Simple, Sustainable, Eco-'Branch' Charcoal Solutions

 On June 9th, The Woodlands 2000 Trust and Cookswell Jikos held a day long demonstration course in sustainable charcoal making for the Carnivore Restaurant. This method uses the Kinyanjui Barrel Kiln to carbonize small branches and twigs rotationally pruned from trees that coppice well.  

The two kilns (each at 24,000ksh) and a pile of the feedstock; tree branches.

The best Kenyan 'nyama choma' is always cooked on charcoal, just ask the Carnivore!

Topping up the kiln and controlling the air flow with the air intakes.

Mr. Lanius, from the Wildlife Works REDD program participating in some hands on charcoal making training.

Sealing down the kiln prior to the 7hr cooling phase.

Excellent lumpwood charcoal made with very little fuss and effort. No axe's, chainsaws, earth kilns, briquetting machines and drying racks.....just a 400ksh machete and a Kinyanjui Barrel Kiln.

The Kimana Woodfuel Conservation Center

A tree sedling nursery by Go-Green Nysiti

The first cakes ever baked for sale in Kimana town!

20bob per queen cake!

All done after an easy day of baking with a cookswell!

A charcoal oven is an excellant piece of technology for bakeries in Kenya today. Due to the high cost of imported fossil fuels (LGP gas) and the raising cost and unreliability of electricity, a charcoal oven is an excellent choice for baking in Kenya. And they are fully portable and can come with a water heating tank which is very useful for cleaning and for raising certain breads faster.
All ovens are powered by regular charcoal that you can buy anywhere in Kenya, or if you want, charocal briquettes. The oven has doors for controlling the heat so you can regulate it depending on what you are cooking, no-mess ashtrays, skid-free rubber feet and is insulated all over for maximum energy efficiency.
Your oven also comes with 1 packet of acacia tree seeds so that you can plant a future source of charcoal for cooking with.