Testing
Testing helps us evaluate, communicate, and improve performance and quality of cookstoves and fuels, and thus improve impacts and adoption. Partners that are interested in testing their stoves or learning more about testing should contact organizations on the list of Regional Testing and Knowledge Centers. The Testing Protocols page has more information about testing protocols for a range of stove and fuel types.
All laboratory and field tests involve trade-offs. Laboratory testing approximates the cooking process. Conducted in controlled conditions by trained technicians, laboratory testing is designed to detect small changes and achieve more repeatable results. Laboratory tests are appropriate for comparing various technical aspects of stove design and pre-field evaluations of performance. Laboratory test results may differ from results obtained when cooking real foods with local fuels. To understand impacts (whether they are fuel conservation, smoke reduction, or others), stoves must be measured under real conditions of use, through field testing.