking crabs or big serves of pasta.
Heavy cast iron cookware are essentials for us but take up no more room than the so called "non stick" variety. I usually find them in second hand store; the older the better.
We don't have a proper BBQ but have a cast iron BBQ plate which fits perfectly over our alcohol stove. It takes up virtually no space on its side in the cupboard.
We have a portable butane stove for when more than two pots are required.

Sounds like you make the most of your space!

BillZe said:

Instead of putting in an expensive electric or propane oven, I decided to try a convection oven. I made a pizza but the cheese was a little burnt. I am still working on learning how to adjust from conventional to convectional. I was wondering if anyone else chose to do this and what your experiences have been?

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Our onboard oven is a combo microwave/convection unit.. and we just follow the directions (for timing and temps) in their cookbook. Fotr example, we had our Thanksgiving turkey (breast) on board this last year, just followed the directions for roasting, turned out perfect.

BillZe said:

I have a Weber grill that I set up on my mid deck. I love having the ability to grill, especially on nights when bands are playing at my marina. I can grill and enjoy the music at the same time. I also added a fishing board for food prep.

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That'd be nice to be able to do. We could grill on the boat in the marina where we stayed over the winter... but our home marina, and most around here, don't allow using either charcoal or gas grills while at the dock.


-Chris

Simi 60 said:

Cast iron cookware we would not be without.
We have a Dutch oven and a French pan that we have had forever
Constant even heat, something we can't get with aluminium or S/S cookwear.

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FWIW, we've had good luck with the various stainless models that have an encapsulated aluminum plate between layers of stainless for the bottom. Very even heating, haven't ever found any hot or cool spots...

For many years we used a cast aluminum set at home, and they finally went south... but the bottoms were really (really!) thick... and they also heated very evenly. Did I mention thick? They're apparently no longer in favor, though...

Wandering aside... I started part of this thread with comments about the nesting sets... I think if I were buying today, I'd not bother to get the non-stick versions. We only have non-stick in the "skillet" (lid) and ours is holding up OK, but it has turned out to be essentially unnecessary for our needs.

OTOH, I think I'd also augment the nesting set with a real flat (no sides) "grill" (pan) of some sort, and that might be good as non-stick. We're being inundated with commercials for copper models these days, and a friend tried one, said it works great. I may get a flat skillet anyway, once I figure out where to store one on board...

-Chris

A good vacuum packer (we use a Foodsaver) has changed much of how we do things.

If I cook anything (Steak tips, pork chops, chicken breasts) I cook way more than I need. Theoretically, it's the same amount of propane to cook 3 steak tips as it is to cook 6.

We eat what we want and let the rest cool. Then vac pak them (usually 1-2 per pakg)and throw them into the freezer.

Now we can pull out a frozen pkg and let it thaw, then dice it up and toss it into anything. Quesadilla's are great, as are steak or chicken subs. mince the chicken for chicken salad or toss into a chowder or soup. We'll even cook some rice (real rice, not instant) then let it cool. Now toss the rice and diced meat into a high walled fry pan along with some veg for a stir fry.

It's a great way to make fast meals, with whole foods. Plus it allows us to have contingencies for when it's raining and nobody wants to stand in the rain to cook.

Calphalon has a new line they call "space saving."

https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/calphalon-premier-space-saving-10-piece-set/?pkey=ccookware-calphalon%7Ccalphalon-premier-spacesaving-ss

It's not a true nesting design, but basically has some space saving features like the lids. It's a heavy duty product, like All Clad D5. It's not going to work if you are very limited on storage. But if you have room, it's a great product.

I was hemming and hawing about the Cristal Strate line. I liked the product and the stacking but the price was shocking. I got the Calphalon at 25% off, so my whole set was about the price of one Cristal pot. Score!

They have both a SS and Nonstick versions. Happy cooking!

Shrew said:

A good vacuum packer (we use a Foodsaver) has changed much of how we do things.

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Good point. We got one a few months ago, too, and it does seem to improve how long we can keep food well-frozen.

Wandering off a bit to a list of stuff we've found most useful on board over time:
- (good) nesting stainless cookware (ours are probably Cuisinart)
- a small Instant Pot (mostly in pressure cooker mode)
- a small slow cooker
- combo convection/microwave oven
- a propane grill, outside (ours is a very old Magma, looks like Boatpoker's; mixed feelings about the actual model...)
- a set of good cooking and steak knives (our are Henckels)
- one of the several flatware sets we were given at our wedding
- an extended set of a Corel dinner service plus extra complementary pieces
- a vacuum packer (getting used to it...)
- a "plastic" (?) NordicWare microwave insert thing, with ridges on one side, rides on the turntable, great for bacon!

I like the pizza brick idea; the one we use at home works great... gotta try that on the boat grill!

I think I'll eventually shop for a flat grille/skillet to augment the nesting set. The nesting skillet (also a lid for the whole set) works fine but the sides are so high it makes turning eggs a bit of a chore... and the sides aren't rounded enough like an omelet pan so actually flipping eggs hasn't worked all that well...

Something I've found totally useless: a blender. I reckon if a drink has more than two ingredients, it's either a waste of time or too fru-fru for my tastes. Ice in an ingredient.



-Chris

Oooh, I love cooking and even more so on the boat (even with a POS electric Princess Stove)

I have three galley essentials:
1) Dutch Oven for stews, curries, soups, and casseroles
2) A grill for meats and vegetables
3) An oven for baked goods.

I'll second a good set of knives. We don't use 'gadgets', they take up space, many use eletricity, and they are often a pain to clean. Anything (or anybody) that wastes space, water or power is not welcome on our boat.

There is nothing that gadgets do that I can't do with an old school (analog...LOL!!) french (chef) knife. I also keep a small santoku and a large paring knife on the boat.

Shrew said:

I'll second a good set of knives. We don't use 'gadgets', they take up space, many use eletricity, and they are often a pain to clean. Anything (or anybody) that wastes space, water or power is not welcome on our boat.

There is nothing that gadgets do that I can't do with an old school (analog...LOL!!) french (chef) knife. I also keep a small santoku and a large paring knife on the boat.

Click to expand...

And one advice regarding set of kitchen knives stored in a butcher block... Be sure to really secure the block AND knives while underway, just to avoid seeing one of the big knives stuck in your wood floor after a big headless boater strongly wake you at full speed... Don't ask how I know.

L

Greetings,
On the topic of "gadgets"...I'm in agreement BUT there are two that I wouldn't do without. One is a juicer:



and the other is a self cleaning garlic press.



You can get the juicers in lime, lemon and orange size (green, yellow, orange color). I would suggest the largest (orange). Then you can handle all citrus. http://www.cooks.com/recipe/xu83g7ok/shrimp-with-lime-butter-sauce.html

One element I will never forget aboard is my lovely wife to help with cleaning the dishes lol

L

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
On the topic of "gadgets"...I'm in agreement BUT there are two that I wouldn't do without. One is a juicer:

and the other is a self cleaning garlic press.

You can get the juicers in lime, lemon and orange size (green, yellow, orange color). I would suggest the largest (orange). Then you can handle all citrus. Shrimp With Lime Butter Sauce - Recipe - Cooks.com

Click to expand...

Yes on both

Lou_tribal said:

One element I will never forget aboard is my lovely wife to help with cleaning the dishes lol

L

Click to expand...

how do you do that? I mean the dishes thing I need to learn this one

BillZe said:

I have a Weber grill that I set up on my mid deck. I love having the ability to grill, especially on nights when bands are playing at my marina. I can grill and enjoy the music at the same time. I also added a fishing board for food prep.

Click to expand...

I use the same Weber and curious what rail mount is used for the grill, it's exactly what I've been looking to add.

Shrew said:

...There is nothing that gadgets do that I can't do with an old school...french (chef) knife....

Click to expand...

Ha! On the boat I worked on years ago, a 50-foot trawler carrying tourists in the Galápagos Islands, we didn't even carry a can opener! Our cook, Victor, just used a big-ass chef's knife to open all the cans.

And he had all his fingers!

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
On the topic of "gadgets"...I'm in agreement BUT there are two that I wouldn't do without. One is a juicer:

and the other is a self cleaning garlic press.

Click to expand...

Be sure not to use the wrong one. Garlic OJ,mmm...

RT Firefly said:

... and the other is a self cleaning garlic press.
[/URL]

Click to expand...

Good reminder; yep we've got a garlic press.

A meat thermometer, too.

And a can opener, although it doesn't get much use.

-Chris

mattkab said:

Oooh, I love cooking and even more so on the boat (even with a POS electric Princess Stove)

I have three galley essentials:
1) Dutch Oven for stews, curries, soups, and casseroles
2) A grill for meats and vegetables
3) An oven for baked goods.

Click to expand...

I'm coming over to your place.

A nice filet, sweet potato, zucchini with onions, salad and an Oregon Pinot Noir, it’s all business on thE William tonight.. Dickinson Spitfire .

Not product specific, however:

One of the advantages of having the boat behind the house is that, whenever we are supplying for a long trip, we simply move what we want from the house to the boat and then back again afterwards. This means we have home quality products on the boat.

That includes cookware, small appliances, Wushof knife set, wireless speakers etc.

One thing we did replicate for the boat was this:

Andy G said:

I'm coming over to your place.

Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing!!!

ranger42c said:

Wandering off a bit to a list of stuff we've found most useful on board over time:
- (good) nesting stainless cookware (ours are probably Cuisinart)
- a small Instant Pot (mostly in pressure cooker mode)
- a small slow cooker
- combo convection/microwave oven
- a propane grill, outside (ours is a very old Magma, looks like Boatpoker's; mixed feelings about the actual model...)
- a set of good cooking and steak knives (our are Henckels)
- one of the several flatware sets we were given at our wedding
- an extended set of a Corel dinner service plus extra complementary pieces
- a vacuum packer (getting used to it...)
- a "plastic" (?) NordicWare microwave insert thing, with ridges on one side, rides on the turntable, great for bacon!

I like the pizza brick idea; the one we use at home works great... gotta try that on the boat grill!

I think I'll eventually shop for a flat grille/skillet to augment the nesting set. The nesting skillet (also a lid for the whole set) works fine but the sides are so high it makes turning eggs a bit of a chore... and the sides aren't rounded enough like an omelet pan so actually flipping eggs hasn't worked all that well...

Click to expand...

ranger42c said:

Good reminder; yep we've got a garlic press.

A meat thermometer, too.

And a can opener, although it doesn't get much use.

-Chris

Click to expand...

menzies said:

One thing we did replicate for the boat was this:

Click to expand...

Ohmygawd! I forgot to list the coffee maker! Mea culpa!

Our original was a Black & Decker under-counter Spacesaver thing; worked OK but eventually crapped out. Replaced it with a countertop Krupps, worked OK but needed counter space. Replaced that more recently with another B&D Spacesaver, works OK and at least we can slide some stuff (drying rack, etc.) underneath it sometimes to make a more usable counter area during prep.

-Chris

When you cook in a convection oven you should routinely plan on reducing the temperature about 25 degrees or so.

For grilling this for us is perfect. Electric grill no temperature adjustment, cooks fast. Runs off gen or inverter too. I got this from a thrift store for $10 years ago. Lined with foil, it is easy to clean up. Used this past weekend.

ranger42c said:

Ohmygawd! I forgot to list the coffee maker! Mea culpa!

Our original was a Black & Decker under-counter Spacesaver thing; worked OK but eventually crapped out. Replaced it with a countertop Krupps, worked OK but needed counter space. Replaced that more recently with another B&D Spacesaver, works OK and at least we can slide some stuff (drying rack, etc.) underneath it sometimes to make a more usable counter area during prep.

-Chris

Click to expand...

I too had a B&D space saver, on my N46. MORE counter room. Alas, this AT34 does not have an "under cover space" so the coffee pot sits in the corner on the counter. This AT as more food prep space than the N46 so it's a trade off, I guess. I'm happy.

OldDan1943 said:

I too had a B&D space saver, on my N46. MORE counter room. Alas, this AT34 does not have an "under cover space" so the coffee pot sits in the corner on the counter. This AT as more food prep space than the N46 so it's a trade off, I guess. I'm happy.

Click to expand...

We had one in a past home and it worked fine. Since then, we have moved to using a Keurig. We use it both at home and have a small one on the boat. Yeah, using the Keurig is more expensive and less environmentally responsible. However, we really like the coffee we are using and enjoy the convenience of being able to make a cup quickly at any time rather than making a pot of coffee that may for may not be drunk.

AusCan said:

We have a portable butane stove for when more than two pots are required.

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Idea AusCan: Aboard Seaweed I have two portable butane burners. Butane is expensive and propane is not. Therefore I bought a $22 (ouch!!!) adapter that allows me to attach a regular propane bottle to the butane burner.

This one:

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CFPISZW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CFPISZW&linkCode=as2&tag=janice142-20&linkId=B3G2TNGPA4OQGYST

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
On the topic of "gadgets"...I'm in agreement BUT there are two that I wouldn't do without. One is a juicer:

Click to expand...

Instead of a press for fruit there's a "new way" in town I learned on Pinterest. Use your tongs. Cut the fruit in half, then insert fruit as far up toward the hinge as possible. Squeeze. Yes there's the seed issue, however in my limited space tongs work.

Another Perfect pecan cracker is here:

Okay, well I also use mine to crimp terminal ends. But seriously, come October or November they will serve a much more scrumptious purpose. Once you get the adjustment correct every shell will crack without breaking the pecans inside.

That's the problem. Before when opening pecans I'd eat the broken ones and be satisfied. With vise grips I can break an entire grocery sack and only have one or two broken pieces. Somehow I manage though.....

I am the biggest Galley Gear collector, or at least shopper. I ponder and believe that with one more gizmo I'll become a fabulous cook.

I just bought a gizmo to put in with the eggs to tell me the state of hardness. It was $3 at Walmart, and my girlfriend on another Schucker says she loves hers. I'll test it later today. Once it's cooler I intend to make deviled eggs. It's called an Eggy Time

I am organizing my galley and trying to create a simple, productive, easy space to suit my liveaboard, cruising needs.

I need a new cooktop. The one I have now (that does not work and needs updated) was alcohol/electric.

I am thinking of a two burner electric induction cooktop to fit in the space where the old cooktop is now. I would operate it off solar/battery while cruising.

I would appreciate any insight, advice, suggestions for specific cooktops you might be aware of.

Thanks.

Tim