These were some of the questions a team of staff at the Strathmore Energy Research Centre (SERC) sort to answer during a cooking demonstration held on 22nd January 2021. The team sliced tomatoes, onions, and coriander as well as peeled potatoes, and cooking bananas. Ugali, rice, kales, cabbages, and traditional kienyeji chicken were also prepared. The cooking demonstration was an educative session by SERC Quality Manager, GEng. Anne Wacera Wambugu on the use of AC Electric Pressure Cookers (EPC). Each EPC had an energy monitor provided by Pereybere Energy, who are collaborating with Strathmore University on the electric cooking projects.
“The experience was great especially cooking kienyeji chicken in forty minutes and at a cost of Kshs 8.50. The exercise was also a super team-building opportunity as everyone did all they could to ensure the meals were ready on time regardless of the new cooking style.” Martin Mutembei, Project Coordinator, FCDO funded Transforming Energy Access Learning Partnership Program.
Starting February, the team from Strathmore and Pereybere will distribute 100 AC EPCs attached to an energy monitor to newly electrified (through the Last Mile Connectivity Project) households in Murangá, Kericho, and Kisumu. They will then track the use of the pressure cookers for 6 months, through an online platform.
“Learning how to cook using electric pressure cookers was quite an interesting experience. What I liked more about the whole experience apart from learning different energy profiles of the food we cooked, was seeing the promising sustainable future both economically and environmentally that these electric pressure cookers and the soon to be developed solar cookers will bring.” Lisa Nzeyimana, Project Development Executive, Africa Energy Services Group, Rwanda.
The exercise is a combined effort from several electric cooking projects which together will:
- Document and anticipate any quality challenges that the electric cooking sector might experience now and in the future.
- Encourage and understand the use of electric pressure cookers by on-grid customers connected by the Last Mile Connectivity Project.
- Develop an electric cooker suitable for off-grid areas – a project financed by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 under the LEAP-RE project.
The cooking demonstration was in preparation for the launch of the data collection exercise early next month.
This article was written by Anne Njeri
