TAGUIG CITY, METRO MANILA — Armel "Bobot" Gregorio has transformed the old-fashioned charcoal stove into a cheaper and more energy-efficient alternative to more expensive liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stoves.
Gregorio, a graduate of aircraft maintenance and who has a knack for tinkering things, invented the electric charcoal stove in 2002 while he was thinking of how to transform the traditional stove into something more popular and useful.
He found it too expensive to use an LPG stove since his family consumes one tank in less than a month, spending at least 650 pesos per tank.
"Sa mahal ng LPG, napapa-iisip talaga ako paano makakamura sa pagluluto. Dito ko naisip na gawin yung 'cool kalan, charcoal stove na may electric fan (Because of the high cost of LPG, I was really wondering about a way to save money. That is when I thought of making a charcoal stove with a small electric fan)," said Gregorio. He used the money he had saved from his stint as an overseas Filipino worker in the Middle East to develop his invention.
A charcoal stove used to be a staple kitchen appliance in Filipino houses but very few households use it today.
The addition of the electric fan made it possible to start the charcoal ember in just five seconds, which used to take a while when manually fanning the charcoal to start ember.
Gregorio named his invention "Kool KalanG." It's shaped like an ordinary clay stove—except it's made of galvanized metal and stainless steel.
The grate, where you put charcoal, is connected to a rectangular tube where the small electric fan is placed. The fan is controlled by a voltage selector (9 to 12 volts), which controls speed. The stove is placed on a metal stand with wheels attached making it portable.
To clean the charcoal ashes after cooking, detach the electric fan from the stove's body and you can just sweep away the ashes with a small brush.
Gregorio estimated that his invention only consumes P10 worth of electricity in a month even when used five times a day. A sack of charcoal, he said, costs around P180.
"You can even use dried coconut husk or chopped wood. That is much more cheaper than using LPG ," he added.
Gregorio realized his stove's commercial potential after his neighbors requested him to make one for them. It took him months to create a prototype after which he immediately applied for the design's intellectual property rights and permit from the Department of Trade and Industry.
He's been selling the Kool KalanG for two years now. Most of his buyers are carinderia or small restaurant owners, particularly those selling bulalo or lugaw because these dishes require constant boiling.
The Kool Kalan made of painted stainless steel costs P2,500 while the one made of galvanized metal costs P1,500.
"Ang maganda dito sa Kool Kalan, pwede kang makapagluto ng pagkain kahit may limang piso ka lang kasi yung isang plasticng uling, sapat na yun para makaluto ng ulam at kanin para sa tanghalian at hapunan. (What is wonderful about the Kool Kalan is that you can cook your meals in a day even with a P5 worth of charcoal)," he said.
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Actual Product Demo of KOOL KALANg (BeCool)by raynz08438 views
mr.gregorio saan po pwedeng mabili yan kool kalan na yan??
harutofirefly 4 months ago
The best invention of all time, eco friendly na, matipid pa. We have one at home sa Pinas. More power to you, Bot!
noknokis 10 months ago
san mkkbili ng kool kalan?
nicakarren 1 year ago