The CleanCook
stove by
Dometic AB is
the first in a
series of
revolutionary
appliances to be
introduced in developing
countries to stimulate
domestic demand
for locally-
produced
ethanol fuel.

The goal is, by 2015, to reduce the number of people without effective access to modern cooking fuels by 50%, and make improved cooking stoves widely available. —The Millenium Development Project (2005)

The Cleancook stove: an ideal appliance
Good fuels require a good stove. Part of the challenge we faced was to work with a manufacturer to develop a clean-burning stove that people could afford to buy. The CleanCook stove was designed and built to burn alcohol (ethanol or methanol) fuels. Its unique, patented method of storing liquid fuel as though it were solid was developed to make the CleanCook stove safe and convenient to use.

A unique “no-spill” fuel canister. The Swedish company Dometic AB developed the CleanCook stove to operate safely and efficiently on ethanol and methanol. It has a unique reusable fuel canister that contains a permanent, porous, refractory mass which absorbs and holds liquid fuel so that none will spill out when the canister is inverted.

The stove burner. Because of their high volatility and excellent burning characteristics, ethanol and methanol burn cleanly in the custom-designed burner. As the burner heats, fuel evaporates from the fuel canister into the burner, making it perform like a gas burner, even though the fuel is not under pressure. The regulator controls the amount of fuel being burned, which allows the cook to turn down the heat just like the burner of a gas stove.

Designed for safety. Several key design features have been incorporated into the burner. For example, the stove must be turned off before the stove body can be opened to refill the fuel canister(s). The stove is currently available in one- and two-burner models. Some models contain an electric element to permit the use of electricity; other models contain an oven. The stove has performed well in households in developing countries and can be mass-produced at relatively low cost.

Other alcohol-fueled appliances?
The CleanCook stove is the first of several possible alcohol-powered appliances to be introduced to the developing world. An ethanol-fueled lantern has been developed by Dometic AB, as well as ethanol-fueled refrigerators and coolers. Like the stove, these appliances have great potential in both the private household market and for sale to humanitarian relief organizations.

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