Induction Cook Top

[ROCOMO]

1~ If power was not an issue would you exchange the propane cooktop for an induction cooktop?
 

2 ~ With the 2021 introduction of the 3000w inverter are there other limitations to an Oliver build that in boon docking mode would prevent offering a factory induction cooktop option?

Currently using a portable induction cooktop when on shore power.  It takes a little manual power management awareness.  In the winter months have not used the propane cooktop inside due to the extra moisture.  Would like an induction option on the next OTT however it sounds like they are not going to offer it even with the enhanced lithium power package with 3000w inverter.  Depending on feedback to #1 above it may be due to lack of interest.

 

 

[Ray and Susan Huff]

35 minutes ago, ROCOMO said:

1~ If power was not an issue would you exchange the propane cooktop for an induction cooktop?
 

2 ~ With the 2021 introduction of the 3000w inverter are there other limitations to an Oliver build that in boon docking mode would prevent offering a factory induction cooktop option?

Currently using a portable induction cooktop when on shore power.  It takes a little manual power management awareness.  In the winter months have not used the propane cooktop inside due to the extra moisture.  Would like an induction option on the next OTT however it sounds like they are not going to offer it even with the enhanced lithium power package with 3000w inverter.  Depending on feedback to #1 above it may be due to lack of interest.

 

 

We have a portable single "burner" induction cooktop that I use at home that we plan to use in the Oliver.  With our Lithium pro pkg and a generator, this is entirely possible.  However, I would not want to give up the propane cooktop as I like having as many options as possible, especially when it comes to cooking.  Examples: we generally carry a small portable LP tank, a Jet Boil Genesis Base Camp two burner stove, and a portable gas grill - appliances we have accumulated for various camping situations. It's nice to be able to cook outdoors, especially in warmer weather.  

We chose the no microwave option for our Elite II; instead we have a Breville Mini Smart toaster oven, which serves as an oven and can be used in an outdoor kitchen setup.  We have yet to camp in warm enough climate to cook outside and have not experienced a moisture problem cooking inside with the propane cooktop.  Ventilation is key and the Maxair fan is more than sufficient to remove any moisture resulting from cooking indoors.  It is an improvement over the Fantastic rain-sensor Fan in our Leisure Travel Van.  It was not reversible so only pulled air in, and the rain sensing function was annoying.

We are very happy with our Oliver as outfitted.  I wouldn't anticipate Oliver adding many new options as they streamline production during high demand so as not to compromise quality and customer service.  Perhaps when the pandemic subsides and the RV market returns to "normal" upgrades such as induction cooktops and compressor fridges will be offered.  

Edit: I'd like to add that even on shore power, you have to be aware of how many high wattage appliances you use concurrently.  Sometimes this can be tricky.

Edited March 29, 2021 by Ray and Susan Huff

[SeaDawg]

8 hours ago, ROCOMO said:

If power was not an issue would you exchange the propane cooktop for an induction cooktop?

Yes, of course.  I have an induction cooktop at home, and I  love it. But, for us, power is always an issue,  as we rarely have hookups.

2008 Elite shorty, two 105 amp hour agm batteries.  No inverter. So, an induction burner isn't a possibility for us. 

Edited March 29, 2021 by SeaDawg
Typos

[Mattnan]

I would consider it for the Ollie.  We also have an induction range at home for daily use.  It took a little practice, but we really like it.  It cools down so fast.  It also boils water very fast.  I know induction is becoming more common in the marine industry including sail boats.  One of the sailing YouTube channels, SV Delos changed to induction and run it mostly from solar and lithium batteries.  They do have a back up generator.  

[Overland]

An induction cooktop was in fact a brief option at one time though I don’t know if anyone ever ordered it. This was before lithium batteries and of course the larger inverter.

We considered it but ultimately decided that the combination of a gas cooktop plus a portable induction burner was the better option. However at the time, we were turned off by the quality of the more affordable portable units and opted to wait for the price of the better ones to come down. Still waiting.

But while we were waiting we realized that with the larger propane tanks, we can go for weeks even in mid winter running the furnace.  We also learned just how much of a battery suck our toaster oven is, and I assume an induction burner would be the same.  So induction isn’t really something on our list anymore, except that they’re just cool and I’d like to have one for the house at some point, just to have.

Heres a thread from way back then discussing the benefits of induction -

 

Edited March 29, 2021 by Overland

[SeaDawg]

19 hours ago, Mattnan said:

One of the sailing YouTube channels, SV Delos changed to induction and run it mostly from solar and lithium batteries.  They do have a back up generator.  

They also have 800 amp hours of lithium batteries on Delos. And other boats I've followed have even more battery power. And, they live full time on the boat.

I was skeptical about induction on sailboats, at the beginning. Worried that the magnetic field would mess with expensive electronics. And, also worried about non-gimballed, slippery ceramic cooktop underway. Wondered about the amp hours consumed. 

Several boats I've watched have added a slim silicon sheet for non-skid on the cooktop. Some have added a fiddle (railing), and some have re-used the gimbal of their old propane stove for a new electric/induction stove.

None of these are important in Ollies, where we only use the stove when stationary, of course. And ah consumption,  as reported, has been not as high as I would have expected. 

I could definitely see a good induction cooktop in an Ollie that had a way to power it. I love cooking with induction.  Fast, clean, minimal extra heat, no fumes, etc.

 

Edited March 29, 2021 by SeaDawg

[JRK]

I would not want a propane stovetop to be replaced with an induction cook surface, but I do use a portable induction cooktop whenever I had electricity. 

I will be cooking outdoors frequently. 

What I would like is for a decent propane cooktop to have been provided. I am afraid to use the provided cooktop as it is exceptionally lightweight and fragile. I am looking for a replacement. 

[SeaDawg]

Jrk, what cooktop is in the Elite these days? 

I don't think the SMEV from the first gen is available anymore. It's not much of a looker, but it sure has been reliable. Even with the skinny spider grates. I repainted them for the first time last week. 

Edited April 6, 2021 by SeaDawg

[Mike and Carol]

1 hour ago, SeaDawg said:

I don't think the SMEV from the first gen is available anymore. It's not much of a looker, but it sure has been reliable. Even with the skinny spider grates. I repainted them for the first time last week. 

I think the SMEV in our trailer is the same as yours.  Works well for us.

[JRK]

I have a dometic. It is different than the model listed in the user manual, but still dometic. 

John

[Mike and Carol]

9 hours ago, JRK said:

I have a dometic. It is different than the model listed in the user manual, but still dometic. 

John

Ours is Dometic also.

[SeaDawg]

Dometic bought SMEV over a decade ago. Dometic owns a lot of rv and marine companies that were once independent.  Big umbrella, now.

Edited April 6, 2021 by SeaDawg

[Mountainman198]

We are planning to keep the LP cooktop inside the camper.  It will only be used to heat water for coffee, tea and hot cereal as meal cooking will be done outside.  No plans on upgrading to portable induction as our current single and double burner portable electric cooktops work just fine.  It is always nice to have multiple methods and fuels with which to cook.  In addition to indoor propane and portable electric, we are also carrying a double burner propane stove, Weber Q series grill, wood-fired BioLite stoves and a small multi-fuel Primus stove.  Having not only a plan A and B but also C, D and maybe even E gives us peace of mind that hot drinks and meals are never far away.

 

[John and Debbie]

On 3/29/2021 at 6:36 AM, Overland said:

An induction cooktop was in fact a brief option at one time though I don’t know if anyone ever ordered it. This was before lithium batteries and of course the larger inverter.

We considered it but ultimately decided that the combination of a gas cooktop plus a portable induction burner was the better option. However at the time, we were turned off by the quality of the more affordable portable units and opted to wait for the price of the better ones to come down. Still waiting.

But while we were waiting we realized that with the larger propane tanks, we can go for weeks even in mid winter running the furnace.  We also learned just how much of a battery suck our toaster oven is, and I assume an induction burner would be the same.  So induction isn’t really something on our list anymore, except that they’re just cool and I’d like to have one for the house at some point, just to have.

Heres a thread from way back then discussing the benefits of induction -

 

We just got a Frigidaire 4 burner induction cook top for the house after our Amana halogen unit failed.   It's insanely fast.   This model was $900, but there were many in the $2000 range.   I like it.   I was thinking of getting a portable induction burner for the Ollie.   It looks like it might only be feasible with shore power. 

[Wayfinder]

BLUF:  I LOVE Induction cooktops.

I'm camping solo often right now and I really don't want to fuss with my Black Stone griddle, if it's only me.  Too much to clean up if it's only me.  So I'm going to take a Duxtop induction cooktop with me to the rally.  I have a single burner in the house right now that gets used a great deal. It's great for the price of $77.  It's the lower version of this one, which I just ordered maybe for Wayfinder TT. 
 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FLR0ET8?smid=A2EPN08Z0FPLG4&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp&th=1

There are 10 settings, 1 to 10.  I used my "Kill-a-Watt" meter to measure electrical useage. When the cooktop is on setting 5, where the unit starts at when turned on, it boils water slower, but only uses appox. 900 Watts. Slower meaning as fast as a normal electric stovetop. 

On setting 10 it only uses 1400 watts ('ish).  I rarely go about setting 8 from which to boil quickly.  Bacon and eggs are normally on 1.5 to 3 for short periods.

I think I'll like this much better outdoors in nice weather. I have 4 x lead acid batteries equaling 324 AHs, so 160 Amp Hrs useable. I should be fine.  I will test out in the drive way this evening to be sure.  I need to "exercise" my batteries anyway.  You know, out with the old, stale electrons and in with the new. 😉 

This one pictured is not good for LARGE pots.  The plastic edge tends to melt a bit, but only for very large pots. The cooktop linked above has no plastic edge, but is nearly twice the cost.  I'll see what's best for the baby Ollie.

[SeaDawg]

@Wayfinder, I  have a duxtop (slightly cheaper version than yours) and an  IKEA induction burner. Love them both. Both have a clean glass/ceramic edge, no plastic guard, so easy cleanup. 

My house is half-powered by two tesla powerwall batteries during power outages. My Bosch induction cooktop is not on the panel powered by the batteries. The two little induction burners work just fine as replacements, on separate circuits. Also great as "keep warm" burners for parties. I love the timer function on the cheap duxtop. 

My college roommate and her daughter were here for a week visiting this spring. Both are gourmet cooks, and gas stove aficionados. Though skeptical at first, they were both amazed at the quick response of my induction cooktop, and the super easy cleanup. I do use ceramabryte cooktop cleaner on all my induction cooking devices, to protect and keep like new.

I like smooth bottom, lighter weight conductive steel or stainless pans. My favorites are enameled steel, IKEA 365, and a smalk nordicware spun steel wok skillet. 

I think you'll really enjoy the duxtop. Read the manual a few times, carefully,  and youll find it's really fun, easy, and controlled, using all the features.

This is the cheap one I bought:

Duxtop 1800W Portable Induction Cooktop Countertop Burner, Silver 8120MC/BT-180G3 https://a.co/d/h5eo8vi

 

I bought a used/Like new version (probably a return) for around $40.

 

[Wayfinder]

27 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:

@Wayfinder, I  have a duxtop (slightly cheaper version than yours) and an  IKEA induction burner. Love them both. Both have a clean glass/ceramic edge, no plastic guard, so easy cleanup. 

My house is half-powered by two tesla powerwall batteries during power outages. My Bosch induction cooktop is not on the panel powered by the batteries. The two little induction burners work just fine as replacements, on separate circuits. Also great as "keep warm" burners for parties. I love the timer function on the cheap duxtop. 

My college roommate and her daughter were here for a week visiting this spring. Both are gourmet cooks, and gas stove aficionados. Though skeptical at first, they were both amazed at the quick response of my induction cooktop, and the super easy cleanup. I do use ceramabryte cooktop cleaner on all my induction cooking devices, to protect and keep like new.

I like smooth bottom, lighter weight conductive steel or stainless pans. My favorites are enameled steel, IKEA 365, and a smalk nordicware spun steel wok skillet. 

I think you'll really enjoy the duxtop. Read the manual a few times, carefully,  and youll find it's really fun, easy, and controlled, using all the features.

This is the cheap one I bought:

Duxtop 1800W Portable Induction Cooktop Countertop Burner, Silver 8120MC/BT-180G3 https://a.co/d/h5eo8vi

 

I bought a used/Like new version (probably a return) for around $40.

 

I may have gone overboard purchasing the one over $100, but I'll now have the cheap one and better one from which to compare.  I'll update here if I even remember this thread in a couple weeks.  LOL

I've been eye-balling that large Bosch unit for some time, but other expenses keep coming up, like stupid medical bill.  Errgggg. 

 

[SeaDawg]

14 minutes ago, Wayfinder said:

may have gone overboard purchasing the one over $100, but I'll now have the cheap one and better one from which to compare.  I'll update here if I even remember this thread in a couple weeks.  LOL

Well, you can always send it back, if you don't see the advantages.  It may well be worth it, for the additional settings.

The duxtop I bought was bottom line  entry level, for sure. 

[Ollie-Haus]

We got a portable induction unit a couple years ago with a two fold purpose. To determine if we liked induction enough to invest in a full size cooktop for the remodel, and to later use when camping in the travel trailer. Needless to say we love it and have purchased the five burner Frigidaire model for the house, and the 1800 watt portable is already packed up in the truck to put in the Oliver when I go down to pick up Wednesday. Made sure to get a nice induction ready cook set for the camper to go with it. 

Duxtop Portable Induction Cooktop, Countertop Burner Induction Hot Plate with LCD Sensor Touch 1800 Watts, Silver 9600LS/BT-200DZ

Magma Products, A10-366-2-IND Gourmet Nesting Stainless Steel Induction Cookware Set with Non-Stick Ceramica 

 

[SeaDawg]

@Ollie-Haus, I wish my magma set were induction ready, but it's old school/non magnetic.

Great pans.

We use them on the sailboat, and occasionally carry a few smaller ones on the trailer. Unfortunately,  gas only. Beautiful and useful cookware. 

[Ollie-Haus]

1 hour ago, SeaDawg said:

@Ollie-Haus, I wish my magma set were induction ready, but it's old school/non magnetic.

Great pans.

We use them on the sailboat, and occasionally carry a few smaller ones on the trailer. Unfortunately,  gas only. Beautiful and useful cookware. 

Yep I think my timing was perfect as these were just released on the market a few months before I made my purchase. I love the stainless with induction capability. And I love just as much that they went with a ceramic surface inside instead of the traditional Teflon. 

I doubt we will leave the whole set in the camper, but for now we will have to figure out our favorite two or three items and the rest will be used in other ways. I love the clamp on handles that are quite sturdy and have a very secure grip. 

I also have my favorite Lodge cast iron skillet that will be great on the induction, gas or even a bed of coals in the fire pit. That dude will build up your forearms if you use it much. 😆

[SeaDawg]

I've been afraid to use my cast iron on my Bosch , for fear of scratching it. (Plus it's so heavy!)

I may give it a try on the inexpensive Duxtop and see how it goes. The Dutch oven would be great for chilis, stews and gumbo. 

[SeaDawg]

I've been looking into vintage dansk kobestylen pots and pans for home and travel. My brother in northern Minnesota finds them, occasionally. They're available new, but I'd prefer the vintage. I'm an mcm fan, so ... well.

Also, for those of you  who carry the expensive Magma sets, as we do,   please pad for travel. On the boat, I carry the full nested set, with separators, and a substantial towel around the lot, in a bag,  wedged on a cabinet ,  keeping them from banging about and getting dented or scratched.. Lower cabinets/drawers  are better than uppers, imo, if possible. 

Mine have thousands of sea miles on them, hundreds of camping miles, and lots of use. The clamp on handles are great (I have two handles.)  still beautiful , and best pans ever. 

 

[Wayfinder]

I'm using that Tuxtop that @Ollie-Haus posted a pic of. I think it's much better than the cheaper version with the edge around it. The fan noice is better and I like the controls. 

[GrumpyChoi]

On 5/8/2023 at 8:22 PM, Ollie-Haus said:

Yep I think my timing was perfect as these were just released on the market a few months before I made my purchase. I love the stainless with induction capability. And I love just as much that they went with a ceramic surface inside instead of the traditional Teflon. 

I doubt we will leave the whole set in the camper, but for now we will have to figure out our favorite two or three items and the rest will be used in other ways. I love the clamp on handles that are quite sturdy and have a very secure grip. 

I also have my favorite Lodge cast iron skillet that will be great on the induction, gas or even a bed of coals in the fire pit. That dude will build up your forearms if you use it much. 😆

I love your post, I did a search and yours hit the spot for my question. I do the cooking at home, so I can tell you I rarely use more than one pot or one skillet.  Most of my cooking is on the grill, but I could see using that induction burner quite a bit and maybe an instapot. 😀