Three-stone fires are the most commonly used cooking method in developing communities. They consist of three stones placed in a ring on the ground with fuel in the centre of the ring. They are made from, and fuelled by, material collected in the local environment and rarely incur financial cost. The most commonly used fuel is wood, although dung and agricultural waste are also widely used. Emissions from inadequate biomass stoves are linked to adverse health effects including acute lower respiratory infection, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer in women and children [4, 5]. Many significant health, productivity and environmental benefits may result from replacing traditional cooking fires with modern cooking stoves [6]. However, approximately 3 billion people in developing countries still rely on traditional stoves [1]; this is due to the expense and unavailability of modern sources [7]. Alternatives to three-stone fires that can be easily implemented are necessary for improved cookstove combustion.