What must successful clean cookstove developers balance when designing for efficiency?

Efficiency, durability, cost, and smoke reduction

The challenge of inventing a successful clean cookstove requires developers to manage a multi-variable equation where several critical factors must be simultaneously addressed. It is not enough for a stove to simply reduce smoke; it must also be economically viable and practical for long-term use in challenging environments. Therefore, developers must carefully balance efficiency (how well it converts fuel to usable heat), durability (how long it lasts under heavy use), cost (how affordable it is for the target low-income household), and the primary environmental goal of smoke reduction. If one factor is prioritized too heavily—for instance, making it extremely efficient but prohibitively expensive—widespread adoption, which is key to public health success, will fail.