In this paper, we estimate carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations and exposures in a well-mixed, hypothetical village kitchen using measured CO emission factors and published typical values for house, fuel, and activity parameters. The estimate was made to compare CO exposure potentials for a range of no-flue fuel/stove combinations. Based upon this quantitative comparison, recommendations were made on CO exposure reduction by fuel/stove switching. If their house conditions and activity patterns are comparable to those typical values assumed in our estimation, people using biomass and coal cookstoves could have daily CO exposures greater than the exposure equivalents of health-based national standards and WHO guidelines. © 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.