We've previously covered larger rocket stoves designed to heat your home, but now we have a portable version of the highly-efficient wood stove that you can build with 4 soup cans, 1 larger #10 can, tin snips, and a bag of vermiculite thanks to YouTube user LDSPrepper.


Rocket stoves burn a very small amount of wood. The design of the stove means that fuel burns both in the fuel opening and also in a reburn combustion chamber—this means that a lot of heat is generated as the wood is first burned and then gassified in the combustion chamber. Rocket stoves also incorporate insulation so that the heat generated is absorbed and radiated outward for several hours. Rocket stoves burn wood so efficiently that most of the exhaust ends up being almost completely steam and CO2 so some use them illegally in cities without being detected.


This camping or patio version uses several steel cans cut with tin snips to form a rocket stove where an entire meal can be cooked using a handful of small sticks that would normally be considered kindling. Garden vermiculite is used as an insulator to retain heat. Assembly time should take between half an hour to an hour, depending on how comfortable you are with tin snips.

This stove is great for car-camping, cooking on your patio, or in winter emergencies if you lose your electric range. You could even heat a room with this stove if you take care to place it on a non-flammable surface and vent the CO2.

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Build a Rocket Stove, Step-By-Step | YouTube