OVENS

[jakenaljib]

Hello!

I'm in the process of scrolling through the internet looking for an oven and I need some help. I have decided to go for a single gas oven with a separate stove, purely because it saves a bit more space. The 'caravan cookers' I've seen don't look great so I'm searching for standard domestic ovens but my problem is they all seem to have 240v grills. So does anyone know of any single ovens without the electric grill or will I have to consider a 'caravan cooker'???

Thanks!!

[Tracy D'arth]

And the boat is? Narrow, broad, GRP, steel, cruiser?  Do I read that you want a built in oven and a separate gas hob?

How much room?

 

Thetford, Spinflo do LPG cookers

[Jon57]

1 hour ago, jakenaljib said:

Hello!

I'm in the process of scrolling through the internet looking for an oven and I need some help. I have decided to go for a single gas oven with a separate stove, purely because it saves a bit more space. The 'caravan cookers' I've seen don't look great so I'm searching for standard domestic ovens but my problem is they all seem to have 240v grills. So does anyone know of any single ovens without the electric grill or will I have to consider a 'caravan cooker'???

Thanks!!

Ao.com website. Show a gas oven and gas grill single oven. 

[Dr Bob]

We've had Thetford gas ovens on a couple of boats but they are 'caravan' standard and Mrs Bob hated them. Heat not even enough.

On this boat we got a domestic type Belling gas cooker (including gas grill) and gas hob but it needs a 240V supply to operate! No problem for us as the inverter is on 24/7. Nice oven though.

[BWM]

Dometic do some proper marine cookers, including some mounted on gimbals. 

[matty40s]

The best one is Belling

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Belling-BI70MLPG-LPG-Gas-Built-Under-Twin-Cavity-Oven-Satin-Steel-444441105-/193559335639

 

I got mine for £435 so deals available.

 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Dr Bob said:

We've had Thetford gas ovens on a couple of boats but they are 'caravan' standard and Mrs Bob hated them. Heat not even enough.

On this boat we got a domestic type Belling gas cooker (including gas grill) and gas hob but it needs a 240V supply to operate! No problem for us as the inverter is on 24/7. Nice oven though.

When one sees a very bold comment like that one truly wonders does one disagree or does one pass over it for the sake of being accused of wanting to 'start an argument in an empty room'?

 

I'll pass over it. Othern than to say you need a new head chef and our Thetford Aspire 2 is fine. Though it too needs 240 v for the electric ring and for ignition ISTR.

 

They also do a version without the electric ring.

Edited January 8, 2021 by The Happy Nomad

[Richard10002]

I have a Thetford Spinflo Caprice from 2000 or so. It looks and feels like a “proper cooker”

 

Mine is a cream colour but This looks like the latest version and I can highly recommend it.

 

https://www.jacksonsleisure.com/spinflo/caprice/mk3/oven/

[LadyG]

5 hours ago, Richard10002 said:

I have a Thetford Spinflo Caprice from 2000 or so. It looks and feels like a “proper cooker”

 

Mine is a cream colour but This looks like the latest version and I can highly recommend it.

 

https://www.jacksonsleisure.com/spinflo/caprice/mk3/oven/

That is the cooker I have: its a well made cooker, ideal for narrow boats. Mine is twenty year old, spares are available.

Edited January 8, 2021 by LadyG

[Jon57]

54 minutes ago, LadyG said:

That is the cooker I have: its a well made cooker, ideal for narrow boats. Mine is twenty year old, spares are available.

Like everything on a boat. The Thetford caprice is as good as it gets. But the belling is by far the better appliance if you can fit one get one you won't go far wrong. 

Edited January 8, 2021 by Jon57
Spelling

[Tony Brooks]

I agree with Dr Bob. Our Spinfo Caprice's oven always seemed to  run colder than  the regulo setting suggested it would.

 

I did not feel the hob burner design was good, the securing screws snapped too easily when it was time to de-gunk the burners. that then involved drilling and tapping the burner base. Also if you even need the hob off to deal with a faulty flame supervisor etc. Its not an easy job.

 

I do agree its probably the best of a bad bunch.

 

 

[jakenaljib]

11 hours ago, matty40s said:

The best one is Belling

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Belling-BI70MLPG-LPG-Gas-Built-Under-Twin-Cavity-Oven-Satin-Steel-444441105-/193559335639

 

I got mine for £435 so deals available.

 

Thanks, is the 240v supply to this oven only for the ignition?

looks like a good option!

14 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

And the boat is? Narrow, broad, GRP, steel, cruiser?  Do I read that you want a built in oven and a separate gas hob?

How much room?

 

Thetford, Spinflo do LPG cookers

45ft narrow boat and we’re hoping to start building the kitchen this weekend, oven size depending! Built in or free standing oven with a separate hob so we can get the oven under the gunnels and save a few mm on the worktop depth. Every little helps!

[Tracy D'arth]

4 minutes ago, jakenaljib said:

Thanks, is the 240v supply to this oven only for the ignition?

looks like a good option!

45ft narrow boat and we’re hoping to start building the kitchen this weekend, oven size depending! Built in or free standing oven with a separate hob so we can get the oven under the gunnels and save a few mm on the worktop depth. Every little helps!

Better not buy an oven with a lid then! Is there no tumblehome below gunwales on your boat then? If there is, it won't go as far in as you think.

[Dr Bob]

10 hours ago, The Happy Nomad said:

I'll pass over it. Othern than to say you need a new head chef and our Thetford Aspire 2 is fine.

It wasnt the head chef who created the uneven temperatures in the oven.

 

55 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

I agree with Dr Bob. Our Spinfo Caprice's oven always seemed to  run colder than  the regulo setting suggested it would.

 

I did not feel the hob burner design was good, the securing screws snapped too easily when it was time to de-gunk the burners. that then involved drilling and tapping the burner base. Also if you even need the hob off to deal with a faulty flame supervisor etc. Its not an easy job.

 

I do agree its probably the best of a bad bunch.

 

 

On our last boat, we had a new kitchen installed which included a thetford oven and nice looking 3 burner (in line) hob. After 3 months, one of the hob rings started playing up and would not light properly. I posted on here but got no real advice (unusual). After 12 months I got so fed up with it that I rang Thetford. Oh yes they said. That is a design fault. We'll send you out some new knobs. The holes in them are too deep. I fixed it by putting a small nut (as in nut and bolt) in the shaft hole and problem disappeared. How on earth was that design so bad? FFS. Belling domestic cookers are designed properly.

The problem was that the knob was not pushing the shaft down far enough to get the flame detector thingy to work.

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

It wasnt the head chef who created the uneven temperatures in the oven.

 

On our last boat, we had a new kitchen installed which included a thetford oven and nice looking 3 burner (in line) hob. After 3 months, one of the hob rings started playing up and would not light properly. I posted on here but got no real advice (unusual). After 12 months I got so fed up with it that I rang Thetford. Oh yes they said. That is a design fault. We'll send you out some new knobs. The holes in them are too deep. I fixed it by putting a small nut (as in nut and bolt) in the shaft hole and problem disappeared. How on earth was that design so bad? FFS. Belling domestic cookers are designed properly.

The problem was that the knob was not pushing the shaft down far enough to get the flame detector thingy to work.

Whilst our head chef would agree that our Aspire doesn't distribute the hot air as well as her Neff fan ovens at home she does manage to cook and bake quite satisfactorily in it.

Edited January 8, 2021 by The Happy Nomad

[Tracy D'arth]

My Thetford, Spinflo Caprice is about 9 years old now and is "acceptable". I don't do a lot of baking, but it seems to be OK but runs cooler than the knob suggests.

Talking to boaters who have bought more recently, they seem to be worse now. The problem would appear to be a lack of insulation.

Perhaps another layer of glass wool or rockwool around the oven cavity before installation would achieve a better performance?

 

The knob problem with gas valves is an old chestnut, folk go daft changing thermocouples before they realise that the solution is just a ball of aluminium foil shoved into the knob.

[Alan de Enfield]

31 minutes ago, jakenaljib said:

45ft narrow boat and we’re hoping to start building the kitchen this weekend, oven size depending! Built in or free standing oven with a separate hob so we can get the oven under the gunnels and save a few mm on the worktop depth. Every little helps!

You will find that the side of the boat 'slopes inwards' towards the base plate so you cannot get the oven in under the gunnel, add in the fact that you need to keep several inches of ventilation space behind the oven and it will probably end up being forward of the gunnel.

[Tracy D'arth]

Another echo in here?

[matty40s]

1 hour ago, jakenaljib said:

Thanks, is the 240v supply to this oven only for the ignition?

looks like a good option!

 

It runs ignition, cooling fan if one is fitted , and clock.

 

 

We've replaced 3 Thetford cookers for other brands for folks this year, all because they dont cook as well as they should.

Edited January 8, 2021 by matty40s

[Sea Dog]

12 hours ago, Richard10002 said:

Mine is a cream colour but This looks like the latest version and I can highly recommend it.

 

https://www.jacksonsleisure.com/spinflo/caprice/mk3/oven/

Well, that Caprice Mk3 is the one we've got.  Maybe it's expectation management, or perhaps it's less noticeable if you cook like everything at full blast like my M-I-L did, but I find that the hob is fine, the grill is adequate by caravan standards and the oven is poor by any standards. Hot at the very top, cold at the bottom, who knows what it 's gonna do in the middle or on middle settings. I suspect it's probably uneven because its poorly insulated.  It also suffers flame lift which seems incurable despite having the burner and air supply checked and replacing the gas regulator 3 times now, so it looks increasingly like a design thing. If ours died, I'd rather eat only cold food than get the same cooker again.  In fact, now I come to think about it, if ever I'm allowed to go to my boat I think I may well beat the thing to death and do just that!

 

I've been looking for a replacement for the infernal thing for years, but the space it fits is both narrow and shallow and every time I trawl through the web looking for  a replacement they're either narrow or shallow, but not both. Short of a galley rework, we seem to have to put up with it.  Recommendations welcome!

[Dr Bob]

3 hours ago, matty40s said:

 

 

 

We've replaced 3 Thetford cookers for other brands for folks this year, all because they dont cook as well as they should.

Make that 4 with us. Our new Belling is so much better than the Thetford

4 hours ago, The Happy Nomad said:

Whilst our head chef would agree that our Aspire doesn't distribute the hot air as well as her Neff fan ovens at home she does manage to cook and bake quite satisfactorily in it.

When living aboard 24/7, you can choose to 'camp' or live normally. We aspire to living better than 'quite satisfactorily'. If we were on the boat part time then we could put up with a Thetford.......but were not .....which is why the Belling is now where we need to be.........and it was probably cheaper!

[Guest]

30 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

Make that 4 with us. Our new Belling is so much better than the Thetford

When living aboard 24/7, you can choose to 'camp' or live normally. We aspire to living better than 'quite satisfactorily'. If we were on the boat part time then we could put up with a Thetford.......but were not .....which is why the Belling is now where we need to be.........and it was probably cheaper!

I just speak as I find. Or rather as the Head Chef does.

 

The only significant issue we have had is a tendency for the knobs to mysteriously slide off the spindles and end up on the floor. When the little location key goes missing too that's a PITA.

 

Dealer replaced the knobs and the new ones have remained on ever since.

 

BTW - I think we are discussing two different models of Thetford. I was referencing the Aspire 2 with hob on the top.

 

 

Edited January 8, 2021 by The Happy Nomad

[matty40s]

2 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Short of a galley rework, we seem to have to put up with it.  Recommendations welcome!

Rework.

I'm in the middle of rebuilding the amateurish (Braunston) undercounter kitchen area.

Unfortunately, this has also meant removing most of the upper cupboards to get the old washing machine out, and the new kit in.

Gone from 50cm inlander 89 litre12v to 60cm Lieberhh 145 litre 240v. 

Going From Thetford Vanette 50cm cooker/grill and  separate Vanette hob to 60cm Belling twin oven/grill and large Smeg hob. This is the biggest job as the units need completely rebuilding to get the oven in.

12v extractor going in.

Magic corner shelving gone in, cant believe how much out of date crap was tucked away in the depths. Another magic pull out angled unit gone in.

Once all the above is done, I will be taking the old worksurfaces out as a template and getting new either coriander or granite(still not decided)

 

Then I can rebuild the top cupboards.....with more glass and lights.

Phew.

 

[Kiwidad]

15 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Rework.

I'm in the middle of rebuilding the amateurish (Braunston) undercounter kitchen area.

Unfortunately, this has also meant removing most of the upper cupboards to get the old washing machine out, and the new kit in.

Gone from 50cm inlander 89 litre12v to 60cm Lieberhh 145 litre 240v. 

Going From Thetford Vanette 50cm cooker/grill and  separate Vanette hob to 60cm Belling twin oven/grill and large Smeg hob. This is the biggest job as the units need completely rebuilding to get the oven in.

12v extractor going in.

Magic corner shelving gone in, cant believe how much out of date crap was tucked away in the depths. Another magic pull out angled unit gone in.

Once all the above is done, I will be taking the old worksurfaces out as a template and getting new either coriander or granite(still not decided)

 

Then I can rebuild the top cupboards.....with more glass and lights.

Phew.

 

A weekends work ?

[Rob-M]

18 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Rework.

I'm in the middle of rebuilding the amateurish (Braunston) undercounter kitchen area.

Unfortunately, this has also meant removing most of the upper cupboards to get the old washing machine out, and the new kit in.

Gone from 50cm inlander 89 litre12v to 60cm Lieberhh 145 litre 240v. 

Going From Thetford Vanette 50cm cooker/grill and  separate Vanette hob to 60cm Belling twin oven/grill and large Smeg hob. This is the biggest job as the units need completely rebuilding to get the oven in.

12v extractor going in.

Magic corner shelving gone in, cant believe how much out of date crap was tucked away in the depths. Another magic pull out angled unit gone in.

Once all the above is done, I will be taking the old worksurfaces out as a template and getting new either coriander or granite(still not decided)

 

Then I can rebuild the top cupboards.....with more glass and lights.

Phew.

 

You might find corian is a better worktop than coriander.