Cooking with induction instead of gas. Feedback needed
Posted by roaminginrandomness@reddit | overlanding | View on Reddit | 29 comments
I'm preparing for my first long road trip in an SUV, 3 months through Iceland, Norway and Finland. I was originally planning on using my backpacking stove with isobutane cartridges. However, after looking into batteries and fridges and planning on buying a Bluetti Elite 200 v2 (2000Wh battery), it opened the option to use an induction stove instead of gas. The benefits seem to be:
- safer for cooking in the car and I will probably have to when it will be severely raining at outside
- less humidity in the car (no water vapour from gas)
- better heat distribution
- no need to look for isobutane cartridges which are not super hard to find but will force me to go back to cities to an outdoor store, as I won't find them at a regular petrol station
I will drive almost every day for 1-2 hours and plan on getting the Bluetti alternator charger which should be able to charge the battery around 500Wh per hour, so I should be fine in terms of electricity. I will still bring my backpacking stove for backpacking and as a backup if I run out of electricity.
Now I'm interested in your opinion. Do you recommend this setup? Do you think it's a bad idea and if so why? Any experience would be very useful for me to make the decision.
Thanks a lot!
HOUphotog@reddit
I switched from propane/butane to all electric. I have a cheap induction burner, Dash mini waffle iron (love that thing) and Presto electric griddle. I have an Ecoflow Delta 3. Most cooking I do on the induction is done on power setting 2 or 3 (1 being lowest 9 highest) and it uses about 400w when heating, but induction burners pulse so it doesn’t draw anything about 50% of the time. I can use it to cook family size mac n cheese then beans with burger dinner for four and it uses about 40% of the power on the Delta 3.
I have 7.2kw generator on my truck so it takes less than an hour to charge it back to 100%. I use the Ecoflow to run my fridge as well. So much easier than gas.
BC999R@reddit
I’ll let other people advise on the whole volts/amps/charging details for the Bluetti setup. But we installed induction in our van 5 years ago. We have 300 Ah battery and a 2kW inverter, with solar as well as alternator charging and never stay in places with hookups. So power is fine, but we still find that we have to be frugal with energy if we’re camped in one spot and there’s no sun. What that means is thinking about how you cook. Boiling 2 liters of water for pasta, that just gets poured out, not a great way to save energy. Especially if you’re also cooking meat or veg to go with the pasta. Quick stir fries, or a litre or less to rehydrate dried food or for coffee or tea, sure. Bottom line, don’t always cook like you would at home, and enjoy the clean and easy heat, with no re-fueling needed. Wouldn’t go back to propane and in fact want to switch to induction (from natural gas) in our home.
roaminginrandomness@reddit (OP)
Thanks for your reply. Is it a 12V battery? That would mean 3600Wh if I'm right.
I'm asking because I plan on using a 2000Wh battery so if you have 70% more capacity than me and still struggle with the battery, that's a bad sign for me :)
I can adapt my diet to reduce a bit the consumption. Typically, if I cook pasta, I definitely will not boil 2L of water just for me as a solo traveler :) And I'm vegetarian, so stir fry is pretty likely, or cooking things like coucous, bulgur, rice which usually doesn't require more than 15min of cooking.
Do you think it's going to be a challenge?
I recommend induction at home 100%!
BC999R@reddit
We have a two burner cooktop so we have higher capacity than you need. My point was adapt your food and cooking and I think you should be fine. Use backpacking techniques to save fuel, boil only as much as you need, use a lid, etc.
211logos@reddit
If you were talking propane vs the pricier isobutane in fancy cartridges, and if in a bigger vehicle where a flame stove is fine, then I'd probably lean flame. But in your scenario induction might work well, IF you can renew power often enough to run it.
I might go with induction, if you can keep up with its power demands. Maybe carry a gas backup, something to use outdoors when you can.
TahoeTrailDude@reddit
After years of propane, i converted completely to electric last year. Has worked great so far.
Base System: - EcoFlow Delta 2 Max - EcoFlow DC to DC Alternator Charger - EcoFlow Delta 1300 (As a backup)
Cooking: - Two Nuwave Flex Precision 10.25” Cooktops - Update Classic Portable Travel Water Kettle
Fridge: - Dometic CFX3 55 Liter
I do carry a 5 lb Propane tank and a LavaBox fire pit, since there are many times when a fire isn’t legal or advisable. So I do have a “just in case” backup.
Most of the time, I only use one cooktop. Cleanup is super quick and can be put away almost immediately after use. Boiling water is as fast or faster than the Jet Boil I replaced. The whole kitchen (plates, mugs, Aeropress, pot, pan, cooktops) all fits in one Milwaukee 2-Drawer pack out.
makked@reddit
What cookware are you using. I have induction at home but it’s all heavy stainless steel cookware. My favorite camp pan is a an aluminum folding pan that I can’t commit to parting with if I do go induction.
TahoeTrailDude@reddit
I use a Lodge cast-iron skillet and a heavy-bottomed steel pot from Magma (which is part of a larger set). I also have a flat cast-iron cooktop that fits across two burners, which I occasionally use.
roaminginrandomness@reddit (OP)
thanks a lot! That would be a very similar setup, without the extra battery as a backup as I don't have enough space and I would default to my backpacking stove as a backup if I really run out of juice.
I'm still looking into fridges. I was considering the CFX5 25L but I read really mixed reviews of their CFX5 line up with people complaining for defect and a horrible customer support. For a 800 euros fridge, that makes me really hesitant. The CFX3 has good reputation but they do not sell it anymore infortunately.
Ozatopcascades@reddit
FYI, my BougeRV 12v 30qt fridge is still going strong after 2y of rough roads. I still use my cannister backpacking stoves but I run roof vent, IGNIK bunk warming pad, fridge, and (if needed) a diesel heater off a 12v EcoFlow Delta 3 powered by solar/DC-DC alternator charger. Do they make a DC induction stove? The inverter takes a lot of your power.
roaminginrandomness@reddit (OP)
Thanks, I’ll look into the fridge. I have seen DC induction but one of the reasons I chose the Bluetti elite is that it has one of the best converter of the market and the loss is minimal, particularly for a 10 min cooking time.
Ozatopcascades@reddit
Good to hear. Better than the EcoFlow, then. Enjoy the open road. I'm heading out for another 5-months across Alaska soon.
roaminginrandomness@reddit (OP)
Have a wonderful trip!
Worried_Explanation6@reddit
It will suck a crazy amount of battery. Not impossible but you have to be very calculated with how you cook
lucky_ducker@reddit
I'm a fan of Bluetti (I have an AC180). The Elite 200 v2 is a fine choice.
I'd add at least 200W of solar panels. My experience with keeping a battery charged on long trips is that "it's a game of inches" where you need to be putting energy back into your power station at all times by whatever means are available. Car DC to DC when driving, solar when stopped, AC shore power whenever the opportunity presents itself (carry a 50' 12 gauge AWG extension cord).
Make absolutely sure your vehicle's alternator is compatible with the charger. Some vehicles have "smart" alternators that are controlled by the car's ECM, and it can be damaged by putting an unmonitored load on it like an alternator charger.
If you're also running a fridge off the Bluetti, you may be coming up against capacity issues.
roaminginrandomness@reddit (OP)
thanks for the feedback on the alternator. It's a brand new car so it's possible. I need to look into it!
Solarspotter@reddit
sharing this not for self promotion, but because it will help you with getting the most out of your solar on the trip - i built a free app to help me optimise my solar when camping with my foldable solar blankets. if that sunds like something that might be useful, then my profile has a link
roaminginrandomness@reddit (OP)
It looks really cool. Thanks for sharing and building it. It’s on my phone :-)
Solarspotter@reddit
No probs at all mate! …have an awesome trip . It sounds amazing!
lucky_ducker@reddit
If that affects you, the alternative is your car's "cig lighter" 12V 10A outlet, which delivers between 90 - 100 watts. My Subaru does not support the alternator charger, so between that 95W car outlet, 160W solar (from a 200W array), and the occasional 1440W shore power, I make it work. In suboptimal circumstances the need to charge the battery can dictate my itinerary, i.e. staying put to soak up sun when I'd rather be moving on. Sometimes you can find a city park with a shelter house with live AC power, my Bluetti can go from 0 to 100% in 90 minutes. Nobody's ever hassled me doing so, and I suppose if they did they would merely run me off. Last resort I've paid for a state park site for AC power, especially if the timing aligns with my need for a shower.
bjorn1978_2@reddit
A bit on the side, but regarding Norway… we traveled the west coast from Stavanger to Kristiansund some years ago. But we set some constraints! Like not driving a tunnel unless absolutely necessary (2-3 hours detour type).
So we ended up across and around mountains on the old scenic routes! It was really good fun, and we were able to see so much that we would not be able to from the main roads!
Doing silly stuff like that guides you onto all thise amazing and old roads! Some closed, but able to drive past the roadblock!
But do not go offroading! The fines are insane, and I do belive they will take your car if you are a repeating offender!
roaminginrandomness@reddit (OP)
Thank you for the tip! I have quite a lot of time, one month to go from South of the country to the artic circle so I won’t hesitate doing such detour. If you have any other tip, do not hesitate!
Pretty-Guava7854@reddit
We've used this induction cooktop for 3 years traveling full time. I will say that we have a fully electric set up, so our car charges the Bluetti we have. Therefore I don't know about charging from the alternator. But this cook top has three watt settings and we use the 600watt option all the time. Unless we are trying to boil something it works just fine. We can use it off our Bluetti AC60 or our car directly. Another electric gadget that we use all the time is a rice maker. We cook beans, pasta, rice in there so it eliminates the need to boil water from the induction cooktop. It also reheats leftovers nicely.
roaminginrandomness@reddit (OP)
thanks a lot! A mini rice-cooker could be a great idea, I'm going to look into it.
doctorgroover@reddit
We’ve been using a Victron system with a 100Ah 25,6V LifePO4 battery and a two top induction. Works perfectly to cook full meals. No flames or issues with wind.
brainhack3r@reddit
I'm still trying to wrap my head around all the solar and power options...
BUT... I think you're going to need a solar setup for this, not just the battery.
The thing that's great about solar is that it just runs in the background even if you're not driving that day.
Also, you're paying for the gas ANYWAY in terms of your alternator. Alternators have to be powered by gas so you might as well just use propane anyway.
Also, you have to factor in the wattage pull that these guys have.
I ruled out air fryers and microwaves for similar reasons. They just use a massive amount of power in a short time frame.
So much so that the inverter in your battery might not even be able to function.
Honestly, I'm considering not even getting a solar setup for now and just going with ice and a cooler.
Buying 10lbs of ice 1-2x a week seems more reasonable than buying a fridge setup.
linuxhiker@reddit
A single burner induction is going to use 1000-1500w.
gpuyy@reddit
Cooking with electricity is very power intensive
Go propane / butane stoves instead
joshuaherman@reddit
You will need a calculator. Watts x Volts = Amps x Time = Amp Hours.
If you need at least 30 minutes or more of cooking time at a wattage then you will need to adjust accordingly.