Appropriate Technology

Barrel Stove

This simple fireplace can be made from a 55-gallon drum and will serve for heating and for cooking. Instead of a grate, the bottom one-third of the barrel is filled with soil which serves as insulation from the floor.

These were used in Papua New Guinea, where the people cook their sweet potatoes in the edge of an open fire. They were able to do the same thing with this fireplace.