Aluminum foil can be used to make a basic solar cooker.
A solar cooker is a device that cooks food using the heat of the sun. The most common designs use cardboard and aluminum foil in a box shape. The stoves reflect the sun’s rays onto the shell, trapping heat and maximizing heat retention. They are lightweight, portable, and inexpensive to build. Solar cookers are capable of cooking meat, boiling water and baking bread.
The basic construction of a solar cooker uses a cardboard box.
The basic construction of a solar cooker uses a cardboard box. Aluminum foil is either taped or glued inside the box flaps. The inside of the box is painted black to increase heat gain. A saucepan is placed inside the box and a transparent lid, made of glass or plastic, is placed over the cooking area. The box is then placed where it receives direct sunlight.
Temperatures inside a solar cooker can reach 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). It’s hot enough to cook food, but it’s a lower temperature than conventional ovens reach. It takes longer to cook food with solar cookers, and food is often placed on the stove several hours before it is needed. Large foods, like roasts, can be cut into smaller pieces to help them cook faster.
Solar cookers are used all over the world. Outdoor enthusiasts use them when camping. Some people, in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint, use them as their primary means of cooking. Stoves are especially useful in underdeveloped countries with limited availability of reforestation for firewood. Humanitarian organizations often provide solar cookers, or the supplies needed to make them, to refugee camps and other areas without the means to cook food.
There are several advantages to using solar cookers over conventional cookers. They do not require electricity and do not use firewood. They are easily moved from one place to another. Once the box is heated and the food is cooked, the solar cooker can be moved indoors without risk of fire. Food can be left unattended during cooking because the heat inside a solar cooker is not hot enough to burn food.
There are situations where solar cookers are not effective. Stoves need sunlight to work, and cloudy or rainy conditions prevent the stove from reaching required temperatures. Wind reduces heat gain from stoves and can result in longer cooking times. Cold weather will also reduce heat gain, although additional insulation and design adjustments can be made to improve heat retention.