Solar cookers use the sun’s heat to cook food and are made from cardboard and aluminum foil. They are portable, inexpensive, and can cook meat, boil water, and bake bread. Solar cookers are used worldwide and have many advantages, but require sunlight and are not effective in overcast or rainy conditions.
A solar cooker is a device that cooks food using the heat from the sun. The most common designs use cardboard and aluminum foil in the shape of a box. The burners reflect the sun’s rays back into the box, trapping heat and maximizing heat retention. They are light, 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. Aluminum foil is taped or glued to the inside of the box flaps. The inside of the box is painted black to increase heat gain. A saucepan is placed inside the box and a clear, glass or plastic cover is placed over the cooking area. The box is then placed where it receives direct sunlight.
Temperatures inside a solar cooker can reach 150 degrees F (150 degrees C). It is hot enough to cook food but has a lower temperature than conventional ovens. It takes longer to cook food using solar-powered cookers, and food is usually placed in the cooker several hours before it’s needed. Large pieces of food, such as 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 undeveloped countries with limited forestation available for firewood. Aid organizations often provide solar cookers, or the resources needed to produce them, for refugee camps and other areas without the means to cook food.
There are many advantages of using solar cookers over conventional cookers. They require no electricity and use no firewood. They move easily from place to place. Once the box is heated and the food is cooked, the solar cooker can be moved inside without the risk of fire. Food can be left unattended while cooking because the heat inside a solar cooker is not hot enough to burn the food.
There are situations where solar cookers are not effective. Stoves need sunlight to operate and overcast or rainy conditions will prevent the stove from reaching the 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.
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