We have just removed our Seaward propane Princess stove and oven. In its place are going a Panasonic WNCF778S combination broiler, microwave, and convection oven, and a Miele CS1212 induction cook top (the latter is intended as a replacement for the temporary induction unit in use aboard for the past 18 months.

The Panasonic oven nets out almost the same inside volume as the Seaward propane unit. The oven and cook top fit in the area of the old stove. We still need to make a counter section for the induction cook top to fit into.

There are several advantages to Panasonic oven aside from fitting the existing space. First, the door opens flat. Next, the microwave works without the need for a turntable. Third, it will do a combination microwave/convection cycle which is quick and efficient. Finally, the compact size reduces power requirements compared to ovens with more area.

The first test of the oven was with chocolate chip cookies. The oven works well, and is quick. Eight minutes seem about right at 375F. The key factor is power consumption – just 6.4 amp hours (24 volts) – per rack of cookies. So, about 20 AH for a complete recipe, although cooking two racks at once would reduce this substantially.

Using our remote temperature sensing gun we measured 140F (48C) alongside the heat vents of the oven. This is with an interior ambient of 70F/21C, no more than what we typically saw with the propane stove and probably less (it was hard to measure the Seaward unit).

Next we tried the new induction cook top boiling four cups (two mugs) of water.This was accomplished in two minutes using five amp hours of battery capacity.

We’ll update these numbers as we get more data over the next few days. But right now, it appears as if the additional power for the electric oven, when looked at in the context of our total consumption at anchor, is not going to have much impact.