Cooking appliance comparison for common foods in Kenya
This study makes a comparison between commonly used household cooking appliances and performance when cooking local meals.
Abstract
This study is one of the 12 projects under eCAP that seeks to make a comparison between commonly used household cooking appliances and their performance when cooking local Kenyan meals.
The findings are from a series of Controlled Cooking Tests (CCTs) conducted in Kenya Power’s Pika na Power Kitchen, where local dishes representing typical cooking practices were prepared using different fuels and devices to compare performance. The study examined fuel/energy consumption, the time taken to cook the meals, and the cost of energy. The categories of dishes included in this test include long-boiling foods (beans and beef), vegetables (spinach), and starch staples (rice, chapati, ugali, and chips). The selected dishes utilize different combinations of the three dominant cooking processes in Kenyan cuisine: boiling, shallow frying/stewing, and deep frying. The 7 dishes were each prepared across a set of 10 cooking appliances, both electrical and non-electrical. These appliances were the air fryer, hotplate, induction cooker, infrared cooker, rice cooker, ethanol stove, improved charcoal stove (ICS), liquid petroleum gas (LPG) cooker, kerosene stove, and electric pressure cooker (EPC). This study also evaluates the performance and user experience of various cooking appliances across different meals, assessing factors such as ease of use and taste. The EPC and induction stove stand out as top performers, excelling in energy efficiency, versatility, and cost-effectiveness. Their ability to cook a range of foods quickly and consume minimal energy positions them as a top choice for those seeking a cost-effective and convenient solution.
This paper is part of the Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) Programme.
Citation
Banda S and others. Cooking appliance comparison for common foods in Kenya MECS Working Paper 2024