Making a Kenyan ceramic jiko stove

John
Your post reminded me I have a far east charcoal burner that is very similar only 100% ceramic, I'll have to hunt it out and post some photos.
I also found This video on Youtube, that shows different versions available in rural Thailand. Mine looks like none of these.

 

@redspeedster
Thanks Gary. There’s something in one of the articles i posted links to that explains that the adaptation of the Thai stove for Kenyan use was to create a more sturdy (metal sheathed) stove to take heavier pots and knocks than the Thai norm. That said, the one in the video that appears to be made from concrete would probably cope pretty well.

 

The Kenyan Jinko stove is remarkably similar to this WWI French stove. Perhaps the design was copied from stoves left by the Belgian soldiers following the East African Campaign.



Ben

 

@z1ulike
Interesting Ben. The concept of small charcoal stove with bowl/grate/ash door (that also serves as an air inlet control) in that format evidently crosses national and cultural divides.

That said, we have it from the makers of the KJC that the Thai Bucket stove with its ceramic construction was influential in the design.

John

 

A good design will travel far and wide no doubt. Just look for a pressure stove in the gallery and you'll see the truth in that.

Ben

 

At least they could have made charcoal.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-46327634

 

I loved that rivet hammer and the lateral thinking use of the road wheel used by the potter

 

I eventually had time hunt out my charcoal burner today. It offers a couple of different functions, stove for smaller pots and bigger pots, barbecue and oven depending configuration.

 

@Simes

We're just south under, at Uruguay. But it's not only Amazonas, Matto Grosso also has been deforestated for the sake of agriculture.

What they do not realize is that red-clayey ground, is no good for agriculture, it needs the forest because it has no nutrients to offer to agriculture. So they get just one harvest and they have to use chemichals.

Really sad.

Enrique

 

Of course, once you have your ceramic jiko stove, you need a pan/skillet to go on it.
I came across this Youtube video and could not take my eyes off it.

 

Thanks Gary @redspeedster for digging out your Thai stove. Beautiful. In that book I mentioned on making a Kenyan Ceramic Jiko the author acknowledges the Thai bucket stove as the inspiration, adapted for Kenyan use.




@shagratork Yes, another excellent example of low-tech village artisan production of marvellous products. Fair enough, he uses an angle grinder to tidy up the casting but still low-tech and good for him.

John

 

thank you!

 

Hi all!

Thanks very much for all your kind words about our humble little cookstoves. Attached below are a few random photos of the KCJ's that I have on hand.

All the best and I am a very happy new member at Classic Camp Stoves - so much to learn its amazing!

Best regards,

Teddy Kinyanjui
Cookswell Jikos Kenya.

 

A very very warm welcome the CCS.

Our pyromania isn't restricted to distilled dinosaur poo as fuel, as you have obviously discovered.

If you could design one that weighs in at less than 500 grams I'm sure you would have huge customer base.

 

Thank you very much!

How large would it need to be We do make mini-mini working replicas of all of them.

 

I don't know what's cooking on that stove but it looks very tasty!

 

@shagratork , heree's another group making cast aluminium pans and the like, goes into a bit more detail!



Murph

 

@Cookswell Jikos Kenya
I’m so pleased you’ve dropped in Teddy and are contributing to our chat about your excellent product.

Here in the UK we’re just coming out of a wet and windy Winter and with some sunny, dry and warmer days coming with the beginning of Spring, any day now I’ll be firing up my Cookswell Jiko and will be sure to feature the outcome here on CCS. I’m confident the Jiko will perform well, since the working principles behind it and the construction are very sound indeed. I’ve got my bag of charcoal and am ready to go!

A question Teddy: I’ve emailed the Dutch supplier of my Jiko and he tells me that he sold his last Cookswell charcoal oven a while ago without any early prospect of getting more in stock. I’d love to try one and report back on CCS about it but you see my dilemma, that I can’t buy one from a European source. Any suggestion of how I might purchase one would be welcome.

Best wishes,

John Taylor

 

Welcome, Teddy.

Cheers

Tony

@Cookswell Jikos Kenya

 

I really should look at the images a little longer. I didn't appreciate the scale of the mini ones, a couple of which would be interesting for cooking at a table.

It would be interesting to know if or when there might be suppliers in Europe again.