Rocket stove

As I was browsing U-tube, I saw this "Rocket stove" from Survival Common Sense and Tinyhouse Prepper . I was curious, so I decided to make one too, just to see how it works. It's slightly better than the village stove because you don't have to blow or fan. The 5- 6 levels of bricks acts as a chimney and fire and heat comes up.

Rocket stove is an efficient and hot burning stove using small-diameter wood fuel.

In the Korean drama, I often noticed the traditional Korean using this kind of similar design. There was a stove where they cook and the heat from the fire is  tunnelled under the floorboards of the house, to keep it warm especially in winter. No wonder the Koreans like to sleep on the floor, because of the heat from the rocket stove👍.

It is true that the world is changing and everything is high tech but we need to save a little of our past  from these simple practices for emergency purposes, or otherwise😜😜.

How to build a simple Rocket Stove  and how it works

I followed this design from Youtube Survival Common Sense. It has a wire mesh for the twigs and sticks as fuel for fire.


 

                                                          Level 1                                              size 27cm x 28cm wire mesh

                             

Place a wire mesh as shown then the 2nd level of bricks over it.
a = Lower shelf : Air flows in this way, it breathes better and help fire burn better.
b = Above the wire mesh is the fuel shelf also known as the fire chamber. This is where I put wood, twigs etc for burning. Once burning starts, I can get very hot fire right in here.


 
Then stack up with Level 3, 4, 5. The higher the chimney, it draw heat out better. Minimum levels are preferably 5 to 6 levels. If too short levels, not enough chimney and it won't be able to draw air out properly.
c = Combustion chamber. What happens is, when the flame is down in there  ( center hole) chimney draw it up and heat comes out as shown in the arrow "c".

 
d = Insulation e.g. Ash
e = Outer shell e.g. Bricks


Feed twigs or wood chips into the chimney.

    

 Paper, dried grass or coconut husk as fire starters. Extra brick to hold the wood or twigs for burning.

 
 Burner grate helps to hold the pot and allow the gas and smoke to come out of the chimney while cooking

Sometimes it gets  so hot, it sucks in air from the fire chamber and roar like an engine. Thats why its called the rocket stove.

Fried Egg Noodles Ingredients

2 pips minced garlic.

Sliced pork egg rolls . You can used any protein - Dried shrimps, prawns, chicken slices etc

1 beaten egg

2-3 handful of noodles for two person

2 table spoon cooking oil, a few dashes of black sweet soya sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of salt

 (depending on your taste to sweetness and saltiness)

A few green sawi leaves - can use kangkong, spinach, cabbage- your choice

Method

Prepare the fire in the Fire chamber 

Heat a bit of  oil in the kuali. Get a Kuali without any rubber or plastic handle. Best is Iron, Aluminium or stainless steel because they get heated easily and easy to clean. The bottom of the pot will turn black but no worries. the black bottom can be removed using the cold ashes from the left over burning .

Fried the Omelette

When cooked , take out and leave aside

Sauteed garlic till fragnant and slightly brown

Add in pork egg roll slices, and green vegetables. Stir fried for a min

Add in the noodles. Stir fried for a min. Add salt, soya sauce

Cover for a min. By this time, my fire was beginning to slow down

Delicious stir fried noodles garnished with omelette strips

In conclusion, I find that Rocket Stove is easy and fun to build. It's interesting and economical. Using just old twigs from the branches of my plants, which are plentiful and for free. Very useful skills and knowledge for emergency, In case there is sudden power cut or gas tank running out of gas, cooking can still continue. It's a useful basic human survival skill😂😃

It would be lovely to eat in the open air once in a while in the late evening, when the sun sets.

I am going to try my next dish using this stove for Steam boat!!😜😜 Any suggestions you have, please let me know, so look out for more of my innovative ideas... you never know what next I will bring to this blog😜. 

References

https://permacultureprinciples.com/post/rocket-stoves/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_stove