Banning outdoor cooking is something every die- hard barbeque cook dreads.
Disasters leave people without a way to cook food.
Setting up at a campground, only to find out that fires are banned and the propane grill bottle is empty can be a bummer.
Boondocking in an RV means conserving gas and electric.
All these things and more are good reasons for building your own solar cooker. Here are three solar cookers you can make to use all year long. None cost a lot of money; most can be made from items found in the house, the grocery store or on your property.
There are advantages to using a solar cooker:
- · Food cooks, but does not burn.
- · Everything you can make in a conventional oven can be made in a solar cooker.
- ·.
- ·. The UV, or ultraviolet rays, are the energy source. These are the same rays that cause fabrics to fade, dashboards to crack, sunburns and cause power solar panels to make electricity.
Reflectors in solar cookers direct the UV rays toward an enclosed area. This area, whether it is in an oven or other enclosed space heats up. Black paint, black cooking pots also collect heat and UV rays. The food inside the area begins to cook.
There are those who decry solar cooking because it can take a few hours for the food to cook. It takes time for electric crock pots to cook, too. The other complaint is that someone has to go outside every 15 to 30 minutes to re-aim the cooker at the sun’s rays. That depends entirely on the type of cooker, the latitude and the amount of sun. Here in Texas, I’ve never had that problem.
Here are three solar cookers you can make easily and inexpensively.
For all cookers you will need these general materials:
- · Reflective material- aluminum foil- I recommend heavy duty
- · Glue- I used Elmer’s white glue on my first cooker, but as funds permitted I found glue that stood up to more heat. The Elmer’s lasted over a year with heavy use.
- · Cardboard or ¼” plywood to build the cooker.
- · For parabolic cookers, an umbrella or other dish- type base
- ·. This allows the heat to circulate around the entire container, allowing food to cook evenly.
Reflective Cooker:
I collected a couple of boxes from the local liquor store. This was heavy duty cardboard that was perfect for my use.
I cut all four sides down to the bottom using a utility knife. Using duct tape, I created a sort of cross. I covered all top surfaces with aluminum foil, shiny side up using the glue.
Bricks and other items prop up the reflectors to direct the UV rays at the center space.
I had a small black enamelware pot that I filled with my food. A grill from a discarded cheap hibachi provided the rack.
I placed the rack inside a large oven bag, put the pot on top of it, placed the oven thermometer inside and tied the oven bag closed.
It was 80º outside and within an hour, the oven was over 350º. This was more than adequate to cook the chicken inside.
Solar Oven:
For an oven, no bags are used. You will need two boxes and insulating materials. Do not use Styrofoam, as it will not stand up to the heat and it will create toxic fumes that could harm or kill you. Do not use standard pink household insulation, either.
One box should fit inside the other by at least one to one and a half inches. You will also need a lid for the outside box. The lid needs to have the inside space cut out so a sheet of clear plastic or glass (preferable) can be attached to collect the sun’s rays. Cut the space large enough to extend to the edges of the inside box.
Cardboard, newspaper or other dense material should be packed between the boxes. Seal the top space between the two boxes so heat does not escape. Paint the inside box black to collect more UV rays.
To use, place the rack inside the box and place the black cookware with food inside on top. Place the oven thermometer inside, close the lid and place in the sun.
The inside of the box heats up more than the cooker bag, which is surrounded by ambient air.
The disadvantage of the oven is that it cannot be tipped much without affecting the food in the pot. Tipping points the glass top directly at the sun’s rays. This heats the inside of the oven even more.
Between the two, any food can be prepared in nearly any weather anywhere in the world.
Parabolic or funnel cooker:
Line the inside of an old expanded umbrella with aluminum foil. Create a platform for the dish to rest upon while the food is cooking. A focal point is created when the UV rays are directed upon a single point.
Care must be used not to have your hands in this spot as people have received burns. The umbrella must be prevented from moving to keep the food from spilling.
A funnel cooker requires a container to hold the funnel. Take a reflective windshield protector and wrap it in a funnel shape. Insert into the holder. Place the food container inside an oven bag and in the funnel. This is going to get very hot inside, perhaps to boiling temperatures.
Solar cookers and ovens are in use all over the world. People in disaster areas such as Haiti use them because resources like wood, gas and electricity are gone. The ability to cook food is a necessity when storage is impossible.
Commercial solar cookers and ovens are available online. One design allows the solar oven to be tipped while keeping the food level by means of a movable shelf inside. This oven tends to be pricey, but does work beautifully.
I put my cooker together for less than $10. I spent most of the money on the oven thermometer. I used the cooker for several years without ever burning a dish.
Source: The author of this article has over 40 years of experience in diverse forms of DIY, home improvement and repair, crafting, designing, and building furniture, outdoor projects and more.
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