The Rocket Stove

Why a rocket stove?

Across rural India — and much of the world — most households still cook on open fires. They use a lot of wood, and they fill the kitchen with smoke that slowly harms lungs, eyes and roof timbers. A well-built rocket stove solves all of that.

A rocket stove burns small sticks hot and clean — using about half the wood of a traditional fire, with far less smoke and a steady, controllable flame. It's made from materials most villages already have: bricks, clay, a metal chimney, and a little skill.

What you will build

Over two days you'll build a working rocket stove from scratch, with expert guidance, using the exact materials we use at Karuna. By the end of the workshop, you will:

• Have built a full-sized rocket stove and understood every component — combustion chamber, feed tube, insulated riser, chimney.
• Understand the physics of why it burns so cleanly, so you can troubleshoot and improvise with local materials.
• Know how to maintain, repair and modify the stove over time.
• Leave with plans and a materials list so you can build the same stove at home.

Who it's for

• Rural families looking to reduce firewood use, smoke in the kitchen, and money spent on LPG.
• NGOs and community workers wanting to introduce clean-cooking systems in villages.
• Homesteaders and off-grid builders setting up a sustainable kitchen.
• Anyone curious about how to cook a family meal on a fistful of sticks.

Format

A two-day, hands-on workshop. Mornings are teaching and theory. Afternoons are construction. Evenings are shared meals and questions around the fire. Group sizes are kept small so everyone gets real hands-on time.

The workshop runs periodically — typically in the drier months when outdoor work is easier.

Who leads it

The workshop is led by Karuna's long-time builders and natural-systems team — the same people who built the earthships, the cob cow shed, and the solar-hydro power network that keeps Karuna off-grid. Pragmatic, practical, unromantic about what works.

Accommodation & meals

Stay in one of our cottages (see rates) for the workshop. Three vegetarian meals a day at Govinda's are included in the workshop fee. The build materials — bricks, clay, metal parts — are also included.

What to bring

• Old clothes you don't mind getting clay and soot on.
• Work gloves (we have some spares but bring your own if you have them).
• A notebook and pen. You'll want to write things down.
• The usual Karuna essentials — torch, jumper, waterproof layer.

Register your interest