Most households throughout the world cook over open fires with a pot balanced on three stones or a simple metal stand. Though cheaply constructed and often fueled with freely collected wood, these cooking practices carry a high cost to health and environment because of poor  fuel combustion, harmful emissions, and deforestation. In the developed world gas and electricity has displaced biomass as a cooking fuel, improving the cooking environment and relieving pressures on forests, though not emission free. Gas and electricity have not displaced biomass as a cooking fuel in developing communities because of high up front costs of cooking stoves and fuel/electricity, and the lack of infrastructure needed to deliver these commodities. Gasifying stove technology provides a feasible alternative to burn collected biomass with very low emissions and only moderate investment in locally manufactured stoves.

Democratek has undertaken work to evaluate the utility of several open-source gasifying stove designs in African field locations, made subtle changes to the most promising design, added new electrical generating capabilities, and explored alternative fuel stocks and fuel loading practices to increase the stove's versatility.