Standards for Improved Cookstoves

Cookstoves vary greatly in technical performance across models and modifications. In order to measure the benefits of improved cookstoves and to allow for comparisons between models, it is necessary to conduct tests. For this, a definition what constitutes an improved cooking stove is mandatory. And only with a harmonized approach and benchmark according to international regulations stove testing becomes significant in an international context and between organizations and labs. That’s why within the last few years international standards are being developed jointly by the international stove community.

International standards are desirable to enable a global comparison of stove performances. However, there is a danger that cheap stoves with a low performance in relation to these standards are no longer promoted even though for poor households they could still be a relevant improvement compared to the baseline technology.