A Tale of Two Stoves

Zhenglong Gasifying Stove

Rocket Stove

On a recent trip to Bangdong, we brought five gasifying stoves to be tested alongside the Rocket Stove that we brought over in May. This time, the cost of the stoves was paid for from generous donors. One stove went to testing at a restaurant in Bangdong Town at a restaurant run by the parents of one of Salvador's employees while the other stoves will be tested with village families. The gasifying stoves take a little getting used to, but once the water-filled gasifying cartridges begin fueling the fire, the heat generated is far higher than that of the rocket stove.  

The advantages of the gasifying stoves include a high temperature flame with little to no smoke and the ability to incinerate other materials like dried corn cobs and walnut shells. The disadvantages include the time needed to ignite the gasifying cartridge and the fact that the fuel must be chopped into much shorter lengths than most families are used to. The advantages of the Rocket Stove include an efficient flame with only 30% as much wood used in traditional fire pits and a side entrance for fuel that allows for longer cuts of wood. The disadvantage is that when more food preparation is needed, like when they have guests, the rocket stove is a little too slow. The villagers said that they think the hot flame of the gasifying stove would make for better tasting food.

Both need more testing, especially by the villagers themselves, but my initial feeling is that a hybrid of both stoves might be best. If the Rocket stove was scaled up in size and had a slot for a gasifying cartridge but kept the side entrance for adding wood, perhaps the disadvantages of both stoves could be eliminated.