8 replies to this topic

[Cpt Davenport]

I'm considering purchasing a 12v oven from Kickass in Australia. They say is consumes 10.8 amps and 130 watts. I have three other products from this company and the quality and performance have been stellar. I'm thinking of putting it in my off grid cabin that has plenty of solar and battery, but also wondering if it would work in my camper. Pot pies, cookies, pizza, bread, enchiladas, nachos, toast, lasagna, casseroles, biscuits for my Grandmama's famous gravy????? I like the locking door and the large, high sided custom pan. They boast the fact that you can run it while on the road and get to camp with dinner already made. 

 

Does anyone have any experience with such a unit? I'm curious of the actual draw and how hard my 200ah lithium will be hit when I run it for an hour or so in the camper. Driving would be charged by DC/DC but how about when I'm just posted at camp on cloudy days relying on my 300watt solar.

 

https://kickassprodu...ble-travel-oven

Edited by Cpt Davenport, 11 September 2023 - 12:04 AM.

[ckent323]

Interesting they specified 10.8 Amps and 130 watts.  That implies 12 v.

But a 12 v battery is actually closer to 13 v 

13 V and 130 Watts = 10 amps

Using an online calculator here:
 

 

https://bloglocation...me-energy-power

 

 

I estimate that oven would take about 45 min to boil 1 liter of water and 30 min to take 1 liter of water from 68 F to 160 F

So heating something not too dense to 160 F (safe eating temp) would take at least 1/2 hour consuming about 5 amp hours (10 amps times 0.5 hours - maybe more if it takes longer). 

It seems to me that baking something like a piece of meat or a casserole would likely take longer and consume more power.

I think it would be best to contact the manufacturer and ask them how long it would take and how many amp hours it would take to cook or heat up something that you specify by size/weight/brand/final temperature.  Maybe give them a list of the items pot pie, enchilada, pizza bread, nachos, etc.

I think it is fair to assume this oven is going to pull max amps for as much time as it takes to heat up the food so even if they only give you time you can estimate the power consumption.

My guess is that cooking times will be on the order of an hour for modest sized items of maybe two servings.


I would sure be interested in seeing the response they give.

 

I hope this is helpful,

 

Craig

Edited by ckent323, 14 September 2023 - 11:32 PM.

[Cpt Davenport]

Thanks for the reply Craig. All the reviews I have seen say it takes around 1.5 hours to cook most "instant" things if they are not frozen. Add 1/2 hour for frozen foods. The reviews that interested me were the folks who cook a 4-5 hour roast in it while driving. They explain that the battery takes no hit while driving as it is being charged with the alternator via the the DC/DC faster than the demand from the oven draw. I think long drives with a roast at the end would be great! Then use leftovers for sandwiches and stews. By your calculations, it sounds like a pizza could be cooked in an hour or so and use around 10 amp hours of storage. I think this would be manageable for a meal or two while at camp and not on the road.

 

It is on sale right now for $80 off the price so I ordered one. When it arrives I'm going to play with it while the camper is in the driveway and get some real life cook times and draws to report back with.

[Dipodomys]

Along a similar line, I've been wanting to try a hybrid oven from GoSun. All their ovens are solar cookers (non-electric), and their hybrid ovens also have a 12v heating element for when the sun isn't shining. A roast wouldn't fit, but I've thought of a lot of meals that would. I've thought about preparing dishes in advance in the silicone baking trays, freezing them, and then storing them in my camper's fridge where they'd thaw out slowly. Baking/re-heating should go pretty quickly.

 

edit: spelling

Edited by Dipodomys, 16 September 2023 - 01:13 PM.

[Cpt Davenport]

Along a similar line, I've been wanting to try a hybrid oven from GoSun. All their ovens are solar cookiers (non-electric), and their hybrid ovens also have a 12v heating element for when the sun isn't shining. A roast wouldn't fit, but I've thought of a lot of meals that would. I've thought about preparing dishes in advance in the silicone baking trays, freezing them, and then storing them in my camper's fridge where they'd thaw out slowly. Baking/re-heating should go pretty quickly.

I did not know they offered the hybrid, thanks! I have used the Sun Oven for years, it is awesome. I put a whole chicken in it, point it southwest and come back to a completely epic dinner at the end of the day. I use it to bake and you can also put eggs in the cardboard container with no water for perfect hard boiled eggs! Only issue is the size of the beast for the small camper, so it only comes on select trips now.

 

https://www.sunoven.com/ 

[Cpt Davenport]

12v oven arrived and I have been testing it in the driveway. It has two racks and a large stainless baking tray with a trivet.

 

I ran it for 2 hours on high to burn off any residue.

 

-Next I did some tests on its performance and draw.

-On high it draws between 8-10 amps and 123w-128w 

-With my solar pulling in 122w it was only showing 1amp or so of draw.

 

-In 1/2 hour temp reached 215F

-In just over 1 hour temp reached 352F

 

-Next I tried to cook a pizza.

-I turned oven on high and put the pizza in. 

-It took 2 hours (1 hour preheat 1 hour cook) and the pizza was crispy and perfect.

 

Now I need to figure out where to mount it in the rig, I think this will work out great if I give myself plenty of time for the preheat (about an hour for 350F). If the sun is shinning the draw on the battery will be offset by the solar. Tonight I will put in some potatoes and a steak and see how that goes. 

 

The next test will be on the road cooking to see if the DC/DC charger keeps up. We have a 7 hour drive coming up to Benton hot springs. I plan to put lunch in before we depart and enjoy it at Red Rocks. Then reload the oven with dinner and enjoy it from the campsite at Benton.

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Edited by Cpt Davenport, 25 September 2023 - 02:18 PM.

[Cpt Davenport]

Second successful meal from the "Betty Crocker easy bake" oven. 

 

Steak and taters

 

It took 3.5 hours from start to finish (1 hour of that preheat) , but it worked and was yummy. Ribeye cooked faster than the potatoes. Next time I would cut the tats into smaller pieces or perhaps add the steak after the first hour. The sun was up and I had 300+ watts of solar out averaging a 130w gain. The battery only lost a few %  so says the shunt. I'm confident enough of the ovens performance to find a home for it in the camper. I don't see using it every trip so I will make it a removable installation. I would also like to use it on the boat for hot food on the long cold wet days fishing/crab'n. 

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[craig333]

You're much more patient than I am. I do like the idea of cooking a pizza though

[Cpt Davenport]

You're much more patient than I am. I do like the idea of cooking a pizza though

Yes, it does take some time for the larger meals. My main reason for getting it is for cooking while in route to our destination. We usually drive around 4-8 hours at a time. I'm tired of grabbing fast food at the end of a long travel day or needing to cook once we get there. With this I can put in a whole chicken with some veggies and have it done once we get where we're going. Our next big trip is not until Thanksgiving so I will have plenty of time to put the little oven to the test and see if it is worth it.