Rocket Stove: Efficient Cooking

Ever heard of a Rocket Stove? I recently read a few good articles boasting the benefits of these efficient cookers. Here’s what you need to know.

About Rocket Stoves

A Rocket Stove is an economic variation of a wood burning stove with several distinct advantages. They have a unique construction that makes them more efficient than cooking on an open fire and they create less pollution. Rocket Stoves are easy to make and composed of inexpensive materials.

Making a Rocket Stove

The basic pieces of a Rocket Stove include:

• Chimney - height should be about 2 or 3 times the diameter.

• Insulation - pack the combustion chamber (elbow joint), chimney, and anywhere else hot air might escape (except where your pot will be) with a low mass, non-flammable insulator. Wood ashes are a common choice.

• Elbow joint / Combustion chamber - Typically, 4″ diameter is best.

• Fuel shelf - This is a shelf that elevates your fuel and helps distribute air.

• Fuel Magazine - Houses your fuel shelf and helps regulate air flow.

• Enclosure - This houses all the other items. Lot’s of options here ranging from brick to aluminum.

Connect the chimney, elbow joint and fuel magazine inside the enclosure. Be sure everything is set firmly in place and insulate. Start your fuel with some scrap newspaper under the fuel shelf.

Rocket Stove Tips

Only burn the end of the fuel in the combustion chamber, else it won’t burn as cleanly. Push the sticks farther in as the fuel is consumed. Regulate the air flowing in through the fuel magazine. Too much air flowing above the fuel can cool the flame. Insulation helps direct heat and create a vacuum to draw in air. Use a pot skirt to keep hot air along the bottom and sides of your pot.

Benefits of a Rocket Stove

Rocket Stoves are designed to use small twigs (not large logs). This means they require less fuel and helps maintain forested areas. The construction and materials makes this a real benefit to third-world countries. Rocket Stoves burn more efficiently creating less smoke and harmful emissions. That benefits the environment and the quality of the air we breath.

For some more information, check out this article.

What do you think? Ever use a Rocket Stove?