Jalgaon man built a cheaper-than-LPG smokeless kerosene stove that generated 8 hours of flame from 2 litres that cost just Rs 15 per hour

Sarfuddin Kazi, a machinist from Jalgaon, Maharashtra, developed a kerogas stove in the early 1990s after observing the limitations of conventional kerosene stoves. The 45-year-old runs a welding workshop where he fabricated the stove’s components himself, drawing on practical experience rather than formal technical training.

Kazi’s formal education ended after he failed Class 6, and he describes himself as barely literate. His three brothers also work in the workshop, with none of them having undergone formal technical training.

The stove emerged from his effort to develop a domestic cooking device that could provide greater heat while using less fuel, particularly for households unable to afford LPG.


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Petromax gave Kazi the idea for a fuel-saving stove

Kazi had observed that conventional kerosene stoves were noisy, relatively unsafe and required considerable maintenance. Their fuel consumption also made them expensive to operate, particularly as fuel prices increased.

He closely studied the petromax lamps used in his village and discussed their functioning with villagers and technicians. He learnt that fuel in a petromax is converted into gas before being burned, allowing it to produce a flame without smoke.

Kazi then considered whether the same principle could be adapted for a kerosene stove. He came up with the idea in 1990 and spent another two and a half years developing a working prototype, which he completed in 1992.

He made the stove’s parts in his own workshop

Kazi fabricated the burner, fixed fuel tank, gas wicks and frame of the stove using a small lathe machine in his workshop. He also carried out casting with a mould and a small burner pit, while a drill and welding machine were used for other fabrication work.

The development process involved repeated trial and error. He experimented with different nozzle diameters and burner-hole arrangements while also trying to resolve fuel-pipe leaks, weak flames and problems with the silencer.

A copper-coated steel transmission pipe became an important part of the design. Kazi had seen similar piping in diesel trucks driven by his father and believed it could withstand the heat and pressure involved in his stove.

How the kerogas stove converts kerosene into gas

The stove consists of a kerosene tank, a burner and a lighting arrangement. The tank is connected to the burner through the copper-coated steel transmission pipe, which passes over the burner.

A pump attached to the tank creates pressure and pushes kerosene into the pipe. At startup, the pipe is externally heated until it becomes hot enough to convert the fuel into gas.

Once gasification begins, the external heat source is removed and the kerosene gas is ignited. The burner then serves two purposes: it cooks food and provides the heat needed to keep the transmission pipe hot enough for continued gas generation.

Kazi also discovered that the stove could provide light. He noticed a spark from a cigarette glowing brightly after falling onto the stove and realised that the system could potentially be adapted for illumination as well.

Two litres of kerosene could last up to eight hours

According to the account, the stove could operate continuously for around eight hours using two litres of kerosene. When the lighting function was not used, it could run for up to nine hours.

The stove was estimated to cost around Rs 1,000.

Its blue flame was described as producing less soot and preventing vessels from becoming blackened. Unlike conventional pumping stoves, which require pressure to be maintained through repeated pumping, Kazi’s design needed pumping only during startup.

The stove was also described as quieter and requiring less frequent cleaning. Its heavier Beed-cast burner, weighing about 500 grams, was intended to retain heat longer than conventional brass burners and reduce fuel consumption.

Stove aimed to reduce smoke and running costs

The innovation was developed as an alternative for households relying on kerosene, particularly those that could not easily afford LPG.

Its claimed advantages included lower fuel consumption, quieter operation and reduced smoke. The stove was more expensive than conventional pump and wick stoves, which were priced at around Rs 250-300 and Rs 500-550 respectively at the time, but its additional features were cited as justification for the higher cost.

The design was also considered suitable for roadside food vendors, dhabas, canteens and laboratories where a continuous flame could be useful.

A machinist who learnt by watching machines

Kazi’s interest in mechanical devices began during childhood. His father had worked as a State Transport bus driver and later repaired primus stoves, giving Kazi an early exposure to machines.

He also learnt basic mechanical skills by observing a blacksmith friend. Kazi was more interested in watching the work being done in the workshop than attending school and later tried reproducing what he had seen.

At 17, he built a cotton-candy-making machine simply by observing how such a machine worked.

He later built a steam boiler for an oil mill owner for Rs 22,000, even though a similar machine was reportedly priced at around Rs 1 lakh in the market. He has also worked on welding towers using an electric generator.

Kazi has continued experimenting with machines and is working on an idea for a generator that would convert mechanical energy into electricity without using diesel, petrol or kerosene. He also has skills in carpentry and work involving gold and silver.

Despite having no formal technical training, he has visited the local Industrial Training Institute to provide practical inputs to students on machine operation.

Family and village supported his experiments

Kazi credits his brothers for helping him develop the stove. His mechanical skills were already known in the village, and local residents encouraged his efforts.

His brother Fakhruddin Amanuddin also developed a machine of his own, making a metal cutter required for producing school benches. He built it in a week at a reported cost of Rs 6,000, compared with a market price of Rs 12,000.

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Kazi continued refining the stove

Kazi had built three stoves and used one prototype for around eight to 10 months to assess its functioning. He was continuing to work on the design, including an effort to reduce its size by placing the fuel tank below the burner instead of beside it. This could also reduce the amount of metal required.

He hoped to establish a commercially viable business around the innovation with adequate financial support.

The National Innovation Foundation, in coordination with the Grassroots Innovations Augmentation Network, sanctioned Rs 37,250 from its Micro Venture Innovation Fund for prototype development and market research covering the kerosene gas stove and three other innovations.

The innovation was seen as having potential in smaller cities, towns and semi-urban and rural areas, particularly where LPG access was limited or coal continued to be used for cooking. It was also considered potentially suitable for food stalls, dhabas, canteens and laboratories requiring a continuous flame.