We start off with a tour of the rocket stoves on the Aprovecho campus. In the outdoor kitchen there is a rocket stove for boiling water (the Oaxaca One-Pot) and a rocket stove griddle (the Justa stove). In the Boathouse there is a rocket mass heater.
Rocket stove: the Oaxaca One-Pot
The Oaxaca One-pot is essentially a rocket stove covered in cob, with a “pot skirt” – a sunken area for the pot to sit it. The pot skirt creates an increased surface area for heat conduction into the pot.
Oaxaca One-Pot: top view, looking into the pot skirt
The rocket stove was developed here at Aprovecho by Larry Winiarski. One of the basic principles of the rocket stoves that increases the efficiency of fuel combustion is the insulated combustion chamber. Here are some schematics I pulled off the internet demonstrating the main components of the rocket stove design:
Rocket stove with griddle top: the Justa stove (griddle top removed)
Justa stove insides
Moving over to the Boathouse to check out the rocket mass heater in there:
Rocket mass heater and cob bench
Clean-out opening
Wood for the fire is fed vertically in the small barrel
Boathouse interior
Then we started our project of building a new outdoor Justa (pronounced HOO-sta) stove:
Pre-made insulated combustion chamber sits towards the front of the stove
Setting the chimney into the stove
Removable brick in the back for clean-out
Drawing out and cutting the cardboard forms for the arch
Voila
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