Learn about solar cooking and solar cookers
Solar cooking is any method of cooking that uses sunlight as its primary source of fuel. A solar oven or solar cooker is a device that uses sunlight as its energy source to cook food.
Solar cookers are popular because:
- Health & Safety — In under-developed countries, women & children are able to stay closer to home, not walking increasing further distances in unsafe conditions, to bring home supplies of cooking fuel. Women and children are less likely to suffer from burns from open fires, and illnesses caused by smoke inhalation. Since water can be pastureized in a solar oven, there is less disease from drinking contaminated water.
- Energy efficient and pollution-free — Solar cookers use no fuel, just the free energy from the sun. Solar cooking can help reduce the cost of energy bills. Solar cooking eliminates the need to turn on the kitchen appliances, keeping the kitchen cooler and the air conditioning bills down.
- Emergency preparedness — With solar cooking, a meal can be prepared even when the power is out.
- Versatile – Solar ovens can bake, boil, steam, or roast. Almost anything can be made in a solar oven that can be made on the stove top, oven, or crockpot. And a parabolic cooker can even fry food!
- Fun — Solar cookers can be used in the backyard, camping, on boats, on a mountaintop, picnics, anywhere there is sunshine.
3 Main Types of Solar Cookers
PANEL COOKERS
Panel cookers consist of several shiny reflector panels that gather the sun rays. The food is cooked in a pot that is placed into an oven cooking bag or glass bowl. The bag/bowl acts like a greenhouse and traps the heat inside. The “CooKit” Foldable Panel and the “Hot Pot” are two examples of panel cookers. CooKit’s can be easily make out of cardboard from plans found on-line.
BOX COOKERS
Box cookers trap the heat inside to make an oven. In general, the cooker is made of two boxes, separated by insulation. The inside of the box can be painted black to trap the heat. The top is covered with glass, plexiglass, or clear acrylic. Reflector panels reflect the sun rays down into the box. Temperatures reach between 250° – 400°. The Global Sun Oven (GSO) and the SOS Sport are two popular cookers.
Parabolic Cookers
Parabolic cookers are often made from old satellite dishes. The sun rays are reflected up from the curved surface of the dish to the focal point, where the pot sits. Parabolic cookers reach extreme temperatures that can fry food and pop corn.
Thanks for joining my solar cooking adventure. I live in the beautiful state of Arizona where there is sunshine almost everyday of the year and is great for solar cooking. Harnessing the free energy from the sun is an exciting and fun way to feed my family.
hey sis! fascinating site. I’ll check it out. say howdy to Rod for me. your brother David “wulf”
Hey, thanks for checking out my site. Merry
your site rocks 🙂 🙂 and now i have a great idea for my science fair. 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Totally a great website to learn how to do something with a cool thing like solar ovens
Thank you for the nice compliment. I’m so glad that you found it helpful. Merry
Solar cooking makes a great science fair project. You will amaze everyone and you will be helping to spread the word about solar cooking. Thanks for the great comment. Merry
Were posting on Lindsey’s thread on facebook and I thought I would invite you to be a guest solar cooker chef this year sometime if you would like to come and do some demonstrating for the campus free classes. If not here you could post on our facebook page…. https://www.facebook.com/cobprojectcampusministries?ref=hl
Anyway… great blog and hope to hear from you soon.
Ruth
Cob Project campus Ministries – Bend Oregon
Ruth, Thanks for your kind words. I will share some of my Facebook posts on you page. Thanks for the suggestion. Merry
Hi Merry. I met you at the Solar Cooking Potluck at Catalina State park. Thanks for the great food and for your website and blog. Loved the stories of your daughter using her solar cooker in VA during the snowstorms this winter.
Linda
Hi Linda, I really enjoyed meeting and getting to know you yesterday at the Solar Potluck. It was a great day and we had such a great time. I look forward to hearing about your solar cooking experiences so keep in touch. If you have any questions about cookers or cooking, please feel free to contact me. Merry
Hi Adventureinsolarcooking,
Thanks for the info, An increasingly large number of people everywhere in the world are turning to solar cooking as an alternative way to conventional ways of cooking. Others simply have no best option due to their living conditions.
Good Job!
Hello!
I just spent a very mouth watering half hour reading over your site, it’s an awesome introduction to solar cooking.
I live in Australia (one of the sunniest countries in the world) and have a Sun Cook. I did a road test with the Global Sun Oven and it came out on top – got hot faster and held it’s heat with cloud interuption (it’s got a double glazed window and more reflective panels which probably accounts for why).
Anyway, I decided to take the plunge and start importing them to Australia – i’d love to see solar cooking really take off here, it just works so well!
If you’d like to review the product or website please do – 10% discount for anyone who mentions this blog!
Heather
Thanks Heather. I’m sure that your new business will do quite well once everyone realizes the many benefits of solar cooking. Keep in touch. Txazlady
I am the Assistant Store Manager at the Chandler Honeyville Farms Retail Store. I spoke with you several months ago when you were in our store about your amazing website! I am so impressed with your recipes and feedback on your site! I am curious if you are possibly available to come and do demonstrations at our store. I am hoping to have a solar oven demonstration in November or December. Will you let me know if that’s a possibility for you?
Hi Rebecca, I remember talking to you and would love to do a demonstration. I tried to respond to your e-mail address but it kept bouncing back, so I will try to contact you at the store. Merry
Love your blog! I’ve only had my oven a month so your input is very helpful. I’ve made dinners and cakes but haven’t baked bread yet. After seeing your blog, I’m trying it soon!
Thanks, I tell everyone I know how wonderful solar cooking is, but they only nod and smile and indulge me. If they only knew!! I would love to visit with you about solar cooking. Thanks for looking at my blog.