27 DIY Rocket Stove Plans to Cook Food or Heat Small Spaces

These free rocket stove plans will show you how to build a wood burning stove that is ideal for cooking food or to heat small spaces. There are several different designs to choose from, but all have the same goal–to produce heat free, sustainable heat.

Many of these rocket stove plans from our list use recycled items so the final cost of the wood burning stove will be almost nothing. The small size of these homemade rocket stoves make them portable so they can be taken along on camping or fishing trips.

Imagine spending the day fishing at the lake and being able to cook your fresh catch of fish right on the lake bank at the end of the day. Ideal size for hikers to carry along with them for long hiking trips too.

Since a DIY rocket stove burns cleaner and emits far less smoke than a camp fire, it can easily be used inside a tent and the small amount of fuel needed for cooking and heating eliminates the need for chopping mass quantities of wood. Whatever your outdoor (or indoor) cooking and heating needs might be, learning how to build a rocket stove can meet those needs.

This type of homemade wood burning stove fits well in a backyard landscape for use as an outdoor space heater to keep the chill chased away on those fall and winter evenings when you want to spend time outdoors. You may want to consider making more than one DIY rocket stoves, one for heating and one for cooking, when you see these easy to build 27 rocket stove plans for cooking and heating small spaces.

1: DIY Rocket Stove Made From Recycled Can

Three recycled tin cans can be used to create a DIY rocket stove like this one by thebugoutbagguide that can cook food and provide heat. The cans, plus tin snips, gloves, marker, insulation and an hour of time will create this simple and functional homemade wood burning stove.

Here are short steps to build this rocket stove.

• Mark and cut hole at the center of large tin can by placing small can on it.
• Repeat this step on a smaller can S2 with the same can you use in step one i.e S1.
• Rim off the smaller can you have not used yet and squeeze the both cans through larger can ‘L’.
• Trace a circle on a top lid by using small can and cut it.
• Insulate the L can and tight it with a lid you have already cutted.
• Place a flat shelf in the middle of bottom hole and fold down flaps.
• Throw some dyer lint inside the stove, light it and place a pan on top and cook your food you love.

2: Metal Bucket DIY Rocket Stove Plans

These plans for a metal bucket rocket stove by rootsimple will create a larger cooking surface than a tin can, but will be just as fuel efficient. A five gallon metal bucket, couple piece of metal pipe, clay dirt and a grill rack creates a portable stove that can cook more than one food at a time and heat a small space with just a few small twigs.

Here are brief steps to build this metal bucket diy rocket stove.

• Made a chimney by using 4″ vent pipe and a 90 degree elbow.
• Trace the outline of pipe on a lid of bucket and cut it with jig saw.
• Make hole at bottom according to size of pipe.
• Insulate the bucket with clay and vermiculite at a ratio of 1/6 and add water in it.
• Close the insulation with a cut piece of lid and let dry the insulation for few days.
• Place barbecue grill on top of bucket.
• Take a tin can and place it in the bottom hole. Cut a piece to use it as a shelve in the mouth of pipe.
• The upper hole will be used for burning twigs and bottom for air blow.

3: Trash Can DIY Rocket Stove Plans

The next size up for a DIY rocket stove is with the use of a metal trash can. Great for use inside a cabin or outdoors for a unique cooking and heating source, these plans for a trash can rocket stove by instructables can be glammed up and made to look like outdoor yard art. You may also like to check out Smoke house plans.

4: A Tiki DIY Rocket Stove Plans

Whimsical and functional, these free rocket stove plans by instructables will show you how to create a tiki torch rocket stove that is ideal for the backyard.

Build a warming fire in your tiki stove and enjoy your backyard during chilly fall evenings. Place a cooking rack on top of the tiki stove and cook dinner while sitting under the stars. When not in use, the tiki stove makes a great addition to backyard decor.

Constructed from concrete, this tiki rocket stove will last for a long time.

5: Three Inch Rocket Stove Plans

Cook dinner on a 3 inch rocket stove like this one by gunsamerica when you use these rocket stove building plans. A 3 inch section of tubular steel and four legs will create an outdoor cooking surface that will rival any store bought, single burning camp stove.

6: Patio Rocket Stove Plans

If you would like a permanent rocket stove on your patio for cooking and warmth, try these easy-to-follow plans for building a stacked brick rocket stove  by onegreenplanet.

7: Brick Rocket Stove Plan

Another rocket stove plan by rootsimple that uses brick to create an attractive, permanent outdoor cooking space.

8: Mini Rocket Stove Plan

Small and portable, this efficient mini rocket stove by treehugger is built from upcycled tin cans and can cook a meal using a few leaves and twigs.

9: Rocket Mass Heater Project

These DIY plans for a large rocket stove uses an old, discarded water heater and gives it a new life as a heater for small spaces like this one by streetjesus.blogspot.

10: DIY Rocket Stove Mass Heater

If you have a large indoor space to heat and want to do so off-grid, check out these plans for building a DIY rocket stove mass heater by instructables.

11: Homemade Chimnea Rocket Stove Plans

Great for cooking and good looking, these rocket stove plans incorporate plastic soda bottle and adobe to give the wood burning stove by off-grid a chimnealook.

12: 4 Hour Spark Rocket Stove Project

Load it once, get heat for the next 4 hours without re-loading. Unique shape makes this long-burning DIY rocket stove by instructables as good looking as it is functional.

13: 6-Block DIY Rocket Stove Plans

You can learn how to build this 2-burner rocket stove by motherearthnews from 6-cement blocks by watching a short 2 minute video. Easy, functional, cheap and quick to build, these DIY rocket stove plans are great for use in the backyard or at a permanent camping site. You may also like to check out DIY file cabinet smokers.

14: Camping Rocket Stove Plan

Enjoy hot meals while camping without building a camp fire with this easy to build rocket stove. Ideal for camping and can be used in areas where camp fires are not allowed.

You won’t even have to chop wood for this smallrocket stove by instructables unless you want too. Small sticks can be used to generate enough heat for cooking breakfasts or the catch of the day.

This rocket stove can be built from recycled materials you have on hand, so the cost is basically nothing. Small enough to pack and carry along for camping trips, big enough for cooking and keeping you warm.

15: Concrete Blocks DIY Rocket Stove

All you need is 3 concrete blocks to create a DIY outdoor stove for cooking like this one by attainable-sustainable. These free rocket stove plans will show you exactly how to stack the 3 concrete blocks so you can have a wood burning cook stove.

This rocket stove style needs very little wood to create enough heat for cooking and a wire rack on top of the DIY stove will provide plenty of cooking surface.

No need to chop wood for this small stove, twigs and fallen tree branches can be used to generate heat. A couple of concrete pavers can be used under the stove to create a flat surface if needed.

The concrete blocks are heavy, so this homemade rocket stove is best for use in a permanent location. Outside on a homestead, at a remote camp site or cabin, or set up at your favorite fishing spot.

16: Home Heating DIY Rocket Stove

The high cost of natural gas and electricity has caused many people to seek for alternative fuel sources to heat their home. The cost of a wood burning stove and cord wood is not cheap either.

A DIY rocket stove like this one by iwilltry is cheap to build, cheap to use and can generate enough heat for home heating. These free rocket stove plans can show you how to make a rocket stove that can be your only home heating source or to use as a supplemental heating source.

A rocket stove is designed to burn less wood and produce higher heat temperatures than a fireplace or traditional wood burning stove. This makes it ideal for home heating since it will reduce the amount of wood needed to keep your home warm and it uses a sustainable source of fuel.

17: Powerful Homemade Rocket Heater

These free rocket stove plans by alt-nrg will show you how to build a powerful home heater that produces very little ash, no smoke and no carbon monoxide byproducts.

Rocket stoves are able to create a secondary burn from a super strong draft. This creates more heat output with less wood usage. This ingenious design allows a small, inexpensive homemade rocket stove to be able to heat an entire home.

Anyone looking for a sustainable and affordable home heating source need not look any farther than these rocket stove plans. Stay warm all winter with just a small amount of wood when you build this powerful heater. You may also like to check out DIY smokers.

18: Rocket Mass Heater Plan

These free plans will show you how to build a rocket mass heater like this one that is ideal for heating large, open spaces.

A mass heater like this one not only burns a small amount of wood cleanly and efficiently, it captures the mass of heat in a bench or similar structure by building the flue horizontally. Most flues for wood burning stoves are vertical and allow a lot of heat to go up and out, but a rocket stove does things differently. The flue is built horizontally with a piece of furniture built over it to enclose the flue. The heat going through the flue is captured and kept inside so more heat permeates the room instead of being lost to the outside. You may also like to check out DIY wood fired pizza ovens for outdoor backing.

19: Homestead Rocket Stove Plans

A recycled popcorn tin will make a great outdoor cooking stove for a homestead. These free rocket stove plans by instructables will guide you through the building project with detailed instructions and photos.

Cheap, easy to build and ideal for outdoor cooking. Cook an entire meal or large pot of stew with just a few twigs and this homestead rocket stove.

20: Heavy Duty DIY Rocket Stove

Born from necessity in third world countries, the rocket stove has come a long way. It’s more of a luxury than a necessity for most people. A rocket stove can take the place of a camp stove, camp fire, propane stove, wood burning heater, fireplace, and many other heat producing appliances.

The biggest difference that a rocket stove offers is the sustainability it offers. Even a heavy duty model like this one only uses a fraction of the wood a traditional wood heater would use, yet it provides much more heat.

This heavy duty DIY rocket stove by instructables is great for cooking a large meal or heating a large area. Step by step instructions make this DIY project easy.

21: A DIY Rocket Stove For Community Cooking

The farm to table movement promotes many things, including community involvement. Getting together to grow fresh vegetables and fruits so everyone in the community can eat healthy, affordable food also leads to enjoying community meals. But few people have indoor facilities large enough to host a community meal.

A homemade rocket stove by kulkulfarmbali or two can solve the problem and cook the meals. These free plans will show you how to build outdoor cook stoves that are user friendly and efficient so the community can get together and have a garden-side cookout.

22: Build A Rocket Grill

Do you love to grill but are tired of paying for charcoal or propane? Here is a set of free plans that will show you how to build a rocket grill like this one by instructables that will work just as well, maybe even better0 than traditional grills for a fraction of the expense.

Use small pieces of wood to produce the clean burning heat and throw a couple steaks on the grill for a delicious meal. Very little ash is produced with a rocket grill, so clean-up is a breeze.

23: Quickrete DIY Rocket Stove

Create a stationary rocket stove using a couple bags of quickrete and two five gallon plastic buckets. The buckets are used as molds for the quickrete and often can be obtained for free at a local restaurant.

These free rocket stove plans will show you how to put a few cheap components together to build a functional outdoor stove for under $20.

24: Indestructible Off Grid Cooking Stove

Here are plans for building another rocket stove by offthegridnews from quickrete. It’s easy and cheap to build, and practically indestructible.

Ideal for off grid cooking at your homestead or camp site.

25: DIY Rocket Stove and Oven

This ingenious design creates an outdoor, off grid stove by diypreparedness and oven that allows you to fry, boil, and bake just like a standard in-home stove and oven combo.

It may look different, but it gets the cooking job done and uses very little wood. Fast, efficient and cheap cooking and baking can be done on this unique stove.

26: Brick Rocket Stove Plans

Building a rocket stove with old bricks like this one by instructables is easy with these free plans. Detailed instructions show you how to create an outdoor stove with a wide cooking surface. Ideal for backyard or homestead cooking. A wire rack on top makes this style functional as a rocket grill too.

27: Sand Rocket Stove Plans

If all you have is sand, then you have enough building materials to build a functional rocket stove. Simple design creates a functional diy rocket stove like this one by instructables that can be built in minutes and left behind when done. Ideal for back-packing through sandy terrain, the DIY build will leave no harm on the environment.

References:

Researchgate, March 2020, by Bassazin Ayalew Mekonnen, “Design and Performance Evaluation of Rocket Stove for Cleaner Cooking in Rural Ethiopia”, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340814098_Design_and_Performance_Evaluation_of_Rocket_Stove_for_Cleaner_Cooking_in_Rural_Ethiopia

Makezine, By Caleb Kraft, March 19th, 2019, “Construct A Super Cheap Rocket Stove From Scrap Materials”, https://makezine.com/article/science/energy/construct-a-super-cheap-rocket-stove-from-scrap-materials/