Rocket stoves are a popular option for starting small fires in order to cook small meals. However, most of them are fueled by kindling and wood or alcohol and tissue. Let’s take a look at a variation that uses used cooking oil and grease as a fuel source. This is a great way to turn trash into treasure, reduce waste and conserve resources, and this trick only takes a few minutes to assemble.
What You Will Need
#10 or large can
Bunch of paper
Some tape
Scissors
Used cooking oil
Preparing the Can
The first step is to peel off the label and clean out the can. Next, cut a small starter hole about an inch below the top rim of the can. You can do this by poking the end of the scissors into the aluminum. You can also use a hammer and nail or phillips screwdriver as well. Once the hole has been made, snip away at it with the scissors until it is wide enough for you to make a horizontal cut that extends about 1/5 the diameter of the can.
Make sure that the top of the flap is at least an inch below the rim, because you need the rim intact to support the weight of the pot or pan you will cook with later. Make two vertical cuts along the edges of the horizontal one and bend the flap down. You can either cut off the flap or use it to control the amount of air that feeds the fire later.
Adding Insulation
The next step is to take about a ¼ inch thick stack of notebook paper and use it as a form of insulation to wrap around the can. This will help to conserve heat while also minimize the chances of you or someone else getting accidentally burned if coming into contact with the hot can later. Wrap it around the can and trim or add more paper if necessary to make a perfect fit. Secure with some duct tape.
Then, cut a notch out of the paper that matches the size of the vent hole that you just made for the can. A good pair or shears, box cutter or utility knife will work well for the paper, but you can use scissors as well by cutting a few sheets at at time.
Adding Fuel
Take some tissue paper or napkins and scrunch them in your hand. You don’t need to make tight balls, but they should be somewhat condensed so that you can use them to start your fire. You just need enough to cover the bottom of the can, and a good 3-5 pieces should suffice. However, you can add more if you like as a way to soak up the oil and make it less likely to spill.
Finally, add the old oil or grease and fill to about ¼ the way up the can. Light a long match, piece of scrunched paper or tissue and drop it into the fuel. It will ignite and give you plenty of fuel to boil water or cook a small meal. Experiment with different levels and types of fuel so that you can get a sense of how much burn-time you can expect.
Place your pot on top of the can and start cooking. When finished, cover the top of the can with the pot or lid of some sorts as well as the side vent hole. This will starve the fire of oxygen and extinguish the fire. Make sure that you use this stove outside or in a well-ventilated area as the smell from the burning oil will not be pleasant in most cases. You also want to make sure that you do not use this stove near anything combustible in case the can gets knocked over and the oil spills.
Try this out for yourself and see how this simple modification to the rocket stove is a great way to get rid of that extra grease or used cooking oil. It will burn slowly and give you plenty of time to make some meals or drinks without the need to gather and prepare a lot of wood beforehand.
