The Bean Can Stove
Lanny Henson, August 28, 2006

Note: click images to enlarge
The Bean Can Stove is a $5 cooker including the pot.

The Bean Can stove is made totally from used metal containers, (see material
list) even the cook pot and cost about $5USD.

It is the simplest stove that I have designed requiring only hand tools and no fab parts to build.

It seems to be efficient using only 152 grams of hardwood charcoal and 5 grams of wood for starter to cook 2 lb/907gr of dry pintos. That is 26 servings of 35gr ¼ cup dry ½ cup cooked, total volume 3.5 liters.

The combustion air is controlled by elevating the stove with 3 sticks so air can flow underneath.

I paid little attention to the cosmetics of this prototype. It is ugly but it works!

The soaked beans came to a boil at 33min after striking the match.

Then I removed the spacing sticks to reduce the combustion air for
simmering.

At 1 hour after boiling I could hear rapid boiling.

At 1.5 hours I could hear slow boiling.

At 2 hours I could still hear low simmering.

The beans are cooked at this point (2 hours after boiling) so I capped the
system to retain the heat.

And at 7 hours after boiling the temp was 150 degF/ 65.6 degC.

I am very pleased with the ease of use and construction and the performance
of this cooker.

Next I plan to change the size of the burner so that the pot can sit lower
in the stove.

Also this design could be adapted to use a different type of cook pot
instead of a paint bucket so I will try that.

Thanks for viewing,

Lanny Henson

Material list:

3- 5gal metal pails and 2- lids, used $3.

1- one-gallon paint can with lid, used (the cook pot) $1.

1- 1.13 liter/kg can used (burner) ¢25

1- coat hanger ¢10

1- fluffy ash or loose fill insulation. ¢25

4- sheet metal screws ¢28

Two pails make the inner and outer shell. There is a hole in the bottom
where the burner sits for combustion air.

A center fire tin can burner holds 170 grams of high quality hardwood
charcoal. 5 grams of wood and some candle wax, top lights the burner. 18 gr
of char did not burn. A little too much wax created some smoke.

The lid supports the paint can pot just above the burner

One half off a pail/bucket shields the cook pot.

A lid with exhaust hole helps contain the heat.

Very little heat escaped the system through the exhaust during the cooking
process.

At 33 min I skimmed the pot and removed the spacing sticks to reduce the
combustion air for simmering.