Clean cooking has long been recognised as a cornerstone for mitigating household air pollution and, by extension, reducing ambient air pollution. It is also a key pillar of sustainable development, contributing directly to the achievement of SDG 3 (health), SDG 7 (clean energy), and SDG 13 (climate action). Yet decades of global clean cooking interventions in Nepal reveal a sobering reality. Since the 1950s, the government and its development partners have distributed 1.4 million muds improved cookstoves (ICS), over 130,000 metallic ICS, nearly half a million household biogas systems, and, more recently several thousand induction stoves through subsidy programmes. However, initial adoption represents only half the journey, the real impact illustrates sustained and exclusive use. Nepal's experience with these clean cooking initiatives illustrates this gap sharply, highlighting persistent structural challenges and a disconnect between project goals and the everyday realities of users. A recent study in two rural municipalities of Morang district carried out by Renewable and Sustainable Energy Laboratory (RSEL) at Kathmandu University and published in Energy Research and Social Science provides deep insights into why well-intentioned clean cooking programmes frequently fall short. Despite delivering stoves free of cost, the programme failed to secure long-term use. The findings are striking, nearly 35% of recipients exchanged their stoves for onions, often driven by economic pressures. More than 78% of households stopped using the ICS altogether. Only 22% reported occasional use during the rainy season or festivals. One key reason for the limited use of distributed improved cookstoves was their inconvenient size and design, which often failed to reflect local cooking needs and cultural practices. In many cases, the stove designs did not adequately incorporate users' preferences, everyday cooking habits, or traditional food preparation methods. In essence, these technologies were largely introduced through a top-down approach, with insufficient engagement with end users. As a result, the designs overlooked important socio-cultural, behavioural, and practical realities of households, leading to a mismatch between the technology provided and the requirements of the communities expected to use them. Likewise, in a village in Kavre, 78% of households owned subsidised induction stoves but only 6% used them regularly. Similarly, RSEL has already reported an alarming rate of abandonment of household biogas systems, highlighting the challenges associated with the long-term sustainability of clean cooking interventions. These outcomes underscore crucial truth policymakers often overlook, technology adoption ultimately depends on user preference, cultural fit, daily practicality, maintenance support, and user friendliness, not merely on subsidy-driven push to expand access or affordability. Nepal's broader energy landscape contextualises this problem. Despite achieving a remarkable 95% electrification rate, the country still relies heavily on traditional biomass for cooking. Over 80% of households show at least one marker of household air pollution, and nearly 60% lack access to clean cooking solutions. The consequences are severe respiratory diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, stroke, ischemic heart disease, drudgery for women and girls collecting firewood, diminished educational opportunities, and disproportionate economic burdens on low-income households. Clean cooking is not simply an energy issue, it is fundamentally a public health, gender equality, and equity issue. Ambitious policy targets aim for 100% clean cooking, with 25% of households using electric stoves by 2030, alongside the additional installation of half a million ICS and thousands of biogas systems. But without addressing the technological, socio-economic and behavioural factors, these targets remain aspirational. Nepal's clean cooking programmes have been implemented through agencies such as the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), in partnership with NGOs, private companies, and international donors. While these initiatives have expanded access, they have not always aligned technology with user needs. Free distribution, although attractive politically, can inadvertently diminish perceived value. When a stove can be exchanged for onions, an immediate necessity, the symbolic and practical value of the ICS is easily lost. This reflects the lived reality of households navigating poverty, opportunity costs, and cultural preferences. The retrospective analysis of Nepal's clean cooking programmes reveals deeper lessons for the global community. First, households must be active participants in technology preference and selection, not passive recipients. Second, cultural cooking practices including taste preferences, and food types strongly influence the suitability of technologies. Third, behaviour change and sustained engagement through follow-up, training, and behavioural support is essential to prevent abandonment of even well-designed technologies. Fourth, post installation repair and maintenance services are essential to ensure users' trust. Finally, subsidy design must shift from focussing on distribution metrics to ensuring long-term performance and user satisfaction. Policymakers must recognise that clean cooking interventions cannot succeed through top-down hardware distribution alone. Instead, they require integrated, user-centered strategies with appropriate technologies, reliable supply chains, accessible repair services, and continuous community engagement. Subsidies should incentivise sustained use, not just installations. Local governments need capacity-building support to design evidence-based policies. And donor agencies and government must invest in credible, independent monitoring systems that track real long-term outcomes, not just short-term outputs. This study reinforces that clean cooking transitions are human transitions. When policymakers, practitioners, and development partners embrace this perspective, clean cooking goals can move from aspiration to reality both in Nepal and globally. Dr Lohani is a professor at School of Engineering, Kathmandu University