an off grid rocket cooktop

[paul wheaton]

This is a special creation by Peter van den Berg, and enhanced by Kirk "Donkey" Mobert. It was further enhanced by the permaculture bootcamp here at wheaton labs.

Kirk insists that we cannot call this a "rocket" since there is no riser, but after having it for two years, I am simply choosing to call it a rocket anyway. Peter calls this design "the double shoebox".

This does feature a batch box with a "casserole door".

In the video, Jen points out that one spot has hit 1000 degrees F. And she points out that when she's not careful, she has burned some food. Cooking with a wood stove is a little different. You learn the hot spots and the medium spots and the cooler spots. And then there is also the matter of how much wood you are burning. So you want to boil water in the hottest spot. Or use the same spot, but less wood. Or, use a cooler spot on the cooktop. It really is that simple.

Here is a thread with a lot of details about the build

https://permies.com/t/72880/double-shoe ... et-cooktop

Here is the final product:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ1uZnDDu3A

[horsewoman]

Great stove! I want to make a simple one next year for outside to put my steam juicer on it. It seems silly to use electricity for it, but I really don't want to heat up the wood stove inside in summer. I used an old wood stove this year but it was a real hassle to carry it outside and back in after juicing. No need to do so with a concrete rocket stove like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLUFP2b8jDY

[paul wheaton]

Cement typically spalls at 600 degrees, so it is often not a material of choice.

[horsewoman]

There is a kind of cement used to build ovens, I don't know the English word for it. It holds up to a 1000 degrees Celsius.

[paul wheaton]

refractory cement. I think it would do well for something in that video. My guess is that the fire in that video gets up to 800 or so. (F)

For rocket mass heaters, we often push past 2600 - so we have mixed results with the refactory cement. Some people that do an enormous amount of jiggling and adding stainless steel needles have had success.