Feb 21, 2017

Space Saving Pots and Pans For Boating

Magma Nesting Pots And Pans

Magma Review after 3 years of using them:




Magma Nesting Cookware has a detachable handle so the pots and pans can fit together in a
conveniently small space. This is super handy for boat living where storage space is generally limited.

Magma cookware is really the gold standard when it comes to boat cookware. It's what most people use. I'm not sure if that is because it is the best, or if it is because of Magma's name recognition from it's very popular boat grills. 

  • Designed specifically for RVs and boats
  • 100% 18-10 mirror polish marine grade stainless steel, encapsulated triple-clad bottoms for superb even heat distribution
  • Secures conveniently for storage with the included bungee cord, stores in less than 1/2 cubic foot of space
  • Includes 3 sauce pans (1-1/2 qt., 2 qt., and 3 qt.) with interchangable lid a stock pot (5 qt.) and a saute / fry pan (9-1/2 inch diameter) with interchangeable lids, two removable handles and storage cord
  • Oven and dishwasher safe, not for use with induction cooktops 
 

What I love:

I think the thing I love most about the Magma cookware set is that it comes in both non-stick ceramic and stainless steel. I also like that there are some options on the exterior finish, either polished stainless steel or a really nice blue color. 

What I don't love:

I don't like the weird lid. It's a smart design to reduce the number of lids required, which I do appreciate. I hate having a million lids. However, I don't like that the Magma lid is either going to overhang on smaller cookware, and dip down into larger cookware. I think the Neoflam Midas set does a better job having "normal" lids.

 

What users are saying:

I spoke with a number of people using Magma cookware, and everyone basically raves about them. Several people mentioned that these are heavy duty pots and pans, able to stand up to daily use and abuse for years.

Overall:

I think you really can't go wrong with Magma cookware. It's a safe bet that is comparable in price and quality to a "normal" set of household cookware. I also think it's awesome that they give you two handles with the 10-peice cookware set instead of just one.



Neoflam Midas Nesting Pots And Pans


Neoflam Midas is a nesting cookware set with detachable handles. This comes in super handy on boats where space is limited. 

What I love:


The Neoflam Midas cookware comes in a fun colors: Emerald Green, Sunrise Red, or multicolor. I really like the handle style, which can be attached at any location on the cookware. Compare this to the popular magma cookware which has a specific attach point that could be challenging if you have to detach/reattach on a hot pan. If using a pot or pan in the oven, the grab and grip handle style of Neoflam looks quick and easy compared to trying to fit a handle into a keyhole on a hot pan while on a rocking boat as you lean into a hot oven. A Neoflam replacement handle is also about half the cost of the Magma set.
I also really like that these nesting pots and pans come with a plastic lid, so the cookware can double as food storage containers.
The tempered glass lids are rimmed with silicon which is handy for reducing vibration noise when motoring.

What I don't love:


There's not much to not like about the Neoflam Midas cookware. I don't like the ceramic non-stick coating. I'm probably alone in this. Everyone seems to love non-stick, but I love taking a metal scrubby to polish up stainless steel pots and pans. I have used a metal scrubber on a ceramic pan and it didn't seem to damage the ceramic coating, however I'd be concerned about doing this regularly.

One thing I think Neoflam really got right is their "Ecolon" nonstick coating is made from all-natural materials. It's PFOA and PTFE free. Honestly, I have no idea what the hell that means, but my hippie wife has warned me on more than one occasion about the chemical dangers of non-stick coatings. I think it's safe to assume boaters lean toward the "natural" side of things, so this Ecolon coating is a good call.

I also don't like the bowl like shape of the pots and pans. Honestly the bowl shape of the 10" frying pan is probably my main dislike of the Neoflam cookware. 


Overall:

This nesting cookware set looks pretty great. In my quest to find the perfect compact cookware for boating, I'm seriously considering buying this set. If you have purchased Neoflam Midas pots and pans, please let me know how you liked them!












Feb 19, 2017

Black and Decker Dust Buster Review

On our first boat, we didn't have a vacuum. On our second boat we had a small shop vac. We had a cat who would get litter all over our small floor space, and because we didn't want to sweep kitty litter into the cracks between the floor boards, we ended up using the shop vac all the time. On our third boat, we bought a Black and Decker Dust Buster.

There are two versions of this dust buster. The less expensive, and more expensive version. We have the less expensive model. From what I can tell... there is no difference. Perhaps the more expensive version has a better battery.

The main benefit to the dust buster over the shop vac is that the dust buster runs on battery, so we don't have to use the generator, inverter, or be plugged into shore power to run it. It's also nice not having to worry about the distance from the wall outlet. Whether outside, or inside, near or far, the dustbuster works. The dustbuster is also easier to grab really quick.

The dust buster has a clear "dirt trap" that is super easy to empty. There is also a filter. You can buy replacement filters, but the filter is also washable. We've washed ours several times.

With as dirty as boats get, on top of the mess that kids make at every meal time, we end up using our little dust buster several times a day.

I'd recommend staying away from the BDH9600 pictured below. We had one of these at work and it stopped working within a few months.