Towards cleaner cooking by advancing insulation technologies and combustion control in charcoal stoves

Charcoal cookstoves remain central to household energy use across much of Sub-Saharan Africa, yet their traditional designs are inefficient, fuel-intensive, and major contributors to indoor air pollution. This review synthesizes recent literature on two critical areas of stove improvement: insulation technologies and combustion control. Studies on locally available materials, such as clay and scoria, and other low-cost insulators, highlight significant potential for reducing heat loss and improving durability. Meanwhile, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses provide valuable insights into optimal air–fuel mixing and temperature distribution. Parallel research on airflow regulation, microcontroller-based systems, and feedback controls demonstrates promising pathways to stabilize combustion and lower emissions of carbon monoxide and particulate matter. Collectively, the evidence underscores that integrating appropriate insulation with advanced control strategies can substantially enhance thermal efficiency, cut fuel consumption, and support cleaner, safer cooking practices. The paper concludes by identifying research gaps around long-term material performance, cost–benefit trade-offs, and user adoption, offering directions for future work to scale improved charcoal stoves in resource-constrained settings.