Opening the black pot

The document examines the adoption of the Mimi Moto advanced biomass cookstove in peri-urban Kenya, identifying two distinct user archetypes: 'money savers' and 'convenience seekers'. While both groups experienced declines in satisfaction due to inconsistent fuel availability, 'convenience seekers' showed higher overall usage. The study highlights a systemic gap where stakeholders focus on initial awareness and onboarding rather than the long-term 'using' phase, recommending stabilized fuel infrastructure and tailored after-sales support to improve adoption.

• The study identified two primary user archetypes based on motivation for purchasing the Mimi Moto stove: 'money savers' and 'convenience seekers'. 'Money savers' (15 households) prioritized clarity on financial benefits and were more likely to experiment with the stove to optimize fuel consumption, while 'convenience seekers' (6 households) viewed the stove as a low-risk investment to make life easier.
• Stove-Use Monitors (SUMS) data revealed that 'convenience seekers' had higher overall usage of the Mimi Moto stove throughout the study period compared to 'money savers'. However, both groups experienced a decrease in usage and satisfaction linked to unstable fuel availability.
• A mapping of the Kenyan cookstove sector revealed that most stakeholders focus on the early stages of the user journey, specifically awareness and onboarding, leaving a gap in support during the 'start-up' and 'using' phases where users encounter the most difficulties.
• The research suggests that different user archetypes require different support strategies: 'money savers' benefit more from after-sales technical support, whereas 'convenience seekers' are more self-sufficient but require a more reliable fuel supply chain.
• To scale advanced gasifier cookstoves in Kenya, the document argues that the biomass pellet fuel supply infrastructure must be stabilized, potentially through the introduction of subsidies for fuels provided to consumers or upstream producers.

APA

Lambe, F., & Ran, Y. (2020). Opening the black pot. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/200613a-davis-ran-ccac-pb-2005a.pdf

Chicago

Lambe, Fiona, and Ylva Ran. Opening the black pot. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2020. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/200613a-davis-ran-ccac-pb-2005a.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lambe |first1=Fiona |last2=Ran |first2=Ylva |title=Opening the black pot |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=June 2020 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/200613a-davis-ran-ccac-pb-2005a.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lambe2020opening, author = {Lambe, Fiona and Ran, Ylva}, title = {{Opening the black pot}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2020}, month = jun, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/200613a-davis-ran-ccac-pb-2005a.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }