Sobre La Roca | Alternative Technology

Efficient Wood-burning Stoves

Sumaj K'oncha Sana

Clean Rocket Stove

Another important member of the family of Ecological Kitchens is the Clean Rocket Store or Sumaj K'oncha Sana, set apart from the rest by the efficiency of its two combustion chambers.

The version designed by CEDESOL and constructed by Sobre La Roca is one of the best on the market, since it is just as perfect for use by families as it is for businesses. For example, you can use one large pot to boil water or make soup, and in the other you can prepare a roast or reheat rice; and if you don't need both you can just use one without a problem.

It has been demonstrated by independent tests that the Sumaj K'oncha Sana can boil two liters of water in less than ten minutes from the moment the fire is lit, while other stoves take up to 15 minutes and use as much as three times more firewood.

GTZ, the German Development Organization, has determined that the efficiency of our stoves reaches a performance level 42% higher than any other similar stove on the market.

Having clean air and enough firewood is vital!

Heat-retention Cookers

You can use any box or basket outfitted especially for retaining heat, which already have natural fibers inside that retain the heat.

So that the heat retention cooker works, first we must use our wood-burning or gas stoves for at least eight minutes after boiling begins, and after this initial heating then we can place our pot in the heat-retention cooker and then we wait until it finishes cooking our food, and in the meantime we can do other things.

Realize that it takes at least one hour for everything to cook well. When you put your pot in the heat-retention cooker, make sure you have tightly closed the lid so the heat does not escape through the top.

Your solar cooker can also function as a heat-retention cooker, but when you put in your pot you aught to wrap it up with a cloth, sack, or blanket so it works better. Don't forget to close the window and reflector.

Now you can go and occupy yourself with other things while your food finishes cooking all by itself!

¡Ahora puede ir a ocuparse de otras cosas, mientras sus comidas terminan de cocinarse solas!

The technology that we use in our cookers is innovative, simple, and practical for meeting the needs of our clients. The cookers that we sell either use the sun's energy or wood fuel, but in a much more efficient and clean way, and we have also worked with other models that employ the principles of heat retention. We've put various well-tested designs to work that have been successful in other parts of the world, as well as designs conceived at the CEDESOL Foundation and constructed in our workshop.

Advantages of Cooking with the Sun's Energy:

1. It's Free: You use only the sun's rays to cook, and don't need electricity, gas, or firewood.

2. It's Easy: You don't need to watch your food because it cannot burn in the solar cooker. You can do other things while cooking.

3. It Takes Less Work: There is no need to search for firewood or carry canisters of gas.

4. You Keep in Nutrients and Flavor: With this way of preparing food, you prevent the loss of vitamins, minerals, and taste.

5. Safety: There's no risk of burns.

6. Environment: Using your solar cooker reduces deforestation and its effects, such as erosion, and does not contaminate the atmosphere or your food.

7. It's Smoke-Free: Solar cookers produce no smoke.