Today I went back, almost to square one. I brought on board the old Optimus 155 from Johanna (Edit: its burners are model 207B with internal needle). I guess I installed that new in 2000, but it has been out of use for a few years.
Compared to most alcohol stoves, this feels like a real power station. Its data vary a bit, I have seen 2.2kW and 2.5kW (edit: 2.4kW). What I found, was that it brought 0.5l water to boil in less than four minutes - that is, after preheating, which took about 3:20min by burning a bottle-cap-full of alcohol.
I am in two minds about what stove to keep in Ingeborg. For my humble use, boiling a cup or two of water for coffee and tea, and occasionally heating some canned soup, the Origo surely makes most sense. For someone who are to do real cooking for several people, the Optimus is the choice. With the fuel prices here in Norway, the Optimus would be a little over half as expensive to run as the Origo, and remember; ten litres of kerosene has almost twice the energy (almost 10kWh/l) as ten litres of ethanol.
Some complain that kerosene is hard to get at these days. Remember then that the ‘preheat liquid’ (Norw. tennvæske), used for preheating grills, actually is kerosene, at least in Scandinavia, so can be had just about everywhere. This seems to be well refined, and my stove just loves the stuff.
I think the perfect setup in a boat would be to either have one or two kerosene burners, and then a single-burner Origo (model 1500), or other ethanol stoves. The last one would be quicker for fast, small jobs, and would also be better for long-time simmering at very low setting.
.. but I like the Optimus - I even prefer the smell of burnt kerosene over that from the Origo - in the end I guess it is a question of sense versus sensibility...
Arne
![](/resources/photo/uTljNHN_T9II2VPclRSi4TTyYar4r9JlN_oGKFL03PGF1MvW9dRgaUAKLOEwa-bpY9VRgS-MB5-QLvAxBQVznA2/preview)
..the Optimus 155 showing muscles...
PS: I guess sense win, so the Origo will be re-installed tomorrow...