Well who doesn’t like cooking outside, but who really likes collecting fire wood, if you’re like me the latter isn’t much fun so how do you make less fuel go further, one way is to go with a rocket stove and the guys at EcoZoom have come up with the goods.
Who are EcoZoom
Before we look at what the have come up with, let’s take a look at how they came about the design.
On the website, EcoZoom lead with “EcoZoom is a social enterprise delivering transformational cooking and lighting solutions. We believe that household products should be healthy, efficient and eco-friendly for everyone, regardless of socio-economic status. A global social enterprise, our products are changing lives in 23 countries worldwide.
This is quite a statement so I thought I’d delve a little further into who they are, and quite frankly they have an impressive background.
As lovers of the outdoors we love a good camp fire, and I’m yet to hear anyone say “I love the smoke in my face” It is because of this that the company was born. 21 years ago the first stove was developed, this was the Dura stove and the company has been very busy since then.
By the end of their first year they had gone from developing the stove to working with governments across the developing world, the primary goal here was to bring a means of cooking which produced less toxins and improving the health and well being of many many people. By the end of their second year they had supplied some 20,000 units into Mexico and Rwanda. This growth continued in developing counties and disaster relief, so much so that within another 3 years they had supplied another 720,000 units. It’s safe to say that EcoZoom really have found a need and have been able to fulfil their want of changing the way people cook with biomass fuels.
Unpacking
So this leads me to Stewart MacLachlan, the UK distributor for EcoZoom, he gladly provided me with a stove setup to see what they are about. He sent me the EcoZoom Versa, a power ring and a fancy carry bag which the whole set up goes in and is protected from bumps.
As you can see this is my kitchen floor and I couldn’t wait until daylight to open the boxes and have a first look at the stove. Firstly let’s take a look at the packaging, bearing in mind EcoZoom pride themselves on making the world a cleaner place, and they have started here with a distinct lack of plastic, not a single bag is in the packaging, just a sheet of polystyrene at the bottom to prevent damage, the rest is paper and card, so easy to recycle.
Like a child on Christmas morning I eagerly unpacked the stove, I may have been in the way of the better half, but this was important research… I set the Versa up so I could have a better look at it. You can see that it’s a metal bin with a hole in the top, two at the front and a grill sticking out.
The two bottom doors are hinged to the left and the very bottom one serves as an air vent to allow a good mix of air and fuel, this giving that chimney effect for the rocket stove, the second door, which looks very much like a bank vault door allows access for fuel to be fed into the fire box. The black stand is there to support longer sticks, so all you need to do is just keep pushing them in as the ends burn away. The reason for the vault door becomes apparent when using charcoal as it keeps the fuel pushed into the centre of the firebox.
Looking down into the stove, you’ll see and rather substantial fire grate, this cast piece is heavy duty, and let’s not forgot these have a life span of about 5 years when used every day to cook on, so when used in the camping and bushcraft world I’m sure you’ll get many more years use.
At the top of the Versa there is the pot stand, again this heavy duty and made from cast iron. It has three contact points so you’ll always have a sturdy pot. They are raised up to allow the fumes to escape around the pot, however not to high that all the heat escapes.
As you can see in this photo I’ve put the power ring in place. This adjustable metal sleeve is there to put around your pot so vital energy is not lost, it’s directed up the side of your pot to maximise the energy produced from the fuel.
Again to maximise this use of energy although you can’t see this, is the construction of the stove itself. The inside of the metal bin is lined with a re-enforced fire clay covered with a metal lining, this helps to insulate the stove so all that energy is forced up to the cooking pot. The instructions say that the sides can get hot when in use, however I was able to put my hand in the side of the stove and feel only a little warmth coming through. I still wouldn’t recommend this, so you’ve been warned.
As you can see the Versa has a good sized fuel feeding hole, I find this is rather helpful as when getting the fire going, it’s handy to be able to move sticks around to help get the heat up. These types of stove really upon a chimney effect, so getting the heat into the body of the stove helps to keep that air flow going.
Time for fire
As I had a few sunny days, but stuck at home I thought I’d take the Versa into the back garden and have a play ahead of a scout camping weekend I’ve got coming up. Thankfully I have a pile of dry sticks always at hand, so it was just a sake of breaking them down, and sorting them into size, it’s always handy to have it all laid out ready, especially when you’re using something new.
To make life easier I went with cotton wool with some petroleum jelly rubbed it, I like this fire lighter as it quick, cheap and take a spark first time. I had a small about of small, medium and large sticks, and from what’s in the photo I kept the Versa alight and giving good heat for about 35 minutes. So you can really see how much fuel it doesn’t use.
My first go with the stove didn’t go all that well I must admit, it took quite a bit of faffing of moving sticks around to keep the heat, however this was my first go with a rocket stove and I was pleased that I kept it going for a good 40 minutes.
Having had a rainy day I was again blessed with a second good day, so I was quick to get back out in the garden. This time I was better prepared as to how the stove works, as with any bit of new kit, you need to put the time in to get the best out of it. Having made a good few of my own stoves, most based upon the wood gas effect, some worked and others needed “adjusting”, I know as much as the next person that practice practice practice all helps when you come to need to rely on something.
My next fire was far better, so having gone into the garden with the stove in its bag, a kettle full of water and a handful of dry sticks. I got the fire going again with my cotton wool and small sticks before moving to thicker ones and on went the kettle. I used my rather battered Tranga copy, my proper one is only used with gas as I like to keep it nice and clean. The kettle was filled to the brim, so three cups or 700ml, and on it went.
I decided to use the power ring which to be honest isn’t really designed for this as it should be closer to the pot however my kettle is only small. It did help to keep the wind away from blowing back down the chimney though. I also closed the main feeding door and just dropped a few thicker bits of stick down the chimney.
And here you go, boiled water in 8:45. This wasn’t the quickest it could do the job I’m sure, but this was only my second time with the stove and I’m still learning how best to feed the fire.
Having boiled the kettle, I took it off and, well I’m a Yorkshire man so not like I would waste perfectly good hot water so it was tea time. I then dropped a few good sized lumps of charcoal in to see how it fairs with this.
With the feed door closed, and the bottom air door open it worked incredibly well and really does belt the heat out. I was able to have control over this by closing the bottom door to reduce the amount of air to the base of the fire.
The main design feature of the stove is to reduce smoke, and although there were a few times when the flame died down and it billowed smoke for a few moments. Again this was down to me putting too much on at once, so this all comes down to that practice but when it’s burning as it should, all you get is heat and a smile.
Design
It’s simple, but at the same time very technical. By this I mean it’s a rocket stove so fuel and air in the bottom, heat and flame out of the top, however the folks at EcoZoom have been very particular with the internal dimensions. Having made a few stoves I know it really makes a deference when you change the flue size, too small and the heat can’t get out and just comes out of the intake, too big and you don’t get the draw from the chimney effect. Again considerations have also been given to the size of fire box to ensure an effective and efficient burn. They have even looked at the heat loss from radiation, so it’s insulated to ensure that nothing is lost. All these points together help to reduce the amount of fuel needed to perform the task at hand.
I also like the free standing wire log stand, obviously the same height as the bottom of the feed door so your fuel just sits there waiting patiently to be pushed into the flames. Both doors have quality hinges upon them with a positive lock to ensure an air tight seal when needed. Like I have said above, these stoves have a life span of 5 years when used every day for cooking, so I’m sure they will far outlast that with weekend use. However if you did have an issue, the Versa comes with a two year guarantee.
Another feature offered is the bag, yes this is an extra unless you get the kit including the power ring, it’s a padded bag with a zip to open for the top, and as it’s padded it holds its round shape which makes putting the stove inside a doddle. I just set the power ring bigger than the size of the stove, which then sits inside the ring and bag, the log stand then sits on top of the stove perfectly. Zip up the bag and away you go, all the soot and fire smells are contained in the bag for transport and storage.
For moving the Versa about it has a sturdy handle on each side, which I found to never get warm when the fire is lit, so if you needed to move it in a emergency you can without burning your hands. I would recommend some good heatproof gloves though, safety first…
What do EcoZoom say
Normally I would share what a company has to say about their product, however as there web site is jam packed with info, you’re probably best having a look for yourself. I will however share some photos of what came with the stove.
Cost
If you have a look online, there are a number of companies who stock the Versa product, however you can get the stove, power ring and bag as a package direct from EcoZoom UK for £118.95 which will save you £25 if each item is bought individually.
At £118.95 for a wood stove you may think it’s quite a bit, but to be fair to the Versa, you’re getting much more than just a wood stove. It reduces the amount of fuel needed to do that if an open fire, once burning it’s near enough smokeless which can only be a good thing and due to its expected life span, even using it 6 weekends a year it’s going to cost you less than £4 a time, I would say that’s good value!
Good points
- It looks good, really good
- Very good history and world wide record
- Easy to use and transport
- Ecologically sound product
- Strong design
- Less fuel needed
- Well thought out product
- Very stable cooking platform
- Relatively inexpensive
Bad points
- Heavy, however this a base camp stove
- That’s all I’ve got. I really like it
Final thoughts
I do like this stove and not only because I can make a cuppa with less fuel, but also because of what EcoZoom stands for. They have been there when people needed them, ensuring that when disaster struck developing countries they helped to ensure that families could have hot food and safe water to drink. The design of the Versa just throws its self into the task, I can just seen these set up in cook stations around the world with a pile of sticks and a big cast iron pot with food bubbling away ready to feed the hungry.
I also love the design right down to the paint finish, functional and good looking, the grey and black just works perfectly and can’t wait to give a really good test.
What’s next
I will be adding a part two review in the coming months, I will be letting my scouts have a good with the stove just to see how young people with basic skills improve their ability to cook outside. I may even share a few recipes with you all, but that will have to wait for now, so watch this space.
Where to buy
Check them out here…
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