Most households in Uganda use wood fuel for cooking and heating, creating environmental and health risks and increasing the need for cleaner domestic cooking solutions.
UIRI and Raising Gabdho Foundation developed a bioethanol stove prototype for a typical household. This study evaluated the prototype against liquified petroleum gas, electric pressure cooking, briquettes and charcoal.
Study focus
The controlled cooking test examined user perception, cooking cost and cooking time while preparing beans and posho for a family of four. The Clean Cooking Alliance protocol guided the test design, data collection and analysis.
Key findings
The ethanol stove cooked within a comparable time to electric pressure cooking, LPG and charcoal, and faster than briquettes. Users found it easy to ignite, stable when mingling and capable of burning with a blue flame after regulation.
The study also identified areas for improvement, including ethanol fuel cost, complete combustion at maximum stove power, removal of sharp edges and design modifications for grilling and different saucepan sizes.