GROUP GEAR TEST The UK’s most trusted sailing kit tests LP Voyager


Techimpex mastergrill £415


The pan supports lift out for cleaning and the forward fiddle is low enough for a frying pan handle, but it’s the only one. It comes with a rack, baking/drip tray, grill tray and harbour lock. The position of the door lock means you can open it one-handed. The hob’s grill vent has raised sides but some spillages will get through. It boiled water in 3 minutes and 46 seconds, the quickest on test, but toasted only a single slice. The grill tray handle was tricky to remove. It was one of two on test with a thermometer, which may not be entirely accurate, but it’s a good indicator. The oven, second biggest on test, heated very evenly.


CONTACT Penguin Marine TEL: 023 9246 5607 WEB: www.penguineng.com


Smev CU333 £705


This Italian oven-grill has small pan supports that lift out for cleaning, and a single front fiddle that’s frying pan-friendly. There are two gimbal mounts: one simple, the other with a crash bar and lock that works at any angle. It has harbour and door locks and comes with a baking/drip/grill tray that has no handle. The ignition and oven light need wiring into your boat’s 12v DC power. The pull-out heat deflector means you can’t close the door while grilling. It toasts two slices and boiled water in 4 minutes and 50 seconds. The oven was much hotter at the back – it’s likely that the grill housing prevents hot air convecting properly.


CONTACT See website for nearest dealer


TEL 0844 626 0133 WEB www.dometic.com


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The shortbread showed greater heat at the back of the oven


www.yachtingmonthly.com MAY 2013


The grill is only really capable of toasting one slice at a time


4500 £450 Leisure Products, of Bolton, also make the Bainbridge (formerly Plastimo) cooker range. The Voyager has slide-lock pan clamps and front and back fiddles, which are secure but too high for the average frying pan handle. The pan support lifts out for cleaning but the hob’s grill vent isn’t raised enough to stop spillages onto the grill burner. You also need to fit your own harbour lock. There is an oven setting guide in the manual so getting the right temperature isn’t entirely pot-luck. It comes with a rack and grill tray, but no baking/drip tray. The oven unlocks and opens with one hand. It toasts two slices and took 5 minutes and 13 seconds to boil water. The oven was much hotter at the back.


The uniform baking shows good heat distribution in the oven


CONTACT SoCal TEL 023 8078 8155 WEB www.socal.co.uk


Bainbridge Neptune 5000 £960


If you arrange two slices carefully, you can just about toast them both


The two-burner Neptune (£920) couldn’t be supplied in time for our tests, so we tested the three-burner version. There’s an all-round fiddle at a good height for a frying pan, pan supports that lift out for cleaning, and two pan clamps. It has a good-sized oven, and a separate grill with the vent at the back. One AA battery provides electric ignition, there’s a simple spring lock for the oven door, and it comes with a rack and grill tray. At 7 minutes and 16 seconds, it was the slowest to boil water. The grill toasted a single slice and the shortbread was burned at the back of the oven, yet still soft at the front.


CONTACT Bainbridge Marine TEL 01489 776030 WEB www.bainbridgemarine.co.uk


The grill can just about toast two slices at once


The shortbread at the back of the oven baked a lot quicker


The burning is our fault, but it’s still only a one-slice grill


Burned at the back and barely brown at the front. Not very good for baking


PHOTOS: GRAHAM SNOOK


PHOTO: MIRANDA DELMAR-MORGAN


PHOTOS: GRAHAM SNOOK


PHOTO: MIRANDA DELMAR-MORGAN


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