A constraint to improved furnaces and hence better fuelwood consumption in curing barns in Malawi has been the cost of conventional furnace components. A low cost but efficient design was developed which may be constructed entirely of brick apart from a sheet metal firedoor; for very heavy duty, as on larger estates, two firebars improve the life of the unit. Good combustion is achieved by ensuring that the air supply is directed through the centre of the fire at a relatively high velocity. Performance and operation compare well with conventional designs at a significantly lower cost.