I picked up a couple of rocket stoves from StoveTec in Eugene, Oregon this spring, to help with the outdoor camping kitchen at the Two Fish Farms project I’m consulting on. The owners did a lot of outdoor cooking while their schoolhouse was being gutted.
The Eco Ceramic One Door Stove worked wonderfully and was described as a “lifesaver” by the couple. Before a lean-to went up, the only
worry was making sure there was a stash of dry wood for morning coffee and breakfast. And cooking in the rain, of course.
The nice thing about the rocket design is that these stoves can burn small sticks and other biomass. Once it’s going, you can use one or two long sticks to keep things cooking. Move the sticks in as they burn, add another for more heat.
The go-to wood for starting the stove on wet mornings was the old, broken bamboo trellis pieces from the previous owner’s garden. They dr
y quickly and burn hot (though quickly).
Much of the world cooks on biomass stoves, and there is a great deal of work going on to improve stove efficiency all over the world. Since I purchased my stove, StoveTec has introduced a more efficient skirted Super Pot and a Deluxe Metal Lined One Door Stove that I’m thinking of picking up. More efficiency = less wood needed.
Overall, I’m really pleased with the performance of the StoveTec rocket stove, how well it’s handled steady use, and the economical cost. I recommended them highly.