A jiko is almost a must requirement in most homes in Kenya, below, we are going to look at best jikos in Kenya but before that we are going to see some considerations to make before picking one.

Even if you have a gas cooker, also see top best gas cylinders and their available sizes you will still notice you need another heating/cooking appliance, in such cases a Jiko is very suitable. Such cases include when you want to boil foods e.g beans, githeri, peas and the likes. A jiko can also serve as a back up in case you run out of gas, paraffin in case of stove or when there is an electricity blackout in case of electric cooker.

Factors to consider when picking a Jiko

When making a choice on what to buy, you will have to consider specific details in order to pick the best, this also applies to Jikos. Below are some of the consideration to make.

Energy saving Jiko

The type of jiko you choose should be energy efficient and eco friendly, by this, we mean that the Jiko should not be resource wasteful.. The resource in question is Charcoal. Since a jiko will always need charcoal to operate, it should be made in such a way that it do not use excess of it.

For a Jiko to achieve this, the model should be such that just a number of charcoal is added and very little on no heat is wasted. Prevention of loss of heat loss is done by channeling all heat up wards where it is needed.

Fast performance Jiko

For a jiko to be effective in speed, it will also need to be energy saving, the speed increases because all the heat is channeled to where it is needed.

Jiko Design

When design contributes to energy saving and speed, it will also play a part in other efficiency improvement. For example, the grill, or where you place our cooking pot/sufuria should be strong or made of desirable material. Inside the Jiko, the holes to pass down ashes should be adequate and of suitable material too. The exterior of the jiko should be made of long lasting material and the appearance should be attractive.

3 Best Jikos in Kenya

The three types of jikos mentioned below are high performing and convinient for evry household that needs a jiko.

1. Jikokoa Jiko

Jikokoa is a product of burn, this is a high energy efficient Jiko that passes the following  key factors

• • • Energy efficient, this is one of the key features of Jikokoa, it is designed such that no energy is lost on any side. The amount of charcoal needed is also small in number making it resource saving.
    • Flame control, Just like you would do to control the flame in a gas cylinder using a gas burner, the door of the Jiko can be adjusted controlling the amount of air entering the JIko hence controlling the amount of flame and heat.
    • Removable ash drawer, the door of the Jiko is designed like a drawer, instead of pouring out the ash, it will accumulate on the drawer like door, after use, you can remove the door and dispose off the ashes.
    • Convenient grill, this is where you place the sufuria, the jiko grill can accomodate different sufuria sizes, above that, it is made of stainless steel making it strong enough to resist any pressure from sufurias and heat.
    • Heat resistant handles, the handles do not heat up ensuring you can easily handle or move the Jikokoa without worry of being burnt.
    • Good exterior design, the outside of the jiko is made of a strong stainless steel metal, this makes it high durable, the design is also attractive with even different colors available.
    • Durable interior, the holes inside the Jikokoa are  made of a very strong mesh, also the inside of the jiko is another stainless steel metal making the Jiko strong and durable.

The only disadvantage that you may meet is the initial cost especially is you had a very low budget.

2. Envirofit Jiko

Envirofit Jiko is a product of Envirofit, it’s quality can be classified to be as of the above mentioned Jiko. Some of it’s high quality features include:

• • • Eco friendly/ Energy efficient, as it’s name goes, the Jiko is environmentally fit, it uses less charcoal with no wastage of heat and less emission of carbon gases.
    • Ash drawer, the Envirofit Jiko also have a door designed like a drawer that collects the ash instead of accumulating at the bottom, you can then dispose the ash later.
    • Flame control, the door can be controlled that is, adjusted in or out to control the amount of heat and flame.
    • Convenient grill, the grill can accommodate various sizes of sufurias, in fact, the box like Envirofit Jiko has a large grill that can accommodate even very large Sufurias.
    • Good interior and exterior design, the Jiko is strong enough to withstand heat and any force, this gives it high durable life.
    • Heat resistant handles, this allows for easy handling of the Jiko with the risk of burns removed.
    • Strong stands, they are made of steel which is coated with rubber.

The above is design makes the Jiko a super quality one, however, the buying cost still is high for a low budget plan.

3. Ordinary Energy saving Jiko

This is a common Jiko in the market, one thing that makes it suitable is it’s affordable buying cost, if you have a low budget, you can go for this one. The jiko is also eco friendly since it saves the amount of heat lost through the clay coating inside it, the Jiko also requires little charcoals.

The disadvantage of the Jiko is that it have less service life as compared to the other two types. To avoid fast cracking of the Jiko, you should not allow water to spill on the clay, this prevent sudden contraction which can cause cracking.

Above are some top best Jikos in Kenya, you will however find more types in the market, if you find one that beats the above mentioned types or one that meets the mentioned consideration factors, you can still pick it.