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The study uses a qualitative generative research methodology in four villages of Haryana State to understand why traditional biomass stoves (chulhas) persist despite health and environmental risks. Findings reveal that users value the ability to regulate heat by combining fuelwood and cow dung, the specific taste of food cooked with biomass, and the low cost of self-made clay stoves. While users desire reduced smoke and fuel savings, advanced stoves approved by the National Biomass Cookstove Initiative (NBCI) often fail to meet practical needs, such as the ability to bake roti or use dung. The authors argue that technical efficiency standards must be balanced with real-world usability to ensure the adoption of cleaner cooking technologies.

The briefing highlights the failure of many clean cookstove programmes to achieve long-term uptake because they prioritise technical parameters over user needs. Using research from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, and India, the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) advocates for combining quantitative economic models with qualitative ethnographic research to understand the trade-offs and cultural preferences of households. A case study in Haryana, India, demonstrates that factors such as the ability to use dung cakes, the need for an open flame for roti, and aesthetic appeal are critical to user acceptance. The document recommends that global policies and standards for cookstoves incorporate 'usability' parameters and local user-focused research to successfully transform household energy markets.