Induction Stovetop in Camper Van - How Much Power Will You Use?

I am very glad I went with an induction stovetop/cooktop rather than a gas or propane stove!

There is something special about knowing you're utilizing energy from the sun and from driving to cook your food. Energy consumption is a big consideration when you rely on induction to cook in the van life, but I have found a way to make it work quite comfortably.

It was also a huge benefit to be able to avoid drilling an extra hole in the van (if I were to have gone with propane, I'd have had to vent it properly). Space is also limited so avoiding the use of a giant propane canister was a plus.

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So, how much energy does it take to cook with an induction stovetop in my van build? Well, here are a few useful benchmarks to give you an idea. Overall, I've been very happy with my setup using electricity instead of gas/propane!

It took about 15-minutes and 18 amp-hours of energy to boil 32 ounces of water.

It took about 6-minutes and 8 amp-hours of energy to boil enough water for a cup of coffee.

It took about 12-minutes and 9 amp-hours to fry 4 eggs over hard.

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My van is a 2019 Ford Transit 150 Medium Roof with a 148" wheelbase.

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#inductionstovetop #vanbuild #vanconversion

[Adam-enzm]

"DIY Fire Hazard" made me chuckle. Good info, I think I'm gonna go induction on my boat. I also agree that working around the limitations is kind of fun, plus I love the simplicity of it!

[caessen]

I am curious about the fold away fan on your van wall, also great video that really eliminates a lot of the techno speak and just gives a down to earth demonstration of how much battery drain an induction stove draws. We have a 200 a/h battery system with a 200 watt solar panel set up. Just ordered a 2000-watt pure sine inverter and am shopping for an induction tabletop unit. This was very helpful.

[OurRetiredLife]

I started saying, "Yay! Jeremiah has a sponsor!" and couldn't figure out why Alex was laughing (at first). Our plan for our future van is also no propane, just an Insta-pot-like cooker for our meals.

[AJourneyOfYourSoul]

This is really good information. Very helpful, thanks.

[treelinehugger]

Anyone with very slight hearing loss will find it extremely difficult to understand what you are saying because the foreground music overwhelms your background words. I couldn't finish the video.

[brianellis]

Very helpful video, thank you Jeremiah... subscribed.

[matsv]

If you use a router you can get the cocktop all the way down, not having it raised even a little bit

[OneMan.]

LOL I actually just watched water boil, where has my life gone He He :)

[thomaswhitten]

Actually you do not have to use specially made pots and pans. Copper and Aluminum will not work. Anything ferrous will work so cast iron, stainless steel, high carbon steel will work just fine. Anything a refrigerator magnet will stick to will work. So try the magnet on pans you already have before you buy anything new and/or buy an induction burner. Chances are you'll be alright with most of your pans. 😃

[fredeLN]

When you are talking about "induction specific pans" it is actually many that is compatible because your pan just need to be magnetic. Most pure iron, cast iron, steel and some stainless steel works

[macairtuber]

The music is so annoying. Had to quit watching

[adon]

It would have been better if you were measuring watt hours instead of amp hours. In that way you'd be measuring actual amount of energy used and the values will be relevant to other people whose batteries might be operating at different voltages.

[joselito]

Word of caution that is not emphasized enough when cooking with induction: your system has to have proper gauge wires from the battery to the inverter AND the connections must be tight. At over 50 amps current draw, too thin wires and/or loose connection will cause the wires to heat up and if left alone, WILL cause a fire.

[Drmikekuna]

A few years back, I put a portable induction burner in my van and never looked back. The burner was portable, but I mounted it to my counter, so it took up space (it was not recessed). This year, I rebuilt my kitchen with a friend's help. The burner is now in a pull-out drawer. I absolutely love cooking via a flame-free device that I power with solar panels. It is just cool. I usually have enough solar to cook, but I also have a little butane burner for emergencies (no sun) or when I want to cook something greasy outside.

[greenkid]

6:45 based on the numbers you've provided, you should be fine on solar alone under full-sun conditions
Capacity used to cook: (18Ah (pasta water) + 8Ah (coffee) + 9Ah (eggs)) * 12V = 420Wh
Even assuming your panels are performing at 50% of their stated capacity, that's 400W * 50% = 200W, which means you should fully recharge in 420Wh / (200W) = 2.1 hours

[charlesmoman]

Good topic choice! More of these will draw new viewers - I'm sure you are doing lots of tagging to help. People like to be taught the basics.

[Into_The_Mystery_]

Great music selection and well done video man.

[shadowfire]

Can you cook two things at the same time? How big inverter do you have for that? I was thinking about an induction stove but geez it draws alot when like boiling pasta + frying veggies/meat at the same time.

[demonhogo]

i wish you used watt hours instead of amp hours. How many volts is your system? Wh are consistent. My ecoflow delta pros are 48v which i assume is totally different than your system.

[Jayda]

You didn't specify what wattage the stovetop was set to. So the information is unclear and leaves too many questions.