Guenevere's Galley

Equipment

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This area might seem a bit strange to put into a cruising web site, but we think it's worth the time to pass on some of the items we have found out as we have been cruising. There were things we took with us because we used them a lot in our homes. There were things we loved to have, but just didn't seem to work for us aboard our boat.
At the same time, there were things that we found we LOVED once we got aboard the boat and started actively cruising. In this section we will try to pass on to you what the items are.

Greg speaking......
I was sitting in a hotel room in Belize city, Belize, back in the early 1990s watching some TV. A commercial came on for some bake ware. The first thing I noticed was it was blue in color, not metal looking. Then the guy started talking about it. It was made of silicone and was oven proof, unbreakable, and folded up! The first thing that came to my mind was, WOW, no more banging around of cookware aboard the boat on a rough passage, even if it was not stored between towels! I thought, “I GOT TO GET ME SOME OF THOSE”. And I did. But up until recently (around mid 2004) the different types and shapes of the items was limited. Below we will show you some of the items that now happily live aboard Guenevere.
 

Our Force 10 stove is the European model as it was a bit smaller than the standard model. Our Guenevere is only 27 feet you know. ;-)
We put it in ourself. It was not as hard a job as I thought it would be. The thing that hurt the most was cutting our teak! You can see the steps it took to install it by clicking HERE.

We liked the oven with a glass front door to it. Also the way the door slides under the stove to keep the balance when it is open. So far, the only problem we have had was that after a couple of years, the sparker stopped working, even with a new battery. We have just resorted to using one of the long lighters. It works just fine. 

This is our Fagor Pressure Cooker. We LOVE it a lot and it has seen a LOT of use aboard our boat. So much so, we even did a DVD of some of our favorite recipes in it (click HERE to see info on the DVD). We like the yoke top to it. For our top to seal, the arm across the top slide into a holder on each side. You then tighten a screw knob on top to apply pressure to the top. By making the seal this way, if too much pressure builds up inside the cooker, the top simply lifts off the pot and it will NOT explode! It is also easy to open it, even under pressure. This allows more latitude in cooking as you can take it off the fire, open it, drop in another food, reseal it and you are off cooking again in a minute. 

I would love to provide a link to it, but they, or this type PC are hard to find now. We have had this one for about 20 years. LOOK for one, it's worth it!

PUR water filter
PUR 3stage water filter. We use this for ALL of our drinking or cooking water. YES, we have and use a water maker, but just in case, we use this also.  
We bought 12 spare filters when we departed and it took us quite some time to go through them. Each filter lasts 3 to 4 months. We know when to change them, when the water flow slows way down.

By the way, this setup is WAY less $$$ than the "marine" water filters a lot of people try to sell you and works just as well or better!

PUR FM-9500 Water Filtration System with 2 Filters
I originally bought Jill a set of the Cuisinart nesting pans to use as we cruised.
What we found was that they were very good, but also very heavy. They did store nicely, but between these and our pressure cooker, the storage area was just about full.

We then bought the below item, for a lot less $$. NOT nearly as nice, but very usable.

Ckick HERE for link to Cuisinart Stowaway 8-Piece Stainless-Steel Cookware Set
Stainless Pots and pans
Nesting SS Cook Set

Our stainless pots and pans. 

We bought this set of stainless Steel pats and pans to use aboard. We were worried about them as they seemed a bit light. Once back at the boat we were very happy to find that, once nested, they fit EXACTLY inside of our Pressure cooker. So storage is a snap.

They feel a bit light, but have held up very well for the last 5 or 6 years. Because they are light, they are actually easier to use than our Cuisinart nesting pots. If you haven't used the Cuisinart, they are very heavy. As a matter of fact, our Cuisinart nesting pans have found their way back to our house in the US.




We have tried a number of different coffee makers.  We first tried a Melita drip pot, but were afraid we would break the glass, and did not know what to do when we run out of filters. We tried a plastic coffee press from West Marine, but the coffee was cold almost before we could drink it.

We have now found THE ANSWER! We were given two, one cup stainless steel, thermal mug, coffee presses and a small stainless steel thermal coffee press.

THEY WORK GREAT! Finally we found a coffee maker that works for both of us, and guests! Best of all, I get my coffee to MY liking and Jill gets hers as strong as she likes it, and all out of the same pot of hot water.  They came from Starbucks but you can get them in a number of places.

Click HERE for a selection of Stainless Steel coffee presses
That is our "Fat Man" cooking timer. It was given to us as a going away gift. When we got it, we were not sure if we would use it or how long it would last. To date, we have used it almost EVERY day when have been aboard, and it's STILL working!

Now we are thinking about getting a second one to make sure we are not forced to do without one!

FAT Italian CHEF 55 min KITCHEN cooking oven TIMER

A link to a selection of FUN timers that would be good aboard.

We LOVE Silicone cookware! It stores easy and does not rattle. But, one of it's strengths is also a weakness. It may not hold it's shape.
Make sure you get one that is sturdy on it's own! If you see two, next to each other, we would rather have the one on the left.

  Good one with   large side supports Bad one - no side supports
See the difference? It's the supports on the sides of pan. The good pan is also heaver than the lighter one.
A link to the Lekue Silicone 9-1/2-Inch Loaf Pan
Now you can get the muffen cups in about any shape. This one is good for a number of  uses.

Silicone Mold, Heart
THE BEST ONE YET! A dough nut maker

LET me tell you how SWEET it is to have been at anchor for a couple of weeks, without seeing another boat,
waking up and shortly having a cup of coffee AND fresh baked dough nuts!
          TALK ABOUT LUXURY LIVING!
                          Links below
Silicone Mold, makes 18 Mini dough nuts or Savarins

Silicone Mold, makes 8 dough nuts or Savarins

Silicone Mold, makes 6 dough nuts or Savarins

I looked for a 12 dough nut maker like ours, but could not fine one.
Click HERE for our recipe for "At anchor Dough Nuts" using this.
We have one pan like this aboard. We like it, BUT, like we said, it will NOT hold it's shape very well. To use it, we MUST put it on a metal cookie sheet BEFORE we fill it with anything. It must stay on that sheet until we turn out what ever we make in it.

For a LOT of items that may fit your galley better, take a look at this link......
*****   Link to a LOT of Silicon bakeware   *****

Our can opener. We used to have a few different types aboard. But all of them left the can with a sharp edge. Not only on the top of the can, but also on the lid. This opener slices through the side of the seam that seals the top to the can. Once the top is removed, there are NO sharp edges! And the top will fit back on. VERY handy if the boat is moving.

By the way, in the back of that picture is a can of grapefruit slices. We found them in Mexico and not much is better than having a bowl of these on a very HOT morning.



Link to the Safety Lid Lifter Can Opener
OursOur waffle maker.

We only use it a few times each year, but when we do, it's wonderful!
A real treat. After a few weeks out, having a very nice brunch in the cockpit, on a warm morning, is's truely magical.

Link to Waffle maker
We have a small kitchen scale aboard. We like this style that has weight in BOTH grams AND Onces! Once  you are outside the US, it's nice to just convert the scale over and not have to do the math.

Link to Kitchen scale

This is something that we carry aboard, not just for checking the temp of the food, but also to just make sure the oven temp is correct. The timer option is also very handy, in addition to our "Fat Man" (see above).



Links to the Taylor Digital Cooking Thermometer/Timer
All-Clad Set of 2 Stainless 7-Inch Oval Bakers

These are a small luxery we carry aboard and make for a very elegant dinner with a baked seafood cassole, with the top browned under the broiler!

Lobster works for us.... Big GRIN

Link to small oval Stainless Steel pans

More to come as we think of it.

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