Origo 3000 stove

 Aquired a 2nd hand Origo 3000 spirit stove. It is made from stainless steel, has 2 burners and a basic pot grate (no pot holders or gimbal). The previous owner used it to travel around Australia in a van.  They don't come up for sale locally very often here, so was very happy to get one at a good price.

Boiling a camp kettle

It is unpressurized, which makes it safer and easier to maintain and use. The burner canisters hold 1.2 litres of fuel each and will run for 4.5 hours on high and 10 hours on low. It is fairly heavy once the canisters are full.

The stove is quite compact in size, so fits into most small boats (22 - 35 footers) (larger vessels might prefer large oven stoves) 

Left burner on high, right burner on low setting

Fuel canisters and burner control ports

Normally Origo stoves come with 3mm neoprene canister covers to prevent evaporation of fuel when not in use.   These were missing so i made my own up from door sealing neoprene from the local hardware store.

The flame output can be controlled accurately with the twist knobs. It is very easy to light with a long gas BBQ lighter.

Pot grille and flame spreaders on burners

It boils the kettle silently, only the kettle bubbling noise is heard. It takes about 10-12 minutes to boil a litre, with it's 2kw (7000BTU) burner, a bit slower than 3kw (11,000BTU) LPG gas or shellite burners.

However safety is important, it's unlikely that it would explode/burn the boat down like gas/shellite is capable of doing. Meths can simply be extinguished with water. If meths is spilled it simply evaporates upwards and away leaving no residues. It is hard to see a meths flame by day, so passing a hand over it quickly determines if its going or not. If it blows out accidentally, there is zero danger, it's simply out (gas continues to flow and builds up in bilges...)

It is also far simpler/cheaper to set up and maintain by a DIYer. (Gas fitters and gas certificates are a significant cost)

It is important to follow the operating procedures. The biggest danger with an Origo is re-fuelling the canisters. Only do this when they are cold and do it outside the cabin. They should be topped up to full capacity each day or while anchored, (eg mornings before daily use) holding them at 45 degrees until 1.2L is reached.

The other main reason for meths fuel is availability is usually good in most places (except PNG..) and it stores easily in plastic containers. It is often produced locally as well. In Australia there are a few facilities that turn agricultural crop by-products into ethanol fuel, so it's sustainable and keeps jobs/money etc in country.

For more info, cooking performance K10 blog - Campervan fittout, Origo stove test

Cooking method - Get the 2 litre hot water kettle on first, then use the other burner to cook/ reheat the meal, by the time thats done the waters boiled for a cuppa, thermos and washing up.