The trickiest portion of the efficient cookstove construction process is assembling the internal combustion chamber. It isn’t difficult, but requires a few sets of hands and understanding how the interior pieces fit together. Two women hold the pieces in place while a third filled in around them with the sand/gravel mixture. This was the fourth stove assembly of the day, and the women have the process down to a set of precision maneuvers.

How to build a combustion chamber from Karen M on Vimeo.

I’m really happy with the ONIL Plancha stoves, but I’m also not the one cooking on one. The quality seems excellent, and the women are already reporting that they work great. I’m compiling the wood-usage survey data now for the measurements of fuel usage pre-efficient cookstove. I’m very curious and excited to go back and measure the usage after some time with the new stoves. I think the difference will be dramatic. The data and time will tell.