Rocket stove grill assistance

Hello friends. I’ve never made a rocket stove and would like to start simple. A five gallon bucket stove is where my mind is at the moment. My plan at this point is to make the top of the stove wide enough to fit a grate and grill on it. If I made the intake four inches in diameter and the cooking area larger would it still work? I just want to make sure I’m not wasting my time. Thanks!

Hi Scott,  you’re only going to be wasting your time if you think your little rocket stove is going to be perfect on the first try.  Of course there are some basics to follow just to make it work but there’s always room for improvement through experimenting and finding out firsthand what works and what doesn’t. Playing with soft red clay bricks is a great way to try various configurations until you find one that works for you.
One of the basics to follow is to keep  The cross-sectional area the same throughout the core.  The feed tube however can be made somewhat smaller if you prefer.
Hope this helps as a starting point.

Hey, thanks Gerry. I’m happy to accept all help offered. You’re right though, I should just start tinkering.