Any new mini oven discoveries?

[CamperFam]

Possibly a daft question, but could I run a Vango Sizzle induction from an EcoFlow Delta 2? They are 1,600W max, 800W per ring.

I imagine that’s peak draw? So if I was heating eg a tin of beans for 15 mins, does that work?

I bought the Delta 2, but beyond charging it and reading recommendations here, I have done zero research.

An induction hob is good if on a site; you're paying for the electricity, so you might as well use it if said hob is small, thin and lightweight. That said, we dont have one purely for the whole reason of 'less is more'. Space and storage utilisation is absolutely key and buying for a need before it's been identified is a fast way to having a garage/shed full of unused items. Have you met my 5th seat?

 

[GrannyJen]

Possibly a daft question, but could I run a Vango Sizzle induction from an EcoFlow Delta 2? They are 1,600W max, 800W per ring.

I imagine that’s peak draw? So if I was heating eg a tin of beans for 15 mins, does that work?

I bought the Delta 2, but beyond charging it and reading recommendations here, I have done zero research.

I have run 2 sizzles and a Remoska off my Anker 555.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

I have run 2 sizzles and a Remoska off my Anker 555.

One thousand thank yous.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

We've not got our Ocean yet, but I'm struggling to figure out why you would carry round an electric induction hob to heat up a can of beans when you have a gas hob built in.

After the luxury of loads of space in a twin axle caravan and a massive ten man tent with trailer for four of us, I'm thinking we need to take a minimalist approach on kit now there are just two of us in an Ocean.

I used to be a chef in Michelin kitchens here and in France.

Cooking is a huge part of life. I like to have the most flexible options possible to cook in the field.

A couple of weedy gas rings doesn’t cut it on some occasions.

For some people carrying dogs or endless awnings and other paraphernalia are the keys to unlock joy in camping.

For me, it’s cooking my family a meal.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

An induction hob is good if on a site; you're paying for the electricity, so you might as well use it if said hob is small, thin and lightweight. That said, we dont have one purely for the whole reason of 'less is more'. Space and storage utilisation is absolutely key and buying for a need before it's been identified is a fast way to having a garage/shed full of unused items. Have you met my 5th seat?

My garage is my proverbial 5th seat.

I can’t move for all the vital stuff I’ve accumulated for various tasks over the eons.

 

[CamperFam]

I used to be a chef in Michelin kitchens here and in France.

Cooking is a huge part of life. I like to have the most flexible options possible to cook in the field.

A couple of weedy gas rings doesn’t cut it on some occasions.

For some people carrying dogs or endless awnings and other paraphernalia are the keys to unlock joy in camping.

For me, it’s cooking my family a meal.

And here I am, the only man in the world able to overcook supermarket ready-made tortellini.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

And here I am, the only man in the world able to overcook supermarket ready-made tortellini.

May the gods have mercy

 

[CaliforniaPhil]

You have different kinds of people using Californias.
Some are minimalists. Some have families, (how you pack in enough to keep 2 kids happy, i don't know). Some like cooking on the 2 rings inside, some cook outside, gas or electric. Some love their Cadac's or gas cookers.
Off grid, with gas or inverter or camp site with ehu. It's your choice. The great thing, nobody's wrong. Fill it with whatever you want and enjoy it.
It's good to see the different options people have though. What does an ex Michelin restaurant chef cook on?

 

[JuanVecino2023]

You have different kinds of people using Californias.
Some are minimalists. Some have families, (how you pack in enough to keep 2 kids happy, i don't know). Some like cooking on the 2 rings inside, some cook outside, gas or electric. Some love their Cadac's or gas cookers.
Off grid, with gas or inverter or camp site with ehu. It's your choice. The great thing, nobody's wrong. Fill it with whatever you want and enjoy it.
It's good to see the different options people have though. What does an ex Michelin restaurant chef cook on?

Good points, well made. Whatever is to hand is the answer!

Having owned vintage busses and cooked over campfires or huddled under the tailgate boiling bacon on a CampingGaz stove (they never got hot enough to crisp it in the wind!)), I’m determined to do better this time.

I got back onto bus life over the last three years, having added a young daughter to the mix who loves campervans, we’ve rented a few vintage vans and lately T6 conversions and 6.1 California. One of which is being delivered this spring., so based on our experiences I’m gradually amassing essential kit for us.

So far, I have a Cadac SC2 and an EcoFlow D2 as I know we like tech & endless tea/coffee. Having experienced the time to boil water on the hob, I think a small electric kettle might be run off it.

I’m keeping my plans realistic, given confines of space. I don’t plan on 6 course extravaganzas & frippery on the road! But I would like more than the two gas rings, as from experience they aren’t enough.

I’ve been looking at a Ridgemonkey griddle, as I like the compact solution. I like the idea of induction, as it’s very precise & controllable while things boil etc on the gas hob.

Having tried all sorts of BBQ options from disposable single use (bad for lots of reasons), to little suitcase jobs, I fancy a decent coal/lump wood option. The Skotti @Corradobrit suggested looks good. I toyed with a Mini Big Green Egg as I love my big one, but they weigh a ton & take up space.

All this said, I want to strike the balance of retaining the purity of camping, vs taking my entire house/kitchen with me!

Always keen to watch & listen for ideas, hence my question!

 

[CamperFam]

You have different kinds of people using Californias.
Some have families, (how you pack in enough to keep 2 kids happy, i don't know).

Pack enough? Enough?! It's never enough!

 

[Ting Tong]

Have you considered a Remoska? It’s basically a mini oven comprising a saucepan with a heated lid. You can cook / bake a huge variety of food in it and the standard version is only 400 watts, so will run even on low current (6A) hook ups. We use ours lots and there’s an abundance of recipes for bread etc on remoskateers and other remoska Facebook groups.

 

[CaliforniaSeb]

From March , when working away I will spend the night in the camper. My wife always gives me a couple of frozen meals to heat up. Michelin star quality! Canvasing a few people who live in their vans when contracting they recommended something like this.

Monteka 100W Electric Lunch Box Food Heater​

It only draws 100W and will heat up your food in 30 minutes. I imagine from frozen maybe an hour.

The fact that it is small in size and easy to clean appeals.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Have you considered a Remoska? It’s basically a mini oven comprising a saucepan with a heated lid. You can cook / bake a huge variety of food in it and the standard version is only 400 watts, so will run even on low current (6A) hook ups. We use ours lots and there’s an abundance of recipes for bread etc on remoskateers and other remoska Facebook groups.

Looking at adding this to the arsenal

 

[JuanVecino2023]

From March , when working away I will spend the night in the camper. My wife always gives me a couple of frozen meals to heat up. Michelin star quality! Canvasing a few people who live in their vans when contracting they recommended something like this.

Monteka 100W Electric Lunch Box Food Heater​

It only draws 100W and will heat up your food in 30 minutes. I imagine from frozen maybe an hour.

The fact that it is small in size and easy to clean appeals.

Make sure to decant the wine when the inspectors show up!

 

[JuanVecino2023]

One thousand pardons, on rethinking it, the Michelin drop might have come across as pompous!

I only added to give context as to why the cooking element of camping was a precedent for me.

I have no intentions of recreating The Menu in a California.

I’ll be cursing over burnt sausages and raw chicken like the best of them on a campsite.

 

[CaliforniaSeb]

One thousand pardons, on rethinking it, the Michelin drop might have come across as pompous!

I only added to give context as to why the cooking element of camping was a precedent for me.

I have no intentions of recreating The Menu in a California.

I’ll be cursing over burnt sausages and raw chicken like the best of them on a campsite.

Not at all. There is a massive difference between heating up a meal to cooking one from scratch. When we travelled through France and Spain last summer we bought local fresh produce and my wife cooked some fantastic meals outside the van. TBH with such lovely local fresh produce quite often there was very little "cooking" to do. All washed down with a nice Bordeaux or Rioja.

 

[BeagleMum]

I used to be a chef in Michelin kitchens here and in France.

Cooking is a huge part of life. I like to have the most flexible options possible to cook in the field.

A couple of weedy gas rings doesn’t cut it on some occasions.

For some people carrying dogs or endless awnings and other paraphernalia are the keys to unlock joy in camping.

For me, it’s cooking my family a meal.

Have you considered the Konro grill?
Being a chef I expect you are aware if not familiar with them.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Not at all. There is a massive difference between heating up a meal to cooking one from scratch. When we travelled through France and Spain last summer we bought local fresh produce and my wife cooked some fantastic meals outside the van. TBH with such lovely local fresh produce quite often there was very little "cooking" to do. All washed down with a nice Bordeaux or Rioja.

The joys of the continent! We are savages by comparison.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Have you considered the Konro grill?
Being a chef I expect you are aware if not familiar with them.

Hi (hai?), yes a hibachi is definitely on the list. My only concerns are fragility and practicality.

Have you had any experience taking one in a campervan? Always interested in ideas.

 

[CaliforniaPhil]

Nobodys alowed to laugh, the 10l Breville VDF127 oven actually fits in the sink cupboard. Just hope my wife doesn't mix it up with the porta loo!

 

[myvanrodney]

Nobodys alowed to laugh, the 10l Breville VDF127 oven actually fits in the sink cupboard. Just hope my wife doesn't mix it up with the porta loo!

View attachment 117770

brilliant. I hope my 5.5l is big enough, otherwise I will lose the shelf too.

 

[CaliforniaSeb]

Nobodys alowed to laugh, the 10l Breville VDF127 oven actually fits in the sink cupboard. Just hope my wife doesn't mix it up with the porta loo!

Do you put that on one of the worktops when in use? I assume so. I am veering down the microwave route when working away from home. I will be on hookup and can use a low powered ( 600W ) one. I am just concerned about how much weight the worktops can take? Obviously it will not be on the worktop during transit!

 

[Wannabecamperman]

Possibly a daft question, but could I run a Vango Sizzle induction from an EcoFlow Delta 2? They are 1,600W max, 800W per ring.

I imagine that’s peak draw? So if I was heating eg a tin of beans for 15 mins, does that work?

I bought the Delta 2, but beyond charging it and reading recommendations here, I have done zero research.

Yes perfectly fine.

Max continued output is 2400w, so even with both rings on full = 1600w per hour of usage.

Regarding the draw used to heat the beans in your example, you'd use a maximum of 1600w x 15 mins (1/4 hour) so only around 400w usage in total, say 500w to include the surge on startup and minimal extra wattage to run the inverter as using 230v plug.

So to summarise, in this scenario you'd need around 25% SOC of an Ecoflow delta 2 to be able to heat at 1600w power for 15 mins.

We use a Bluetti AC 200 Max for the same purpose (Father's Day bargain at just £1,399) and have previously used Jackery who are also using the newer, safer LiFePO4 batteries on the 2000 Pro.

Just remember that you need steel induction pans if using an induction ring. As a chef, you'd know this, I'm sure.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Yes perfectly fine.

Max continued output is 2400w, so even with both rings on full = 1600w per hour of usage.

Regarding the draw used to heat the beans in your example, you'd use a maximum of 1600w x 15 mins (1/4 hour) so only around 400w usage in total, say 500w to include the surge on startup and minimal extra wattage to run the inverter as using 230v plug.

So to summarise, in this scenario you'd need around 25% SOC of an Ecoflow delta 2 to be able to heat at 1600w power for 15 mins.

We use a Bluetti AC 200 Max for the same purpose (Father's Day bargain at just £1,399) and have previously used Jackery who are also using the newer, safer LiFePO4 batteries on the 2000 Pro.

Just remember that you need steel induction pans if using an induction ring. As a chef, you'd know this, I'm sure.

Thanks a million for working through my hypothetical example.

How does the Bluetti compare spec wise to an EF D2? The one I bought uses LiFePO4 cells.

I snapped up a reconditioned unit from EF’s eBay store as eBay were offering an extra £75 off tech purchases.

I think delivered including 2 year warranty it cost £525, which seemed pretty reasonable. As a result I didn’t research alternatives.

Re induction pans, I have a set for home, but they are heavy, so I wouldn’t replicate for the road. Are there decent induction pans that would suit van life?

I believe the Ridgemonkey pans I was asking about on another thread aren’t induction compatible, so they would be on the gas burners.

 

[Wannabecamperman]

Thanks a million for working through my hypothetical example.

How does the Bluetti compare spec wise to an EF D2? The one I bought uses LiFePO4 cells.

I snapped up a reconditioned unit from EF’s eBay store as eBay were offering an extra £75 off tech purchases.

I think delivered including 2 year warranty it cost £525, which seemed pretty reasonable. As a result I didn’t research alternatives.

Re induction pans, I have a set for home, but they are heavy, so I wouldn’t replicate for the road. Are there decent induction pans that would suit van life?

I believe the Ridgemonkey pans I was asking about on another thread aren’t induction compatible, so they would be on the gas burners.

By golly you got a bargain!

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Re pans, yes induction pans are heavier due to needing to be steel to conduct the energy correctly. Ridgemonkey pans cannot be used for this.

Others may have recommendations for less heavy induction pans for camper use.