Stoves

I love stoves, and we recently made a simple rocket stove on the Introduction to Permaculture course at Carraig Dulra in Wicklow.

Above: rocket stove (foreground) and Storm Kettle behind

This was made out of a Feta cheese tin from the local wholefoods shop and a piece of single-wall stainless steel flu pipe attached to a 90degree bend (which cost about 30 euros). You cut the top off the tin with a pair of tin-snips and make a hole in the lid which then is pushed down into the tin forming a collar to support the flu; the 90degree elbow goes out the bottom through a similar hole in the side of the tin. The tin is filled with ash for insulation (before you slide the lid back over…).

Here is a neat video explaining exactly how to do it.

The stove works on the principle of the insulation allowing a hotter burn- so it is very efficient. We tried a little demo on the course for fun, with two teams, one making tea on the rocket stove, the other with a Storm Kettle. The stove one hands down- ok it wasnt really a fair test. the other team hadnt even managed to get the fire lit by the time our kettle had boiled!

I also recently bought a rocket stove from Wildstoves:

This is the StoveTec Wood & Charcoal Combination Rocket Stove I have been using it mainly for making tea outside whenever the weather is fine, which has been quite a bit lately. It is also easy to use, and well designed, very efficient- start the fire with a few shavings and a few minutes later with just three or four thumb-thickness sticks you have boiling water.

The stove is built to last, and has a handy steel rack for laying the sticks onto, which can then be pushed into the firebox as the burn. Also comes with a windshield, and this one has a ceramic brick you can insert into the firebox to protect the door from burning out when using charcoal.

I have yet to spend time cooking on it, but it would also be ideal to take camping if you have a vehicle. Also would be ideal next to the pizza oven for cooking up the source.

Wildstoves do a range of great looking stoves, including tiny ones for back-packing; if you want to make your own rocket stove (see above) they also supply DIY Rocket Stove elbows.

Another great source of information on stoves is WorldStoves.com

They work in developing countries where they set up factories to use local materials and skills to produce pyrolytic stoves- stoves which convert the fuel- which can be almost any biomass- into charcoal, which can be used as a soil amendment known as biochar. They have recently completed a project in Haiti.

The stoves are extremely efficient, combusting the wood gases also, thus saving wood and cutting down oin respiratory diseases common in many countries caused by cooking fires.

Another great source of information for DIY stove enthusiasts is the Aprovecho Research Centre, who design the StoveTec stoves.

Download their Capturing Heat pdf for details on more deigns for innovative stoves.

Happy stoving!