The rocket stove is based on a concept developed by the British in the 1850s that comprised an insulated vertical chimney. He had seen this stove in many hotels in Kodaikanal and Munnar. The stove is constructed in a way to ensure complete combustion before the flames reach the cooking surface. Abdul conducted some more research on the British stove before making his own version. His version of the stove uses 4 mm mild steel sheets and stainless steel sheets to make the oven chamber. The raw material is easily available both in his company and the market. He tested the stove outside his house using firewood as fuel. The stove attracted the attention of his relatives, neighbors, and friends who also wanted it for their use. Orders began to pour in and he began commercial manufacturing in his existing facility. The stove requires firewood, coconut shells, and waste paper as fuel and cuts down smoke by 80 percent.

Available in four models, the rocket stove is easily portable. The premium model costs Rs 20,000 and weighs 60 kilos. The regular model has two options for cooking and grilling, costs Rs 6,500, and weighs 35 kilos. The basic model has only the cooking option, costs Rs 5,000, and weighs 30 kilos. Abdul also has a fourth kind, which he calls a ‘tour package stove’, intended for cooking on the go. This portable stove costs Rs 7,000 and weighs 20 kilos.

“I have four decades of experience in making furnaces, boilers, kitchens and other industrial materials. The rocket stove was developed out of curiosity. Thanks to Covid-19-induced lockdown, I managed to finalize the design about six months ago and now have also started the production,” he says.