A viral video shows how a Cuban transformed an old rice cooker into a functional electric stove, amidst the growing difficulties of cooking on the island.
A reel of just 29 seconds published on Facebook by the account El Mundo de Laura has garnered over 141,000 views by showcasing a scene that is becoming increasingly familiar in Cuba: turning a broken piece of equipment into a practical solution for surviving everyday shortages.
The images show a man taking apart the base of an old electric rice cooker, one of the appliances that have been widely distributed for years on the island.
After removing parts, modifying the wiring, and making several internal connections, he manages to transform the device into a homemade electric stove capable of heating a container of water.
The author of the video herself confirmed in the comments that the protagonist of the invention is her father. "Yesss, it was mine, my dad inventing, gave it another use. You know, we have to find solutions. Blessings," she wrote.
The comments on the video reflect a mix of admiration, resignation, and pride in the adaptability developed over years of scarcity.
"The need brings forth miracles," wrote one user. Others summarized the situation with phrases like "This is called survival" or "Cubans don’t give up; they are always inventing."
More than a demonstration of creativity, the makeshift stove has become for many another symbol of a reality where everyday ingenuity attempts to compensate for the shortcomings of a system unable to guarantee basic services.
Although the result has garnered admiration from thousands of users, the phenomenon goes beyond mere technological curiosity. The video is part of a trend that has multiplied in recent years, as many Cubans have started recycling broken appliances to create alternative cooking methods due to the lack of electricity, gas, or fuel.
In July 2025, a young man from Cumanayagua, in Cienfuegos, built charcoal stoves using discarded rice cookers and empty cans, some intended for the elderly in his community.
Months later, another Cuban demonstrated how she transformed an unused pressure cooker into a charcoal stove that, as she claimed, had allowed her to cope with numerous blackouts.
This wave of handmade inventions includes stoves made from empty cans, extinguishers, and dirt, handcrafted ovens using metal tanks, and even a scooter adapted with charcoal.
The expansion of these homemade solutions is closely linked to the worst energy crisis Cuba has faced in decades. In May, the Minister of Energy and Mines himself acknowledged that the country lacked reserves of fuel oil and diesel, while blackouts reached between 20 and 22 hours a day, even in Havana.
The situation worsened following the reduction of oil supplies from Venezuela and the effective suspension of shipments from Mexico.
At the same time, liquefied gas has become an inaccessible product for a large part of the population, with prices exceeding 30,000 pesos in the informal market compared to state salaries that barely reach 6,930 pesos per month.
The shortage has also impacted official distribution. Since January, the state-owned Cupet has suspended gas supply in several eastern provinces, and thousands of households continue to face difficulties cooking regularly.
According to data from the Food Monitor Program, over nine million Cubans prepare food under precarious conditions, and 35% have had to resort to firewood or charcoal as an alternative.
In that context, all sorts of inventions have proliferated, such as stoves made from empty cans, repurposed fire extinguishers, artisanal ovens built from metal tanks, and even a scooter modified to run on charcoal.
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