Slow cooker

[jacko264]

Hi all   What is the thought on using  a slow cooker on a narrowboat  is the electric supply up to it while cruising 

thanks for any info

graham

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, jacko264 said:

Hi all   What is the thought on using  a slow cooker on a narrowboat  is the electric supply up to it while cruising 

thanks for any info

graham

 

Power demands of a slow cooker are minimal. We used to do it all the time especially if cruising on cold winter days.

[Detling]

Will take 20plus amps in first phase which will last about an hour provided you cooked the food in a pan and pour in hot. Then will average 8 to  amps per hour till you eat it. This can mean 60 ish amp hours.  Quite a large power consumer. If by cruising you mean engine on not really a problem, we use it a lot but only on days we moved.  Cook after breakfast into slow cooker switch on start engine and move off. If you have a largish solar array it will be fine in summer but you don't use them much in warm weather.

[Alan de Enfield]

 

 

A slow cooker will use the same amount of electricity as conventional cooking - the only difference is, its is spread over (say) 8 hours instead of 1 hour. It is certainly 'kinder' to the batteries if you 'slow cook' whilst the engine is running. 

[David Mack]

Ours at home has high and low settings and is rated at 105W - I assume on the high setting. So that would suggest a maximum current draw at 12V (via the inverter) of more like 10 Amps maximum.

Edited April 4, 2021 by David Mack

[tree monkey]

These are available, my other half uses one and loves it, no power used beyond the gas to do the initial cook

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wonderbag-Non-Electric-Portable-Cooker-Small/dp/B07KFPTF81/ref=asc_df_B07KFPTF81/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=491975788947&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12846062843931093045&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006524&hvtargid=pla-1155530233422&psc=1

[blackrose]

Yes a slow cooker is a great bit of kit when you're on the move. I only have a small budget one from Argos, suitable for 1 or 2 people, but it's nothing the alternator can't cope with and at the end of a long days cruising it's great to have a hot meal waiting for you.

[MarkH2159]

3 hours ago, Detling said:

Will take 20plus amps in first phase which will last about an hour provided you cooked the food in a pan and pour in hot. Then will average 8 to  amps per hour till you eat it. This can mean 60 ish amp hours.  Quite a large power consumer. If by cruising you mean engine on not really a problem, we use it a lot but only on days we moved.  Cook after breakfast into slow cooker switch on start engine and move off. If you have a largish solar array it will be fine in summer but you don't use them much in warm weather.

I am interested to know where you get your amperage figures from.

I regularly use a Slow Cooker on my boat which has a Stirling 1500w Inverter.

The power rating of my slow cooker is stated as 230-240v 50 Hz 92-100w

 

I can run the slow cooker any time and according to my meter it does not draw anywhere near the amperage figures you stated.

Generally it works well if I prepare the ingredients in the morning, throw it all straight in the slow cooker, no need for pre cooking or heating.

Then as I set off the slow cooker wil be on its high setting (100w) for say 4 or 5 hours then I reduce it to low setting to find the food perfectly cooked by the time I moor up for the night.

Apart from the odd stir there is nothing to do.

[Alan de Enfield]

44 minutes ago, MarkH2159 said:

The power rating of my slow cooker is stated as 230-240v 50 Hz 92-100w

 

I can run the slow cooker any time and according to my meter it does not draw anywhere near the amperage figures you stated.

 

 

A 230v 100w cooker will draw 10 amps from the batteries via the inverter.

 

There are slow cookers with higher wattage so (for) example a 200w cooker will draw 20 amps.

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

A 230v 100w cooker will draw 10 amps from the batteries via the inverter.

 

There are slow cookers with higher wattage so (for) example a 200w cooker will draw 20 amps.

 

Most would appear to draw much closer to 10 amps.

 

The third post in this thread was mis leading as it implied slow cookers in general draw much more.

Edited April 4, 2021 by The Happy Nomad

[MarkH2159]

14 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

A 230v 100w cooker will draw 10 amps from the batteries via the inverter.

 

There are slow cookers with higher wattage so (for) example a 200w cooker will draw 20 amps.

Agreed, my meter actually shows an additional draw of 9.7 amps with the slow cooker on high setting.

I was interested to know where the figures stated, ie "20 amps plus in the first stage which will last about an hour provided you cooked the food in a pan and pour in hot...." came from.

Was the type and ratings of the slow cooker in question given?

[Naughty Cal]

We used a slow cooker a lot on our boat when we were cruising. Never really found it to be an issue other than the smell of food making us hungry all day ???

 

We will have one on the van but it will only get occasional use when we are sited. 

 

[jacko264]

Hi All 

many thanks for the info you all have given me the slow cooker will be going with us next time where on a narrow boat  in June / July

Graham