Few gadgets target Africa as directly as this one does. And yes, I am excluding products from audio brands that simply shove in tons of bass into an otherwise ordinary sound system and then call it “Made for Africa” just because black youngsters like hip hop music.
The BioStove thought…completely made for Africa.
It’s a canister that holds a fire, while at the same time produces electricity so the user can run a light or charge their phone in an environment where there is no other option.
The technology inside is simple in nature but no doubt complicated to understand. The creators have a philosophy: open wood fires are inefficient, waste potential energy and create toxic smoke due to incomplete combustion. The BioStove though uses thermoelectric technology, converting heat to electricity that powers a fan to make the fire ultra-efficient. The electricity that’s left over then goes towards charging mobile devices or creating light.
There are two versions. The HomeStove is a complete outdoor stove solution that holds a normal pot for cooking. No comment on what happens when you put a poitjie on there, so don’t try.
This stoves uses 50% less wood, 95% less some and almost completely eliminates black carbon. More than half the world’s population cooks on an open fire…so that’s some noticeable numbers.
The CampStove makes sense for backpackers and outdoorsy people who fancy getting lost in the wilderness and then calling the police for help getting out.
Get it: http://shop.biolitestove.com/
For: R1 450 for the Campstove
BioLite CampStove Demo & Story from BioLite on Vimeo.