Wood-Saving Stove
rural technologies

In Chiapas, the simple act of cooking can cause numerous environmental and health problems. Most rural families still cook over the fire, and traditionally collect their firewood from surrounding forests. However as the population grows, the demand for firewood exceeds the forest’s ability to renew itself. Important forestal ecosystems, including nature reserves, are being damaged as families are forced to go farther and deeper for their firewood. In other situations, where families purchase their firewood, it is an economic issue. In addition, the constant respiration of smoke is a prime cause of lung disease in communities.

Groups have tried to address this with plans to bring in propane stoves to communities, but didn’t adequately address long term sustainability. Many families weren’t able to acquire or afford propane after the groups left, and the propane tanks and stoves were left unused while the families returned to using fires. Other groups have introduced solar cookers, which are a great energy-saving idea, but don’t always replace wood-stoves as a practical cooking option. Many times a solar cooker lacks the versatility or efficiency of a fire. Thus, they are usually left by the wayside. In addition, both of these options require bringing in outside materials not readily available to communities, preventing their installation and use without outside help.

One great alternative is the wood-saving stove. It cuts firewood use by half and can be built with materials readily available to communities. The stove keeps the smoke in a closed system so it can be filtered out of the residence with a chimney, reducing lung diseases so common in rural communities. Families don’t have to change their lifestyle drastically, but can reduce damage to their health and environment. Here’s how it works:

The stove is constructed completely out of materials readily accessible to many rural communities. The base consists of a frame of discarded lumber (the sides of trees normally not used in construction).

The frame is filled with earth and stones.

Underneath the stove is a stone base. Stones are particularly good at storing heat, and will maintain heat hours after the fire has died down.

The actual stove is constructed out of bricks and mortar which create an air tight seal and reflect back heat. The mortar is simply a mixture of earth, sand, chalk, and water.

The stove is constructed out of three chambers. The firewood is burnt in the large front chamber and the hot air circulates through all three chambers, heating all three metal plates.

A chimney is constructed behind the three chambers. There are only two openings in the stove, and because of rising heat, air and smoke are sucked through the front and out the top.

The stove is remarkably efficient. A family can cook three things at once with only one fire. The wood burns slow and keeps the plates hot.

back to demonstration site.