A methane rich gas produced through the anaerobic (without air) digestion of organic wastes. It can be generated from animal and kitchen wastes, as well as some crop residues.

Biomass refers to all organic matter derived from living or recently living organisms, plant or animal-based. Processing the biomass into compact, evenly sized pieces, such as pellets or briquettes, allows the biomass to burn more efficiently and evenly, increasing energy density and transportability.

Briquettes are molds of compressed biomass and can be made into a variety of shapes and sizes depending on the feedstock, the level of compactness and mold used and are usually no smaller than 2cm. Carbonized fuel briquettes are made from waste materials that have undergone carbonization (the conversion of organic substances into carbon in the absence of oxygen) and act as a replacement for charcoal. Non-carbonized briquettes are produced from waste materials that are partially decomposed and then dried and often serve as a replacement for firewood and raw biomass fuel.

A wood fuel made from burning wood in a low-oxygen environment. The dense black substance that results is made up mostly of carbon and produces more heat and energy per kilogram than wood.

A black, solid, carbon-rich material found underground and is among the most prevalent fossil fuels.

Non-edible plant parts that are left in the field after harvest. Crop residues can include straws, stems, stalks, leaves, husks, shells, peels, etc.

A clean liquid biofuel that can be made from a variety of feedstocks including sugary materials such as sugar cane, molasses, sugar beet, or sweet sorghum; starchy materials such as cassava (manioc), potatoes, or maize; or cellulosic materials such as wood, grasses, corn stover and other agricultural residues.

Produced by denaturing ethanol from sugar or starch crops and mixing it with a thickening agent (cellulose) and water through a very simple technical process, resulting in a combustible gel.

A liquid product of crude oil that is widely used in urban households for cooking, heating, and lighting. Also called paraffin in some countries.

A co-product of natural gas and crude oil production and usually consists of a mixture of propane and butane for standard heating and cooking purposes.

Smaller and denser, short roundish sticks of 6-12 mm diameter and are shaped by pressing dry biomass through a die with many holes. They are made through a process called densification, by applying intense pressure to loose biomass residues.

Direct sunlight is used to heat and cook by directing the sun’s thermal energy to power solar cook stoves.

A type of biomass that is a porous and fibrous tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. In the context of cooking, ‘wood fuel’ refers to any energy source that comes from woody biomass. These cover a range of fuels, including fuelwood (sometimes termed firewood), charcoal, wood pellets, biogas, cellulosic ethanol, and other advanced forms of bioenergy. Fuelwood, or firewood, consists of any unprocessed woody biomass used to fuel a small fire, most often for cooking or warmth.

Fraction of heat produced by the fuel that made it directly to the water in the pot. The remaining energy is lost to the environment. So a higher thermal efficiency indicates a greater ability to transfer the heat produced into the pot. This metric is more appropriate than specific consumption for the high power phases of testing.

Amount of fuel required to boil (or simmer) 1 liter of water for one minute. This metric is more appropriate than thermal efficiency for the lower power (simmer) phase of testing.

Mass of CO or PM emitted per time

Mass of CO or PM per cooking energy delivered to the pot. Preferable for high-power phases because emissions is reported in terms of the desired output, cooking energy and enables comparisons between stoves and fuels

Mass of emissions of CO or PM per time per liter of water. This metric is preferable for the low-power phase because the difficulty in calculating the cooking energy delivered to pot due to relatively constant water temperatures) and variation in steam production.

Based on specific consumption (low power) and thermal efficiency (high power)

Based on emissions rate

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) International Workshop Agreeement (IWA) outlines four indicators for rating performance, each along five tiers. Tier 4 is the highest performing and Tier 0 is the lowest performing. The IWA also specifies minimum requirements for methodology. Tiers of Performance for efficiency, total emissions, and indoor emissions are determined by taking the minimum of the low power and high power metrics. This definition of Tiers may change with future updates to the ISO IWA in the ongoing standards development process. For stoves that are designed to operate at one power level, please refer to the sub-tiers to evaluate the performance for the intended power level.

Based on the result from the Biomass Stove Safety Protocol

Based on specific emissions rate (low power) and emissions per energy delivered to the pot (high power)

Mass of emissions of methane, CO, or PM2.5 per mass of fuel used

How quickly fuel was burning, reported in Watts (Joules per second). It is affected by both the stove (size of fuel entrance/combustion chamber) and user operation (rate of fuel feeding). A higher or lower value is not necessarily preferable, but rather is an indicator of the size of the stove.

Mass of fuel consumed per task

Time needed for the water to reach boiling temperature from the starting temperature, averaged between the cold and hot start phases.

This protocol includes set of guidelines and safety evaluation procedures using simple equipment to evaluate sharp edges, tipping, fuel containment, and surface temperature. The protocol also includes guidelines for use by designers to create safer stoves. An overall safety rating can be calculated through a combination of individual test results.

The Controlled Cooking Test (CCT) is a field test that measures stove performance in comparison to traditional cooking methods when a cook prepares a pre-determined local meal. The CCT is designed to assess stove performance in a controlled setting using local fuels, pots, and practice. It reveals what is possible in households under controlled conditions but not necessarily what is actually achieved by households during daily use.

Field-based tests demonstrate how stoves perform with local cooks, foods, practices, and fuels.

This standard operating laboratory procedure, developed for use at the SeTAR Centre at the University of Johannesburg, is intended to describe routine operation of stove emissions performance and stove efficiency performance with detailed quality control procedures for the reproduction of results. This procedure uses mass loss and temperature gain for the determination of thermal efficiency.

The Kitchen Performance Test (KPT) is a field test used to evaluate stove performance in real-world settings. It is designed to assess actual impacts on household fuel consumption. KPTs are typically conducted in the course of an actual dissemination effort with real populations cooking normally, and give the best indication of real world performance.

Laboratory-based tests evaluate stove performance and quality in a controlled settings with repeatability, allowing for differentiation between stoves, selecting the most promising products for field trials, and ensuring that manufactured stoves meet intended performance based on designs.

The University of Johannesburg SeTAR Centre has developed this method that is similar to the CCT, but meal is not constrained and the cook is free to prepare what they want, how they want, with the only measurements being that of the firewood used and the final mass of food cooked as part of an actual household meal. Compared to the KPT, the UCT has the potential to offer a more rapid and lower cost way of assessing the energy savings delivered by a new technology.

The Water Boiling Test (WBT) is a laboratory-based test that can be used to measure how efficiently a stove uses fuel to heat water in a cooking pot and the quantity of emissions produced while cooking. This test can be used to evaluate stove changes during development, compare the effectiveness of different designs, select the most promising products for field trials, and ensure that manufactured stoves meet intended performance.

A stove in which fuel is loaded one time for each use

Stoves which produce charcoal through the process of pyrolysis of biomass

A stove that is built in place in a home and cannot be moved

Stoves with insulation to keep heat inside

A structure which provides ventilation of gas and smoke from the stove to the outdoors

Stoves with a fan to improve combustion

Stoves in which the pyrolysis and combustion phases of burning fuel are separated

A stove with a griddle surface

A stove used for cooking that is also designed to provide heat

A type of solar cooker

Stoves appropriate for use in a domestic/home/family setting

Cooking by electromagnetic induction through heating a conducting material

Stoves appropriate for large scale cooking, used in public settings such as businesses, schools, etc.

A stove that accommodates the use of more than one pot at a time

A type of stove also known as side-feed

Newer stove technology designed to improve efficiency, cleanliness, and/or safety

A cooking structure without a sealed combustion chamber or ventilation system

A type of solar cooker

A type of solar cooker

A lightweight, smaller stove designed for mobility or easy transport

A tube, usually made of sheet steel, that surrounds a pot creating a narrow space so that more of the heat in the flue gases enter the pot

A type of alcohol stove with pressurized burners

A stove model still under development

Stoves with a door or opening on the side which allows for side-loading of fuel

Type of stove in which the pot is sunken into the stove to improve heat transfer

An added device to convert excess heat to electricity that can be used to power a fan, power a light or charge a phone

Traditional method of cooking where a pot is balanced on three stones over an open fire

Local methods of cooking using cultural practices and methods

A dried mud or brick stove enclosure with the opening in the front for fuel and a smaller hole at the rear for ventilation

Used to draw fuel from a tank or reservoir to a burner

Begins with the stove at room temperature and the stove is operated on high power

Conducted after the cold start phase while the stove is still hot and the stove is operated on high power

The stove is operated on low power, enough to simmer water just below boiling point for 45 minutes