Solar Cooking

Enjoy the Benefits of Solar Cooking with One of our Sun Ovens

The vast majority of the world’s population does not even know that it is possible to cook with the sun, or the benefits that it provides such as the following:

1. Energy savings, as no fuel is required.
2. You will be prepared for any interruption to traditional power sources.
3. Great for camping and emergencies.
4. Totally safe – no danger of fire.
5. Keeps the kitchen cool in hot summer weather.
6. You can bake anything that can be cooked in a conventional oven.
7. Food never burns or scorches your pots.
8. No hot spots that require stirring.
9. No drudgery to gather fuel, watch or stir food.
10. Cooks food deliciously and saves vitamins.
11. No oil or fat is needed except that which you desire for texture in baked goods.
12. No liquid is needed for fruits and vegetables. Grains and beans need 1/4 less liquid which is a plus when water is in short supply.
13. Sun baked foods stay more moist and have less shrinkage than conventional oven cooked foods.
14. No special recipes are required.

Solar cooking requires only your oven and a sunny day. Brightness of the day, and not outside air temperature is the most important factor. Solar cooking entails a few basic principles; reflection, concentration, the green house effect and absorption. Solar ovens have properly arranged reflective inner walls to direct and concentrate the sun’s energy on the dark pot or dark bottom tray. A clear covering lets in solar heat, but prevents most of it from escaping, producing a green house effect. You know how hot the inside of your car gets in the summer sun, your black pot is similar to the dark upholstery that gets too hot to touch by the process of heat absorption. These principles allow your sun oven to cook your food at temperatures in excess of 350^o. For the above principles to work maximally you need to cook in a dark covered pot. A light weight pot will heat up faster, but hold the heat for a shorter time. This is true of the enameled pots. Cast iron would be a heavier, dark type pot. A shallow pot that is slightly larger than the food you are cooking is best.
Solar cooking requires some oven adjustments to suit your situation and needs. For instance; early in the morning or late in the day the angled sun’s rays aren’t as strong, but you can still cook in the sun. You simply aim the oven at the sun. Even cloudy days permit some low temperature cooking . Your food will continue to cook as long as you have 20 minutes of sun an hour. Shelter from the wind, as strong winds cool the oven. So locate the most sunny and wind sheltered spot, and preheat your oven by simply setting it up prior to cooking. This could take up to 45 min. You can even take advantage of the sun’s movement to aim your cooker to defrost in the morning, cook in the day, and keep warm until dinner in the afternoon. All that with the sun’s movement and no oven adjustment. If you want consistent heat, you will have to turn the oven with the sun to maintain temperature over a period of time.