Testing helps us evaluate, communicate, and improve performance and quality of cookstoves and fuels, and thus improve impacts and adoption. Partners who are interested in testing their stoves or learning more about testing should contact organizations on the list of Regional Testing and Knowledge Centers (RKTCs). Learn more about testing protocols for a range of stove and fuel types on the Testing Protocols page, and download files needed to conduct testing. Training materials are also available for testing staff at RTKCs.
All laboratory and field tests involve trade-offs. Laboratory testing is an approximation of 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 might differ from results obtained when cooking real foods with local fuels. In order to understand impacts (whether it is fuel conservation, smoke reduction, or other impacts), stoves must be measured under real conditions of use through field testing.