Solar cooker what is it

Where the sun shines, you can solar cook. See the infographic below on how many hours you can use your solar cooker to cook at different locations around the world. Today, there are three broad categories of solar cookers:. You can pan fry, bake, boil, deep fry, grill and pressure cook.

If you do not have a black pot, you can paint the outside of a pot or canning jar black with paint designed for barbecue grills. Place the pot in the center of the cooker.

Draw up the sides and clip so that sunlight is reflected on the pot. Check the cooker periodically every 20 minutes or so to make sure it is still capturing the sunlight as the sun moves across the sky.

When food is done, be sure to use a pot holder to remove the pot. Solar Cookers can get extremely hot! Parabolic Reflector Cookers Parabolic cookers produce the highest temperatures, and can be used to fry or grill food; pot lids and cooking bags are not necessary.

Parabolic cookers use reflectors to concentrate a large amount of sunlight into a single focal point, where the temperature can reach o. In the classroom, parabolic shaped cookers can be easily made from recycled satellite dishes or large umbrellas. However, the temperature can get very high at the focal point. Appropriate safety should be practiced while cooking. Suitable for all cookers, and sunny or partly cloudy weather conditions.

Mix chicken stock, meatballs, orzo, herbs and garlic together in a dutch oven or similar pot. Place pot in cooker. In a parabolic cooker, stir frequently and cook for less time. Meanwhile wash the spinach leaves thoroughly, pat dry, then shred into thin strips. Add spinach, salt and pepper, and simmer for another 20 minutes less time for a parabolic.

Cut into small cubes and set aside. Melt butter, add onions and one package bacon crumbles. Place in cooker until onion is tender. Add chicken broth and water, bring to boil. Remove from cooker and gradually stir in instant potatoes, blending until smooth. Add salt, pepper, cheese and reserved baked potatoes; stir. Place back in cooker until cheese is melted. Stir in cream. Serve garnished with bacon crumbles.

Precook or use parabolic : Pan sear all sides of the lamb and beef. Do not cook meat—meat will fully cook in the box or panel cooker to release flavor into the sauce. Layer in a casserole dish—beans, garlic, bouquet garni, carrots and tomatoes. Then place all meats on top except the bacon. Place casserole in solar cooker. Cook in solar cooker for 3 hours. Cook bacon separately in solar cooker, then drain and chop. When serving, remove bouquet garni. Garnish each plate with finishing salt, then spoon cassoulet on top.

Sprinkle with bacon and garnish with a crostini on the corner of each plate and a sage leaf on the side. Suitable for box cookers, and sunny or partly cloudy weather conditions. Spray a baking pan with oil spray. Place fish in pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine coconut milk and remaining ingredients in a blender and pulse until fairly smooth.

Pour the coconut mixture over the fish. Bake until the fish is just opaque in the center, about 15 minutes. Garnish with more cilantro and serve. Note: Garam masala is a popular spice from India. It is available at specialty stores and some grocery stores.

But it can mean adjusting the angle and direction every so often or every set period, such as every one to two hours. The more direct that the sun's rays are towards the food and cooking pot the greater the energy heat capacity will be from the sun's converted rays.

Ideal cooking results when using a solar oven occur when the sun is bright and uninhibited or unimpeded by clouds, shadows etc. Cooking can be accomplished as well on days when the clouds are high and thin, but it may slow things down a bit, and one would be wise to start a little earlier than usual. Long, slow moderate solar cooking, such as with stew, chili, veggies etc. Baking on the other hand will take longer and the temperatures will not be as optimum as could be, thus resulting in mixed outcomes with your baked goods.

There are three main components to most solar cookers, or you could say three main principles to effective solar cooking; these being:. Concentration of the sun's rays is performed most often by reflecting panels, petals and such surfaces that can "focus" or concentrate the rays of light UV to a point or concentration. These reflecting panels are usually made of materials that are shiny and reflective due to the substance used in their manufacture, such as silver, chromium and aluminum.

Without a means to concentrate the sun's rays it can take longer to heat objects or surfaces, thus most solar cookers are constructed with reflector panels to speed up the process of heat accumulation.

Absorption of the sun's energy heat in solar cooking is best achieved when a surface is dark in color, thus the most common solar oven interiors are usually black in color as well as the color of the cookware used for cooking the food.

Dark colors absorb the heat, whereas light colors do not absorb heat well. And some colors can reflect the sun's energy away, such as silver for example. Generally, the best cookware for solar cooking is the dark, thin variety because it absorbs the heat energy well; and because it is thin, it can then transfer the heat more quickly and evenly to the food. Retention is the final principle in solar cooking. If a solar cooker is not well insulated and if it does not have a cover, or lid, then all of the concentrated heat energy and all of the absorbed heat would quickly dissipate into the air and be lost to the surrounding environment.

A solar cooker must have the means to "trap" or hold the concentrated heat allowing it to accumulate and to "build up" to sufficiently high enough levels to be able to effectively cook. Make a simple solar cooker. Great Article to help understand retained heat, thermal cooking and cooking inefficiencies: Low Tech Magazine. Very in depth. Return back to home page Go to: Why Solar Cooking? Solar Cooking: When is the Best Time?

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Your Name. Your Location. Check box to agree to these submission guidelines. I am at least 16 years of age. I understand and accept the privacy policy. I understand that you will display my submission on your website. You can preview and edit on the next page. Safety for solar cooking Is it safe to use magnifying glass in solar cooking?

All glass solar cooker My question is if you can make a full glass solar oven with reflective panels on the side? Will this work? Boiling water Which type of solar cooking is best for just boiling water? Are there any chain stores that sell solar cookers? Are there any chain stores that sell solar cookers along with instructions for their use? What about splatterings from cooking spilling al over the mirrors? I never see solar cookers myself but I wonder about the chore of cleaning after cooking if any?

What kind of materials best absorb heat from the solar cooker? From these items what will be the material that can absorb the most heat? I know you can put rolls of newspaper in the solar oven, any other cheap insulators like cotton balls or something? On trial basis we want to start in school having 50 odd students. Our … at what angle should the mirror be placed in a cuboid shaped solar cooker to get maximum reflection focused at a point i need this information for a science project why would you use plexiglass instead of saran wrap?

Also which one is better? Should it be ???????????? Your answer could work, depending on the size of your solar oven and the size of your panels. Here is some advice … why we use solar cooker?