Why Choose a 2-Cable Setup for Your Electric Galley Cooker?

Switching to an electric galley or kitchen is one of the biggest upgrades you can make — whether that's on board or on the road. But the decision doesn't stop at choosing induction over gas. How your cooker is wired into your electrical system matters just as much, and it's a question we get asked constantly, from boat owners and RV/campervan owners alike: single cable, or two?

For many owners, a 2-cable configuration turns out to be the smarter fit. Here's why — and it applies whether you're powering a galley at sea or a kitchen on the move.

What Does a 2-Cable Configuration Actually Mean?

Rather than running your hob and oven off a single cable and circuit, a 2-cable setup splits them so each can be powered — and controlled — independently. It's a small wiring decision with a surprisingly big impact on how your cooker behaves, whether you're relying on a battery bank at anchor, shore power in a marina, hook-up on a campsite, or leisure batteries between stops.

The Case for Sailing Boat Owners

If you're retrofitting an existing yacht, your onboard power capacity is often the limiting factor, not your ambition in the galley. A 2-cable setup is built for exactly this situation:

• Works with smaller systems. It's ideal where battery and inverter capacity is constrained rather than generous - which describes most cruising sailboats mid-refit.
• Run the hob and oven separately. Cooking a one-pot supper at anchor? Power just the hob and leave the oven circuit dormant, easing the load on your battery bank.
• Two smaller inverters instead of one large one. Smaller inverters are typically more affordable, easier to source, and simpler to integrate into an existing electrical system — a real advantage when you're working around what's already installed rather than starting from scratch.
• Built-in redundancy. If one circuit or component develops a fault, the other keeps working. On a passage, that's the difference between a minor inconvenience and no hot food at all.

The Case for Motorboat Owners

If you're speccing a new build or a major refit, a 2-cable setup gives your electrical designer more room to work with:

• Installation flexibility. Two cables open up more options for routing and system design than a single heavier cable, which particularly helps in tighter multihull or motoryacht installations.
• Load management on shore power. Connected to a modest marina shore supply? You can run just the hob or just the oven to stay comfortably within capacity, rather than risk tripping the system by asking one circuit to do everything at once.
• Selective operation, on demand. Whether you're entertaining guests with a full oven-and-hob spread or keeping things simple underway, the setup adapts to how you're actually using the galley that day.

The Case for RV and Campervan Owners

The same logic holds just as well off the water. Whether you're converting a van, building a new motorhome, or upgrading an existing one, a 2-cable setup addresses the same constraints — leisure batteries and inverters instead of house banks and shore power, campsite hook-up instead of a marina berth:

• Kinder to leisure battery capacity. Many vans and campervans run on more modest battery banks than a yacht's house system — a 2-cable setup lets you power just the hob for a quick brew or one-pan meal, rather than potentially committing the cooker's draw every time.
• Friendlier to campsite hook-up limits. Pitch hook-ups are often capped at a lower amperage than you'd get from a domestic supply. Running the hob and oven independently means you can stay within that limit rather than risk tripping the site's supply.
• More flexible conversion wiring. In a self-build or professional conversion, routing two lighter cables through tight cabinetry and wall cavities is often more practical than fitting one heavier cable — particularly in smaller van layouts.
• Redundancy on the road. If one circuit develops a fault mid-trip, you're not left without any way to cook — you simply lose the oven or the hob, not both.

What About the Alternatives?

A 2-cable setup isn't the only option — it's simply the one that suits the widest range of boats, RVs, and campervans.

• Single cable is the better fit if you're working with a larger system and genuinely ample battery capacity, where power availability was never going to be the constraint.
• 230V 3-phase is reserved for our largest cooker, the OC XL, where it allows for a reduced cable size - useful when routing through tight or complex spaces.

Making the Right Choice for Your Boat, RV, or Campervan

There's no universally "correct" answer here - it depends on your existing power setup, how you cook, and how much headroom you have in your battery bank and inverters, whichever vehicle or vessel you're outfitting. That's exactly why we talk through the wiring configuration with every customer before a cooker is built, rather than leaving it as an afterthought.

If you're weighing up your options, or thinking about making the switch to electric cooking more generally, get in touch with our team, whether that's marine enquiries or RV and campervan enquiries.

We're happy to talk through your specific setup, free of charge, and help you land on the configuration that actually fits your boat or vehicle.

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