[Stoves] Re household cooking

[John Davies]

Paal wrote,

 

There is a need of a practical test where fuel and stove are evaluated
together with the user. If you are saving some some energy and some minutes
in time of cooking, it can easy be lost by handling the fuel and the stove
or by cleaning the pots. The stove, the fuel and the cook is one unit,
working together with respect for each others specialities.

 

 

These are very wise words.   At the first demonstration of my TLUD
bituminous  coal stove, which uses a chimney, with the pot sealing the top
of the stove. I remember the reaction of some of the onlookers. 

 

After lighting the stove, and placing the pot, smoke exited the chimney, and
stopped after less than 1 minute.  I knew that the chimney had started
drafting, pulling secondary air into the flame and causing the clean burn.

One onlooker pronounced that the fire had extinguished, and many others
agreed. Lifting the pot allowed a smoky flame to exit the stove. I replaced
the pot and told them that the water would be boiling in 4 minutes. This
caused much amusement and shaking of heads.      Now there was much
inspection of what was going on, with people standing close to the stove,
feeling the heat and watching the chimney. The water boiled in 4 minutes,
much to the amazement of many.

 

This proves Paal's  comment about the  user component.  How does one explain
to the user, and gain their acceptance that there can be fire without smoke.
Especially if the flame cannot be seen. A case of training, training,
training.  With this stove, part of the answer was to drill a 3mm peep hole
at a strategic place, so that the user could see the flame. 

 

Even if the user does not fully understand what is going on, acceptance is
the minimum criteria. Acceptance to accept what cannot be understood, and
acceptance of all the operating instructions. Not always an easy task, but
proof that intensive training of the user is needed.

 

Greetings to all, and keep up the good work.

 

John Davies.

 

 

 

 

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