Sundries

Training

2007-06-19T10:13:36Z

The EcoCooker uses bought-out items for the cooking vessels. However, the base and its two covers, inner and outer, are made of aluminium by a process known as "spinning". This is a fairly simple process, using a machine like a lathe. A mould of the desired form is mounted on the lathe, and while it spins, a disc of sheet aluminium is pressed against the mould using a wooden implement. The worker doing this has to be trained in such work, which is essentially semi-skilled. If you require such training, please let us [know][], and we will try to develop a suitable training programme. The canteen models are produced by aluminium vessel fabricators, with the steel stands made in a steel fabrication shop. The cooking vessels are either bought-out standard stainless steel cooking vessels, or if they are aluminium buckets, are made by the same process of spinning described above. [know]: http://www.ecocooker.org/contents/technical_questions/technical_questions_and_contac.php "contact"

User Feedback

2007-06-19T10:09:22Z

### Early 1999 In early 1999, **Indica Research**, an independent market research organisation, conducted a survey of households across three centers: * Chennai (a metropolitan area), * Kolhapur (a medium-sized town) and * Gangaghat (a town in Uttar Pradesh with a population of less than 50,000). The survey, commissioned by Land Research Institute, was to determine the acceptability among housewives of the four basic concepts on which the EcoCooker design could be based. Each respondent was exposed to two concepts and the concepts were rotated across respondents to remove any bias. It was found that the smaller centers showed a higher degree of interest than the metropolitan area. The simmer concept had a higher degree of acceptability than the others, of stacking and insulation. Overall, it was felt that interest in fuel saving seemed to matter, because of the steadily rising costs of fuel, and the difficulty of finding alternative substitutes. It was felt that marketing should begin in the smaller cities and towns, before moving to the larger cities and metros. ### October 1999 Early prototypes, all-aluminium, with the cooking vessels in a frame lowered into a deep, bucket-like cylindrical cooking pot, were tried out among slum families in Bombay. The startling response was that even more than the fuel saving, housewives appreciated not having to attend to the cooker once it had been put on the flame. ### December 1999 Prototypes of the 6-litre EcoCooker had been distributed to various households. These prototypes had handles only on the base, or cooking pot. When lifted off the stove, with a full load inside, the assembly tended to be tippy, and one had to be careful that the cooker did not topple. Of the households that had the cooker, two complained that they were not using the cooker at all, because they felt it was too unstable during handling. Accordingly, handles were added on the outer cover above. This seems to have solved the problem.

Changelog

2007-06-19T09:42:31Z

* **14 February 2001** + Home, Orders and Research Team Pages modified; + New page added on Patent Protection & Royalties. * **16 January 2001** + Web-site launched * **2 January 2002** + Web-site second revision. * **20 March 2003** + Web-site third revision * **20 June 2007** + Website fourth revision, powered by [MovableType][], Version 3.35 * **18 April 2008** + Updated [Orders][] page + Updated [Downloads][] page + Added April 2008 revision of printable three-fold [instructions manual][] (PDF) + Updated [Instructions][] page + Updated page templates. Now shows revision date rather than creation date for each page. Reduced the font size below the slug. [MovableType]: http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ "Movable Type at Six Apart" [Orders]: http://www.ecocooker.org/misc/order/ordering_ecocookers.php "Order an EcoCooker" [Downloads]: http://www.ecocooker.org/misc/downloads/download_papers_and_abstracts.php "Shortcuts page" [Instructions]: http://www.ecocooker.org/contents/instructions/instructions_for_use_1.php "Instructions" [instructions manual]: http://www.ecocooker.org/files/booklet_three_fold.pdf "Download instruction manual"

Download Papers, Abstracts & Manuals

2007-06-19T09:29:52Z

1. P. Nisha, Singhal, R.S. and Pandit, A.B., _A study on degradation kinetics of ascorbic acid in amla (Phyllanthus emblica L.) during cooking_, Int. J. Food Sci. Nutrition, 55(5), 415-422 (2004); [download abstract-pdf][1] 1. P. Nisha, Singhal, R.S. and Pandit, A.B., _A study on degradation kinetics of ascorbic acid in drumstick (Moringa olifera) leaves during cooking_, J. Sci. Food Agriculture 85(11), 1953-1958 (2005); [download abstract-pdf][2] 1. P. Nisha, Singhal, R.S. and Pandit, A.B., _A study on degradation kinetics of riboflavin in spinach (Spinacea oleracea L.)_, J. Food Engineering, 67(4), 407-12 (2005); [download abstract-pdf][3] 1. P. Nisha, Singhal, R.S. and Pandit, A.B., _A study on degradation kinetics of thiamine in Red Gram splits (Cajanus cajan L.)_, Food Chemistry, 85, 591-98 (2004); [download abstract-pdf][4] 1. Tarade K.M., Singhal R.S., Pandit A.B., _A Study On Degradation Kinetics Of Trypsin Inhibitors In Horse Gram (Dolichos biflours)_, Food and Fermentation Technology Department, UICT; [download abstract-pdf][5] 1. Report on 72-liter Eco Cooker at PG Mess, UICT, Mumbai, [download pdf][6] 1. EcoCooker Booklet (tri-fold), [download pdf][7] 1. EcoCooker flyer [download pdf][8] [1]: http://www.ecocooker.org/files/abstract_ascorbic_acid_in_amla.pdf [2]: http://www.ecocooker.org/files/abstract_drumstick_leaves.pdf [3]: http://www.ecocooker.org/files/abstract_riboflavin_in_spinach.pdf [4]: http://www.ecocooker.org/files/abstract_thiamine_in_red_gram_dhal.pdf [5]: http://www.ecocooker.org/files/abstract_trypsin.pdf [6]: http://www.ecocooker.org/files/pgmess_report.pdf [7]: http://www.ecocooker.org/files/booklet_three_fold.pdf [8]: http://www.ecocooker.org/files/flyer140900.pdf

Ordering EcoCookers

2007-06-19T09:02:52Z

### Available Models Presently, we offer a 3 litre model and a 5 litre model. Both are addressed to single households. For **canteens and community cooking** we now offer 24 litre, 72 litre and 120-litre models. Work on the 700-litre cooker is in progress. ### Pricing

Model	Price in INR	Price in US$^*
3.5 litre	Rs.450	$11.00
5 litre	Rs.550	$14.00

Model

Price in INR

Price in US$^*

3.5 litre

Rs.450

$11.00

5 litre

Rs.550

$14.00

^* Price based on the USD rate as of April 2008 ### Delivery and Shipping These prices are for cookers collected from the following address: > c/o Milind Majalkar > University Insitute of Chemical Technology > Nathalal Parekh Marg > Matunga (East), Mumbai 400019 > (cell: +91 98336 33343) For deliveries elsewhere, standard shipping and handling charges apply. **Contact / Email** Ecocooker Orders ### Payment All orders must be fully pre-paid by cash, Demand Draft or cheque. Cheques and demand drafts should be made out to: > **Land Research Institute** Payment cheques/drafts may be sent to: > **Land Research Institute** > 2nd floor, United India Building > Sir Pherozeshah Mehta Road > Mumbai 400 001 Or handed over to > **Milind Majalkar** > University Insitute of Chemical Technology > Nathalal Parekh Marg > Matunga (East), Mumbai 400019 > (cell: +91 98336 33343) Payment receipts will be sent and consignments despatched once funds are cleared.

Manufacturing the EcoCooker

2007-06-19T08:37:18Z

To undertake manufacture we recommend that you first thoroughly understand the principles on which the cooker works (see Research Results).

Then:

Choose your cooking vessels from among those that are readily available in the market. The vessels must be stackable one over the other without too much of an air gap between them. They should not be a tight fit as this makes it difficult to remove individual vessels later, when they are hot. Too loose a fit means that the fuel savings associated with "multi-stage evaporation" will not be realized. The material of which the vessel is made must have high conductivity. We recommend stainless steel. We discourage the use of aluminium for cooking as this represents a health hazard.
The cooking vessels can be of two types:
- constant diameter but varying heights (if so desired) where the bottom of one fits into the top of the next.
- nesting diameters, where the vessels nest inside each other, but if placed in reverse order they stack, with the smallest vessel at the base and the largest at the top.
- Our more recent research suggests that it makes little difference whether the upper vessel sits directly on the rim of the lower vessel, or whether the two are separated by a flat stainless steel lid which is wet on top. Conductivity through the lids is excellent and the presence of the lids hardly affects thermal efficiency. When using lids between vessels they can be stacked in any order, with the largest vessels below and the smallest on top probably offering the most stable stacks. Alternatively, all vessels can be the same size, if stackability when empty is not a consideration.
The topmost vessel needs a slightly convex cover. Its purpose is to make sure that any water droplets that condense on top should fall back into the base of the cooking pot. They should not enter the food in the topmost container, and water should not also accumulate on the top cover.
Because they are stacked, you will probably find that an assembly of wide diameter, shallow vessels is more stable, and looks better than the same volume in narrower, deeper vessels. But in general, the taller the stack the more efficient the cooker, because you reduce the heat-losing surface area per unit of volume enclosed. On the other hand, the diameter of the base needs to be large in relation to the size of the flame, so that a minimum amount of heat is wasted up the sides. Finally, when choosing the vessel sizes, you need to keep an eye on their final acceptability to the purchasing public.
The next step is to design the steaming chamber. If you can get a readymade bin with a lid, this will do. At least the base needs to be of metal because it sits directly on the fire. It should be as compact as possible, that is, it should just contain the stack of cooking vessels. With too large a steaming chamber you are only increasing the fuel requirement to heat up the chamber, and increasing heat losses from the sides and top, not to mention increased cost. If it is a bin, you will have to have a cradle or other device for lowering the stack of cooking vessels into the bin, and pulling them out once cooking is over. The lid should be a close fit, but not too tight, as we do not want a build-up of pressure in the steaming chamber. Once again, care must be taken with the details of the way the lid fits on the bin to ensure that steam condensing on the lid finds its way back into the base. In the EcoCooker we have eliminated the cradle by making the break between bin and lid not near the top, but near the bottom of the steaming chamber. Where the break is makes no difference to the performance of the cooker. But you need to ensure two things:
- that the lid fits well, but not tightly, so it can be easily removed. Too loose a fit is undesirable because too much steam should not escape from the chamber; and
- that water condensing on the lid finds its way back into the base and does not leak out of the steaming chamber.
A fundamental requirement is that the water in the base MUST be in contact with the lowest vessel when heating begins, and MUST NOT be in contact when the heat is switched off an hour or so later. If it were to remain in contact the lowest cooking container would cool too fast, and the food in this container would remain incompletely cooked. You will need a stand of appropriate height to set the cooking vessels suitably above the bottom of the steaming chamber. To determine the height of the stand, a good thumb rule is that the water in the base should be about 7% of the total cooking container volume. Ideally, the volume should be such that when the cooker is opened there is still some water in the base, not counting the water that will collect there because of steam condensation during cooling. In other words, the base should always have some water in it, and should never dry up completely. A simple test would be to put tiny pellets of wax to float on the water in the base. When the cooker is opened, if the pellets are found melted, then the base did dry up completely.
If you choose not to use a stand for the cooking vessels, but have them rest instead on a step inside the base (as in the domestic models of the EcoCooker), you need to make sure that there are enough and large enough steam vents to allow steam to escape from below the bottom cooking vessel into the steaming chamber. In an early model of the EcoCooker these vents were too few and too small. The result was that the steam build-up expelled water out of the cooker altogether, the base dried out, and cooking remained incomplete.
The final step is to insulate the steaming chamber. Use any method that appeals to you. We found most insulating materials either too costly or too much of a hazard in the kitchen. We finally settled for air as the cheapest insulator. The ideal air gap is about 5mm, too small for convection currents to develop. The outer cover is metal, because it has to be rigid, unbreakable, easy to clean, easy to handle and cheap. If you have chosen a bin as your steaming chamber, you will need an inverted bin that fits over it to provide air-gap insulation. If your manufacturing process allows it you can combine the wall of the steaming chamber and the outer, insulating wall into a single double-walled vessel, with air or an appropriate insulator in between
You need to provide some way of handling the cooker if you want to take it off the fire and put it aside during the cooling period, when it is still unopened. If your steaming chamber is a bin, attaching handles to the bin at a level higher than the center of gravity of the assembly solves the problem. In the domestic models of the EcoCooker, where the break between base and lid is near the bottom, we found the least complicated solution was two pairs of handles, clamped by the grip of the person lifting the cooker.