Yash
A portable solar oven is ideal for people who love to go camping, tiny home dwellers, and those leading an RV life.
They are also preferred in the region where the electricity supply is irregular, not available, or expensive.
Students, family, and friends go camping. They use traditional fire methods for cooking food.
But this could be a problem in fire-restricted zones such as near wildlife sanctuaries.
Consider the grid shut down, even in the most modern home with all amenities, the disruption of electricity can make you think of alternate ways for cooking food.
The portable solar oven can rescue you in these situations.
Also, portable solar ovens are environmentally friendly and help in reducing carbon emissions from the air.
Are investing in a portable solar oven worth it in 2023?
Let us see in this post.
Who invented the first solar oven?
The first solar oven was made by Swiss scientist Horace-Benedict de Saussure in 1767.
How does Solar Oven work?
The solar oven cooks your food by trapping the sunlight.
The reflectors attached to it reflect the sunlight towards the food.
This sunlight transforms into thermal energy which raises the temperature inside the oven.
And starts heating the food.
And you get delicious food to eat.
Do you know that sunlight is electromagnetic radiation?
Which creates electric and magnetic fields perpendicular to each other and also the direction of the propagation of energy.
The light emitted by the sun has a lot of energy. We can say that sunlight is the ultimate source of energy.
This light consists of a band of energy that has different frequencies.
The certain range of frequencies which when falling in our eyes makes us see the surroundings.
This part is called visible light.
Another band of frequencies when struck with any matter or molecule cause it to vibrate and release heat energy.
This band of frequency is called Infrared radiation.
The infrared radiation causes the heating effect in the solar oven.
Read: 13 interesting facts about the Sun
Types of Solar Ovens
Solar ovens come in different shapes and sizes.
Let me discuss the most popular types:
1. Box-type Solar Cooker
This is the most common type of cooker.
The top of the cooker is covered with glass.
When the reflector points the sunlight into the box, the glass traps that light and does not let it go outside the box.
This raises the temperature and cooking starts.
The cooking area is painted with black color so as to retain the maximum heat energy.
2. Three sides enclosed Solar Cooker
This type of cooker is like an open box that is covered from 3 sides.
These three sides are made of shiny material which is called a reflector.
These reflectors collect the sunlight and point towards the center of the cooker where the bowl is placed.
The bowl has a black coating. This helps in absorbing the maximum heat and facilitates the cooking process.
3. Parabolic Solar Cooker
This type of cooker is of shape just like a satellite dish antenna.
This shape is called a parabola.
The whole parabola is covered with a shiny material that captures and reflects the sunlight to the focal point of the cooker.
It is the point where all the sunlight reflected by the cooker converges into.
The cooking vessel is placed just on the focal point of the parabola.
Parabolic cookers achieve very high temperatures.
4. Tube-type Portable Solar Oven
These are the latest product in the market.
These types of ovens have a cylinder-shaped evacuated tube that is surrounded by concave-shaped reflectors.
This shape can reach a maximum temperature of up to 290 ᴼ C which is enough for roasting meat and hard vegetables.
They work well even in cloudy weather.
Also, their shape makes them portable and handy so that you can carry them along with you anywhere and enjoy them with your family and friends.
Reflectors used in Solar Ovens
The food is cooked when the reflected sunlight is concentrated over the food which is called the focus.
This concentrated energy heats the food in less time.
The concave mirror has the property of converging the sunlight at one point.
Therefore, the concave mirrors as reflectors are used in the solar oven for cooking food.
Orientation of Solar Oven to the Sun
The relative position of the Sun with respect to the Earth keeps changing from sunrise to sunset.
Therefore, to get the maximum sunlight, do the following 2 things:
- Try to make reflectors facing the sun in a perpendicular direction.
- Readjust the position every hour to get the maximum sunlight.
How do I cook food and orient my solar oven when I am leaving for the office?
It is common for people to spend their time in the office and return home in the evening.
To enjoy the warm and tasty dinner of a solar oven.
Place the food inside the oven in the morning and focus it on the mid-day sun.
As the sun moves overhead the temperature starts rising and food starts getting the desired heat.
When the sun is overhead, the food gets the maximum heat and gets cooked.
(The solar oven has a well-insulated chamber that does not burn the food inside it).
Thereafter, the sun passes away and the heat it provides keeps the food warm till sunset.
And when you return home from the office, you get warm and delicious to enjoy.
In case, you are late in the evening, don’t worry the solar oven’s well-insulated chamber keeps your food warm and fresh for long hours.
Can Solar Ovens work in cloudy weather?
Sunlight is the fuel for the solar oven. For cooking food in time, the solar oven needs a good amount of sunlight.
In cloudy weather, the sunlight is restricted.
The solar oven won’t work on cloudy days or at the night. However, on partly cloudy days, soft foods like bread can be baked in solar ovens.
Can you use Solar Oven in winter?
Yes, the solar oven works effectively on clear winter days. It is the sunlight intensity, not the ambient temperature that decides the working of the solar oven.
Solar oven placed on a clear winter day with less humidity works better than summer days with high humidity.
In winter, the effective cooking time is reduced to 5-6 hours.
10 am to 4 pm.
Whereas in summer, it is common to see solar ovens working effectively for 8-10 hours (from 8 am to 6 pm).
Cooking Tips
Cooking with solar ovens is not an exact science. It depends on factors such as sunlight intensity.
On a clear sunny day, the food can be cooked in less time.
When the air is humid, the water content in the air traps the sunlight and less sunlight reaches the reflector.
And the cooking time is increased.
Similarly, pollution does block the sun rays from striking the reflector.
With a few hits and trials, you will learn the right cooking time based on the sunlight intensity and the weather conditions.
Always preheat the solar oven before keeping food in it. It shortens the cooking time.
Don’t place the food in direct contact with the oven surface, it may stick due to heat. Apply aluminum foil, oil, or butter to the cooking tray before adding food to prevent this.
If you are planning to make a stew that is a mixture of soft (spinach) and hard vegetables (such as carrots) in it.
Then add the hard vegetables first and place them inside the oven.
Wait till the boiling of the water is. This will make the hard vegetables tender.
Thereafter, add the soft vegetables and wait for a few minutes.
You will get your delicious stew ready.
Although the heat is uniformly spread throughout the food inside it. But sometimes the edges might take longer, so adjust the food now and then to cook it uniformly.
Maintenance of Solar Oven
Wipe away the moisture that has deposited on its surface. Clean the reflectors with a clean cloth. Because these reflectors capture the sunlight and cook the food.
Usually, a solar oven lasts more than 15 years.
A properly maintained solar oven can last a lifetime.
General safety and care for using Portable Solar Oven
The solar oven cooks almost all the foods such as meat, grains, legumes, and vegetable conveniently.
Like any cooking method, certain precautions need to be taken while cooking the food.
Avoid looking at the reflectors of the solar oven when the reflectors are in alignment with the sun.
When properly placed, the reflectors focus all the sunlight toward the food (no scattering).
This makes energy to get concentrate on a small area.
Therefore, do not look at the reflection of the sunlight.
It may affect the eyes.
With a little common sense and the use of sunglasses, while using a solar oven, the sue can enjoy tasty food.
Do not put cooked food inside the solar oven overnight.
Take it out and eat it.
Keeping it overnight inside the oven drops down food temperature and that may give the right temperature for bacteria to grow, making food unfit to consume.
Make sure to cook only that quantity of food that you can consume.
Keeping the cooked food inside the solar oven overnight may spoil it and may cause food poisoning.
Do not keep the empty solar oven open under the sun. It will start heating with no food inside.
The food and the material inside the oven are hot. Therefore, use thermally insulated gloves for handling and taking out the hot food from inside.
Never put plastic, paper, or non-edible items inside the solar oven. Do not use sharp material for taking out food from the stove. It can make scratches.
Facts: The bacteria and viruses develop in between 10 ᴼC to 50 ᴼC. The food starts cooking 80 ᴼC to 90 ᴼC and makes it free from disease causing micro-organisms. The solar oven gently cooks the food above this temperature. Retains its moisture and nutrients and rarely overburn the food.
How long does it take to cook food inside the Solar Oven?
The cook times of different food items in a solar oven such as veggies, seafood, grains, soups, hot water, legumes, baked goods, etc. depend on the hardness of the food material, sunlight intensity, the orientation of the solar oven, and your expertise.
To cook food properly, you need at least 82 ᴼC. At and above this temperature the bacteria and virus die.
The typical range of a solar oven is 90 ᴼC to 160 ᴼC. In some ovens, the inside temperature can reach above 250 ᴼC.
Most of the food is cooked within 2 hours depending on the angle and the sunlight intensity.
Disclosure: The following post contains affiliate links. It means that I will earn commissions on a successful buying of the products. However, I strongly recommend these products when it comes to effectively cooking food under the Sun.
Best Portable Solar Ovens in the Market
The choice is made by considering the portability, versatility, cooking time, durability, and price.
1. GoSun Go Pro Portable Solar Oven
GoSun creates solar products that give you energy independence. Its 2 lb light-weight solar oven is ideal for backpacking. This 420 ml oven can prepare for 1 person like small fish and dehydrated food.
2. Haines 2.0 Solar Cooker with a cooking pot
Its unique design collects the maximum sunlight and distributes heat uniformly around the bowl area. Improving the efficiency of the cooker.
3. GoSun Sport Pro
Best for camping. It has the capacity to prepare food for 2-3 people. You can relish green vegetables, chicken strips, and wings with Go Sun Sport.
4. GoSun Fusion Hybrid Portable Solar Oven
This 3-liter hybrid solar-electric portable oven can prepare food even at night. It is ideal for a family as it can prepare food for up to 6 people. This is ideal for a family planning to have a picnic outside. And you can relish a variety of foods from this oven.
Read: Best Portable Solar Generators
Conclusion
A solar oven is an environmentally friendly cooking option that does not pollute the environment.
As long as the sun is in the sky, the sunlight is free to all and we can enjoy the free source of energy to cook food through the solar oven.
You don’t need to store the fuel for cooking, the sun is going to be in the sky for another 5 billion years.
It is a one-time investment that gives you fast payback.
There is no expense of refueling. Also, its maintenance is easy and cheap.
The food inside the solar oven keeps its nutritional value and food does not burn inside it.
Over time, the solar oven can save you a good amount of money on your electric bill.
A power outage does not necessarily mean an end to hot, tasty, and delicious food when you have a solar oven with you.
Portable solar ovens are a great choice for remote areas where grid supply is erratic or not available.
Finally, we can say that solar oven is going to be a smart investment in 2023 for outdoor lovers.
About the Author
Yash has over a decade of experience in Solar PV technology and is the founder of Solar with Yash.
Check out his Youtube Channel Solar Design and Payback with Yash
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