EcoZoom Versa rocket stoves are designed to last for 13,000 hours of cooking time – over 2 years end to end cooking!  They resist cooking heat due to their superior refractory linings, construction and insulation. Built for cooking in simple conditions an EcoZoom Versa will last a lifetime and feed many mouths. For most people here in Europe and the US we’re not planning to use our EcoZoom rocket stoves this much. They will get used a lot during warmer months out on the patio, on camping and fishing trips or beachfront picnics – endless possibilities for outside cooking with abundant fuel (and savings on gas). During other times our stoves will be set aside in preparation for the good times – and perhaps ready for use in an emergency.

We recommend that you store your stove in a dry spot such as a shed or sealed in a weather tight container. Eventually metal always loses against moisture – ask anyone with an older car! Here at EcoZoom UK we’re keen to show how resilient our stoves are if left out for an extended period.

We’ve set up a ‘naturalistic’ study using a pristine EcoZoom Versa rocket stove. We will be leaving the Versa out, with basic protection for a whole year at a London roof top location. During the year our stove will be tested through all the seasons. In praise of Mary Poppins who also liked to hang out on London roofs (with the Chimney sweeps) we’ve named our EcoZoom Versa ‘Mary’.

Mary will be out in all weather for a whole year come rain or shine.

As you can see the location is exposed and will get blasted by south west winds, sun and frost. We have placed EcoZoom Mary on the upturned stick tray to allow rain to drip away and some air flow under. We’ve placed the pot skirt around the mid riff to protect the doors (and ensure modesty). Our main rain protection is the upturned garden bucket as a hat. A hat is essential when out and about, for a whole year!

We don’t recommend that you imitate this yourself, you should always store your precious stove in dry conditions to ensure it stays good. We are confident that the cooking performance of the EcoZoom Versa will not be affected by this test and we’re looking forward to reporting back in a year when Mary will be back at ground level and cooking up a storm.

EcoZoom Versa Mary looking lonely on a rooftop in London. We’ll be checking in throughout the year to see how she holds up.

EcoZoom provides outdoor stoves for outdoor people and this test will show our stoves keep going in the best and worst of conditions.

We’ll keep you posted through the year.