DIY Rocket Stove

The rocket stove was initially developed for cooking by Dr. Winiarski of the Aprovecho Research Centre. The intention was to introduce an energy-efficient means to cook food in the developing countries. The principles of the rocket stove however have attracted preppers who are always looking into ways to efficiently cook outdoors when the grid collapses.

Some of the attractive principles of the rocket stove are:

1. insulating everywhere around the fire save for the space where the heat passes the cooking pot

2. using thin wood and burning only small amounts at a time for complete combustion

3. ensuring a good flow of air into the firebox

4. forcing hot air down narrow passages around the cookpot

In a SHTF event, power will be one of the first commodities to go so having an alternative way to cook your meals is very important indeed. If you have no backup stove, knowing how to make a rocket stove out of a can or bricks you may find lying about will ensure warm, cooked meals. But why a rocket stove in particular? According to Wikipedia;

“Compared with open fire cooking methods still used in many areas of the world (sometimes known as ‘three stone fire’ – a small fire contained by three or more rocks such that a pot or pan can rest on the flames), this stove operates on about half as much fuel, and produces substantially less smoke. Furthermore, the design of the stove requires small diameter lengths of wood, which can generally be satisfied with small branches. As such, sufficient fuel for cooking tasks can be gathered in less time, without the benefit of tools, and ideally without the destruction of forested areas.

Because these qualities improve local air quality, and discourage deforestation, the rocket stove has attracted the attention of a number of Appropriate Technology concerns, which have deployed it in numerous third-world locales (notably, the Rwandan refugee camps). This attention has resulted in a number of adaptations intended to improve convenience and safety, and thus the size of the target audience. The Justa Stove, for example, is a cousin of the rocket stove adapted for indoor use and family cooking needs. While it contains a ‘rocket elbow’ (the working core of a Rocket Stove), it differs in that it contains a flat griddle surface and a simple smokestack.”

The following video by SurvivalCommonSense shows you how to make a functioning rocket stove out of bricks in a little more than $6, and even less if you can look for bricks you can salvage.