I recently bought a BURN Jikokoa, and I must
admit that it is synonymous to its name, jikokoa – which literally means a
saving stove. Although the initial amount of money I had to part with might
have seemed like “something,” the product is definitely value for money. I have
been saving a lot on fuel ever since I bought BURN's jikokoa and
ditched my Meko simply because refilling prices keep on rising, and refills
don’t last as long as they should or used to. Furthermore, I have realized “I
am too broke to buy CHEAP.” Cheap things have let me down enough times, and I
guess it's time I switched to more efficient products, which although are
expensive to acquire, they give consumers easy time in terms of maintenance and
paying back off their investment.
The new jiko made me highly exhilarated, so I searched for
more information about it everywhere, of course starting from Google.com. The
first information that I landed on lauded the novel technology by detailing the
strengths of every single material used to build it. The chromium grate, they
say, ensures that enough air blows right through the coal thereby maximizing on
the heat that comes out of the fuel. What’s more, the chromium is very hard and
a great conductor of heat that can withstand temperatures over 1,000 degrees
Celsius. Can you imagine that? As though that is not innovation enough, the
BURN jikos are made of very light insulation known as ceramic
wool insulation. This makes the stoves very light in weight.
There was a time when gas cookers became the smartest way to
go. The price of kerosene has skyrocketed, making it more expensive to use.
That was when other benefits of cooking with gas became more apparent. Cooking
gas burns cleaner than kerosene, ensuring that your pots and kettles are not
blackened with soot from prolonged use.
Cooking gas presented a higher risk of home accidents,
especially explosions, because cooking gas is more flammable than kerosene.
However, it remained a preferable option because it was cheaper and could last
longer.
The narrative has changed again, and many homes now find
themselves in a similar situation to when the price of kerosene rose
previously. This time though, it’s cooking gas that has experienced a
skyrocketing in price. And now the question is, which is the next “smartest way
to go.”
A company aptly named “Burn
Manufacturing” proposes that the way forward is to go backward.
Man has been burning charcoal as a source of energy and to cook food for centuries.
However, modernization has relegated this mode of energy consumption almost
obsolete. Only the poor stratum of the society still uses charcoal for any form
of cooking other than grilling.
Burn Manufacturing’s Jikokoa charcoal stove is a revolutionary product that tackles cooking fuel consumption and cost. Jikokoa comes from two Swahili words, jiko, which means “charcoal stove,” and koa, which means “save.” This stove lives up to its name, as its features ensure you save costs while using it.
Features of Jikokoa stove
Jikokoa offers all the benefits that a charcoal
stove provides. However, the technological innovations employed in its
production make it several notches better than regular charcoal stoves. Below
is a list of these innovations
- Multifunction
Ashtray: The ashtray serves to collect the ash residue from the
combustion chamber, resolving the challenge of ash residue soiling the
floors of your kitchen. The mess that ash from charcoal stoves causes is
one reason why people use them outdoors. Jikokoa’s ashtray
effectively allows you to use the stove indoors.
The ashtray also serves as a control for the heat
output. Jikokoa has two levels of combustion, the low-power,
and the high-power. By pushing the ashtray all the way in, you set the stove to
low-power, which makes the charcoal burn slowly by reducing airflow.
The ashtray has a notch underneath that partially opens it, which increases the oxygen supply and makes the charcoal burn faster. This is the high-power setting. The output ratio for the high-power to low-power settings is quite significant at 7:2.
- High-temperature
ceramic wool insulation: Another challenge with using charcoal as
cooking fuel is its thermal inefficiency. Unlike kerosene and gas cookers,
where the flame heats the cookware directly, a charcoal stove heats by
convection and radiation. The result is that some heat generated by the
burning charcoals is lost through radiation from the stove’s body.
Jikokoa remedies the situation with its
insulation around the body. This insulation traps the heat and keeps them
inside the combustion chamber. Another benefit of this insulation is that it
ensures the stove’s body is cool to touch, avoiding mishaps that could occur
from people coming in contact with a hot regular charcoal stove.
- High-temperature
alloy combustion chamber: Burn Manufacturing
fabricated this charcoal stove with alloys that can sustain
high-temperature combustion for a more extended period. The materials of
the combustion chamber are also reflective and, together with the shape,
also reduce heat loss by redirecting the heat upwards towards the
cookware.
The combination of Jikokoa’s insulation and design of its
combustion chamber results in a charcoal stove with a 43% increase in thermal
efficiency.
- Shrink
sleeve coated handles: The shrink sleeves on the handles protect
them from corrosion. They also make it easy to carry the stove around,
even while in use. This is possible because the shrink sleeves are poor
heat conductors.
Other features make Jikokoa impressive, but to appreciate these features, we have to compare the stove with its alternatives. So let’s compare Jikokoa with the two strongest options.
Jikokoa vs Gas Cookers
Fuel efficiency: One obvious advantage that gas
cookers have over the Jikokoa stove is the wider range of
adjustable heat levels. This gives you more control of the heat you apply as
you cook. Jikokoa only has two levels; the low-power and the
high-power, which limits control. However, in other features, Jikokoa offers
a preferable alternative.
Fuel Cost: This is one aspect of the comparison
between Jikokoa and gas cookers that’ll blow your mind! Jikokoa leaves
gas cookers behind in a trail of dust in this category. An average family of
four kids consumes 12.5kg of cooking gas in a month, and this is only possible
when they combine with electric cookers, especially to cook meals that take
time. At #700 per kg, that’s #8,750 a month, or #105,000 a year!
For that same family of four kids, a big bag of charcoals will
last for two months. A bag of charcoals costs #3,500. So the same family spends
#3,500 in two months or #21,000 in a year. This means the family spends just
80% less than they would if they used gas cookers.
Effect on cookware: While gas cookers have a
reputation of burning cleanly, and living behind little soot, in reality, this
isn’t totally true. Over time, you notice your cookware is stained and will
require scouring. Jikokoa offers truly clean combustion and
leaves no stain on your cookware.
Safety: The last advantage is safety. While gas
cookers are an accident waiting to happen, charcoal stoves present no such
risk. You always have to be extra cautious about turning the tap of a gas
cooker off to prevent mishaps. The worst that can happen with Jikokoa is
that the charcoal in the combustion chamber burns out “harmlessly.”
Jikokoa vs Regular Charcoal Stoves
Effect on cookware: Regular Charcoal Stoves
and Jikokoa are based on the same principle and run on the
same fuel, so they have some common advantages. One of these is their effects
on cookware. Both of them burn cleanly, which ensures that it doesn’t char your
cookware.
Safety: Both stoves also have the advantage of
being safe to use since their fuel is not flammable.
These are the only advantages they share. In every other
aspect, Jikokoa offers benefits that regular charcoal stoves don’t or offer the
same advantages to a better extent.
Fuel efficiency: With regular charcoal stoves,
there’s no guarantee of even combustion, as the charcoals burn faster every
time you fan it and burns slower a while after. This makes it highly
energy-consuming. Jikokoa, with its high-power — low-power options,
offers the opportunity of controlling its rate of fuel consumption.
Also, with Jikokoa’s high-temperature
ceramic wool insulation, it doesn’t lose heat from its body, unlike regular
charcoal stoves. The stove loses little heat, as all the heat is transferred
from the combustion chamber to the cookware.
Fuel Cost: A direct result of Jikokoa’s higher
fuel efficiency is that it reduces fuel costs. By regulating its combustion
rate properly and reducing heat losses, this stove uses 65% less charcoal than
regular charcoal stoves.
Aesthetics: For this aspect, we’ll consider two
factors: appearance and use. Jikokoa’s appearance is nothing
short of exceptional. Burn Manufacturing did a great job of designing a product
that not only looks classy but whose appearance doesn’t hinder its
practicality. Let’s not bother to talk about regular charcoal stoves.
On aesthetics of use, regular charcoal stoves are messy to
use, leaving behind ash residue that soils the floors. This makes them highly
unsuitable for indoor kitchen use. Jikokoa’s ashtray
effectively collects this ash, making it easy to dispose of them and clean the
stove’s surroundings. This makes it suitable for indoor use.
Beware of fake products!
Naturally, a product as revolutionary as Jikokoa will attract counterfeiters. However, you have to be extra careful to ensure you don’t fall victim. Some of these counterfeits are sold at a meager price, and while they would still function as a charcoal stove, they won’t offer the same innovations as Jikokoa. To avoid buying a counterfeit, get your Jikokoa from legit sellers.
Conclusion
Initially, gas cookers were the best options for the kitchen; they were trendy, came in different shapes and sizes, and did a better job than their alternatives. Now, gas cookers have lost some qualities that made them an attractive option, and the disadvantages now outweigh the advantages. Burn Manufacturing has made charcoal stoves the best option for homes through their innovations. I don’t need to say much, but you can see for yourself that you will be missing out on a lot if you don’t get yourself a jikokoa. Get your Jikokoa today and lose the stress of managing fuel consumption. Happy cooking.
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