Cooking
KENYA CERAMIC JIKO (KCJ)
Make your own:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnM8jhMUvWo
Today, the most promising version in stove design is the 'Kenya Ceramic Jiko' (KCJ). The KCJ is a portable stove that uses charcoal as fuel. Shaped like an hourglass, the metal stove has a ceramic lining in its top half, with the bottom half being a collection box for ashes. The coals are placed into the ceramic lining at the top, which is perforated to let the ashes from the coals fall to the bottom of the stove. These ashes can then be collected and disposed of safely. The head of the stove has metal rings that hold a pot in place for cooking.
The KCJ increases stove efficiency by the addition of a ceramic insulating liner (the brown element), which enables 25 to 40 percent of the heat to be delivered to the pot. From 20 to 40 percent of the heat is absorbed by the stove walls or else escapes to the environment. In addition, 10 to 30 percent gets lost as flue gases, such as carbon dioxide. With proper use and maintenance, the KCJ has been shown to reduce fuel use by 30 to 50%. This means less wood is burned to make charcoal, and fewer trees have to be cut down. This also means less labor in looking for and chopping firewood.
The stove also reduces emissions from incomplete combustion, such as toxic gases and particulate matter, resulting in the better overall health of the users.
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