Pros & cons, etc.
I have noticed that solar ovens are also claimed to be capable of pasteurizing water. A very useful thing if practical.
Sport Solar Oven is one mentioned and has a reasonable price tag with plenty of accessories.
I have also been interested in building one. I have most materials, just need the time and motivation. I wanted to build one for mainly baking. I hear you can get 400 degrees pretty easily. Many dishes that are cooked in them have to have some ventilation because of the high heat they get.
There is a kitchen store in town that has one set out cooking things during the summer months. I have seen them doing large squash in it before. Seems like a cool idea.
later
I had a solar cooker once long ago. I used it to fry an earthworm and would have gone on to bigger and better things but my father wanted to use it to examine some fine print.
Solar cooking historically coincides with drying meat, fish,etc.
The disccovery of the parabolic mirror/ vessel I am sure accerelated things. Curing with salt and smoke solves the cloudy day problem.
No need to reinvent the wheel unless you have a bunch of clueless people you are responsible for..
bump for later
My family tried making fruit roll ups that way . Fruit from the backyard - some cheese clothe - Sun cute little wood frames. Worked great except flies manage to lay eggs even with the cheese cloth protection - fruit and maggot roll ups- protein and vitamin C.
Why bother, mesquite is cheaper and more reliable. And besides the smoke makes the meat taste great.
Nothing breats good pit bar-b-que.
Solar ovens can definitely be a good thing to have fun with.
My understanding is that they do take longer to cook things than a conventional oven.
In Az just wrap it in foil and put it on the dashboard.
If only they would come up with a RAIN oven, I’d be set. I live in Seattle.
Rice was the first thing I ever cooked in a solar oven and it was the best rice I'd ever eaten. I have a simple homemade cardboard and foil foldable solar oven fashioned from online cookit plans. I'd love to be able to afford a manufactured one. Check out http://solarcooking.org/plans/
You don't need a solar oven to pasteurize water. Do an online search. All that's needed are bottles, a sunny day and water.
Shhhhhhhhhhhh
'bummer will pass another mandate and we'll all have to use solar cookers exclusively
I did salvage a 1 meter parabolic reflector from work in the 70's when I lived in the San Fernando Velley. Impressed the hell out everyone with the heat it would produce at the focal point. Try to cook something (with tongs), and you had to use dark sunglasses, the glare was so bad.
You could try the Light Sharpener by http://www.cockeyed.com/ .
vs. JiffyPop popcorn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdrufLhHPJw
vs. a watermelon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFV91SQKD5c
You could try a Fresnel lens! Just be very careful with them.
vs. a padlock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoMjBkKOkPc&feature=related
for cooking a slim jim. (even heats up cement block to point of glowing and melts glass.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpM0oZ0i8PQ&feature=fvwrel
Fresnel lens pool heater
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_yhi_fy-Q0&feature=relmfu
If you have the time, I'd suggest getting the material and building one yourself. It's not too difficult.
if not, then www.solarovens.org will get you one for between $100 to $200
Check You Tube for solar cookers. Interesting stuff from aluminum foil and cardboard to reflective windshield shields.
Looks perfectly legit for power outages and survival situations.
Definitely good stuff to know.
This is an old article.
The Sport Solar oven also has reflector panels. At least, now they do.
I would imagine there would be a lot of happier people in this electric outage on the east coast if they could put their food in the solar cooker, let it go all day not worrying because it won’t burn, and dinner be ready when they are, if they had prepared ahead of time and bought themselves or made themselves a solar oven or solar cooker.
Especially in the heat wave while no air conditioning available.
Store shelves in my area are bare of propane, batteries etc.
Glad I’m not waiting in line for gasoline or out searching for propane and batteries or a way to cook the food rotting in my fridge from having no electricity and backup plan...
Love my Sport Solar oven and my homemade solar cooker (turkey bag, aluminum foil pan, black pot.) I don’t just use them for emergencies. I use them because it helps keep the house cool in this heat wave. And it takes such little effort to use them.