Lowtech Graph lists low-tech options for every need of a home. Here you can compare them, find tutorials to build them, and link them together into a circular system. Why low-tech?
Insulating pot skirt
Passive
One of 11 ways to meet this need. Cost, carbon, footprint and rankings are relative to other solutions for the same need, not absolute.
What your site needs
None. A fabric cosy must be kept clear of an open flame.
A sleeve around a pot while it is on the heat, leaving a narrow gap so the heat stays against the pot’s sides instead of escaping around it. Over a wood or gas flame it is a metal sleeve; for a hob, a sewn cosy of wool or felt. It cuts the fuel needed to boil and to keep a boil going. Unlike the haybox, it works during cooking, not after.
Levels are relative to the other options for this need, not absolute. Fewer dots is lighter.
Insulating pot skirt (This page) Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: None · Change to daily life: Occasional · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want the flame’s heat to stay on the pot while it cooks, for a few euros.
Wood cookstove Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Heavy · Change to daily life: Daily · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want the same wood fire to cook and to heat the kitchen.
Solar cooker Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: Daily · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want to cook for free on sunny days, with no fuel and no smoke.
Rocket stove cooker Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Heavy · Change to daily life: Daily · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want to cook on a handful of twigs with little smoke.
Household anaerobic biodigester (biogas cooking fuel) Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Medium · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: Occasional · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you run a biodigester and want its gas to cook with.
Induction cooktop Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Medium · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: No Choose it if you want the most efficient hob there is.
Haybox / retained-heat cooker (fireless cooker) Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: None · Change to daily life: Daily · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want to cut the fuel for slow-cooked dishes by up to four fifths.
Micro-gasifier (TLUD) cookstove Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: Daily · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want to cook cleanly on wood and keep the charcoal it leaves.
Solar-powered insulated electric oven Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: Daily · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want to cook with the sun even after it has gone, from your solar panels.
Gas hob / cooker Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Specialist · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: No Choose it if you want instant heat that keeps working in a power cut.
Earth wood-fired bread oven Can I use it? Not in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Intermediate · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: Occasional · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want to bake bread and pizza outdoors on wood, without heating the house.
We don’t list sizing or quantities, as the yield of each technique depends on the quality of its build. The catalogue compares options but doesn’t dimension them. Regulatory notes are indicative, with a French example, and need to be confirmed locally.