The Insulated Cooker is a locally crafted container filled with natural insulation materials like grass, straw, or rice husks. It allows food to finish cooking using retained heat, eliminating the need for additional fuel or constant monitoring.
This innovation significantly reduces fuel consumption, time spent collecting fuel, and exposure to harmful smoke from conventional cook fires.
Our Timeline
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October 2022, Maasai women from two villages participate in sewing lessons using treadle machines.
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November 2022, women sew their first insulated cookers.
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November 2022, 11 insulated cookers are completed by Maasai women.
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February 2023, Maasai women create a business making and selling insulated cookers.
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May 2023, beginning to produce and sell insulated cookers.
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June 2023, updating patterns to craft the cookers without generating cloth waste.
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October 2023, Maasai women have made and sold over 125 insulated cookers.
3 billion rely on open cook fires, leading to deforestation and health risks.
Inhaling smoke consistently can cause bronchial illnesses and eye damage. The searing heat of smoke can leave behind burns, marring both the skin's surface and underlying tissues.
Cooking fuel demand impacts soil erosion, floods, and drought.
Fuel collection consumes time and money.
Understanding the Need
Insulated Cookers Are A Solution
In a September 2023 test near Moduli, Tanzania, five women compared fuel use and cooking time between cook fires and Insulated Cookers. With Insulated Cookers, food finished cooking without additional fuel or time, saving 71% fuel and 84% time compared to cooking over a fire.
No other ‘improved cooking method' offers a more cost-effective or dependable solution to reduce deforestation, carbon emissions, and cooking time than insulated cookers.
While solar cooking is impressive, it's unreliable and costly. Efficient wood cook stoves save fuel and reduce smoke exposure but demand fire-tending time. Gas and electric cooking save time and prevent health issues but emit significant carbon and are financially out of reach for many. Additionally, these methods may not contribute to income generation in low-resource communities.