Here is a simple solar oven design which anyone can build, why not build one with a friend, child or as part of a school project. Then organize a ‘cook off’ to see who’s the fastest cook in the West. Make it a fun and educational experience for children by involving them and helping them understand alternative energy and the implications and rewards of harnessing technologies like solar cooking.
A solar cooker can be made with the most basic materials and of course the most important ingredient for your cooker – the sun. You will be amazed at how simple, fun and rewarding it is to cook food using only the power of the sun and a couple of hours of your time.
The following materials are required for building a simple solar box cooker. The size is entirely up to you, as a rule of thumb though, the bigger the oven the more powerful it will be, however the recommended optimum size for a box cooker is 50cm x 50cm x 10cm high or a sufficient size to house your cooking vessel. 4 reflective panels are also recommended instead of one, equating to approximately 1 square metre. (1m² = 1kW of Solar Energy) or 0.25 m² per panel.
Materials you will need:
- 2 cardboard boxes.
- Cling film or plastic laminate.
- Aluminium foil / kitchen foil.
- PVA Glue and tape.
- Brushes for painting and gluing.
- Scissors or knife.
- String.
- Matt black powder paint – mix with water.
- Wadding (Straw, shredded paper, or other insulation material).
- Plastic bag or oven bag to house the pots (the bags help store the heat)
- The sun, some friends and yummy food.
1. A pizza box is the ideal size to get you started in the wonderful world of solar cooking. Cut a 3-sided flap in the top of your pizza box as shown in Figure 1.
Fig 1 – Pizza Box
2. Open up the box and line the inside of it with aluminium foil ensuring no gaps. Then paint the foil black with black paint. For increased efficiency you could line the inside of the box with foil and then add the wadding. Add another layer of foil on top of wadding and also paint black, therefore creating an insulating cavity.
3. Fold back the flap along the uncut line and stick aluminium foil to the inside of flap. Ensure foil is shiny side out – reflective side and there are as few wrinkles as possible. Too much glue can cause the cardboard to shrivel, so be sparing or use tape and take your time.
Fig 2 – Pizza Box with window.
4. Measure a piece of plastic, or cling film to fit over the opening you’ve just made. The plastic must be larger than the hole so that a tight seal can be formed. It is important to ensure little or no air escapes from the box once it is in use. Otherwise this will increase the overall cooking time.
5. Glue, tape or staple the plastic sheet to the top of the hole. Ensure no air gaps by forming a tight seal using gaffer tape and glue.
6. The second cardboard box can be used if you would like to give your oven a power boost. More reflective sheeting equals more power. Cut cardboard into panels approximately the same size as the original flap on the pizza box. Apply foil in the same manner as the flap and then attach 3 more flaps to the box using tape or staples. Set the angles of the reflective panels by using string as in Figure 3.
Fig 3 – Pizza box with 4 panels.
7. And finally place some food inside the plastic bag or oven bag and place in your cooker. Point it towards the sun ensuring the panels reflect the maximum amount of sunlight through the window, inside the cooker.
8. Congratulations you are now cooking using only the power of the sun. Why not try muffins, burgers, cookies, or chocolate marshmallows – the kids favourite.
A great way to get children involved is to give the cookers some character. Why not give it a name, or paint it with mad, bright colours. The kids love it. Then let the cook off commence.
Happy cooking
Let me know how you get on, if you send some pictures and comments I will happily include you in the SolReka solar club photo gallery. Coming soon, in the mean time please feel free to email me your photos.
Please note:
- Always use adult supervision and protective eyewear and gloves when building and operating a solar cooker.
- Allow half an hour for pre-heating your solar cooker.
- Allow approximately twice the amount of time as a conventional oven.
- Turn the cooker every half an hour or so to ensure maximum sunlight.
- Food cannot be overcooked, so sit back, relax and enjoy.
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March 5th, 2008 at 2:02 am
[...] Despite the name “box” cooker, they are made in both circular and rectangular shapes. They consist of an enclosed inner box covered with clear glass or plastic, a reflector, and insulation. There is a wide variety of patterns and plans for the box cooker. While they do not heat quickly, they do provide slow, even cooking and are extremely cheap to make. Box cookers are very easy and safe to use, and fairly easy to construct. Building Plans [...]
July 29th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Hi ROB,
I surfed through your blog;it is a very pleasant experience,the colorful photos,the gentle approach,the invitation for visitors to participate;let us hope more and more like you will join to promote the use of solar power;the solar fan if interesting;i willkeep coming to your blog to find its activities.
July 29th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
The pleasure was all mine RKRAO.
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SolReka’s last blog post..How to build a Bamboo Solar Cooker for less than $1
August 3rd, 2008 at 9:47 pm
[...] – Try using more than one reflective panel. Use 4 panels instead of one. See Figure 3 in post – Build a simple solar cooker. [...]
March 19th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
that thing is for fagets that like to butt fuck
March 19th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
I liked your article. I am looking forward to building a solar cooker and cooking with my grandchildren this summer. Thanks
August 30th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
i have to make a oven for school 6th grade.lol haha
October 12th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
thanks this is amazeing i love it :]
November 16th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
i mad this one i got 110 digress in 8 hoers hot en of to cook a steak
November 29th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
this is intersting,i never ever had more information about solar cooker
March 16th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
sweet oven billy is retarted who has nothing beatter to do whith his time then sit around and make stupied comment
May 19th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
I lik munkees. I kooked one with it and it was yummee. it tooked foor days. just kidding. i actualle kooked a squirll but rakoons are much beter two ate except fur when the got rabbys cuz rabbys r not fun. just ask my grand pappy.
luv Shaquante
May 20th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
Clap your hands. Did you stop? You lose haha
May 20th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
simon was just kidding
May 26th, 2010 at 1:27 am
I really liked ur article and i am going to use the information to build one for school project i am sure it will be awesome!
June 7th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
Billy shut up if itz for faggets then why the hell are u here anyway?
awesome article im doin this for my 6th grade scince fair project X]
LATERZ X]
June 8th, 2010 at 7:33 pm
weird
June 12th, 2010 at 11:09 pm
this is the most awkwardest thing i ever saw i mean like like like like like like i know im all that but this is so weird…i mean like like like like like,…..i know i have like 2 convertibles and my own regular cooker so why would i need this? i mean like like like like like yah……….
June 12th, 2010 at 11:10 pm
umm……julie that was sort of weird esp with all the likes and stuff….
June 12th, 2010 at 11:19 pm
what the heck?
June 12th, 2010 at 11:20 pm
r u stupid re re?
June 18th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
It seems your keyboard needs cleaning. You seem to be writing the word ‘like’ in multiples
Thank thank thank you for your comment Julie. The simple solar cooker is simply one way of cooking food in an easy fashion using nothing but the energy of the sun. The purpose of the post is to introduce solar cooking to a reader who may be new to such methods of cooking.
June 18th, 2010 at 10:25 pm
Good show !!! keep up the solar flag flying,dear solreka.rkrao
July 15th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
this is amazing!i have to make a solar cooker for my science project and none of the websites gave me the correct information!this is perfect and i am sure i’ll get an A.Besides it’s really easy to make too!What the hell are you saying billy?do you even know what you’re talking about or are you on drugs?using a solar cooker is being smart and resourceful.obviously you’re neither.Besides,if you’re on this website in the first place ou obviously were checking up solar cookers!Therefore you’re just like all of us!
September 24th, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Solar panels are indeed very helpful to us. This is a good solution to the continuous increase of energy price in the market. It gives life long benefits and very environmental friendly. I have developed a keen interest in this entire area. I find it very interesting how many people are so passionate about alternative and green energy sources.
solar heat panels
Thanks,
Scott
September 27th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
Thank u its amazing, I have to do it for a 7th grade science project
September 30th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
Pleasure was all mine Zailey. Let me know if I can be of any more help ref: your science project/s.
October 4th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
I love food
January 5th, 2011 at 10:51 am
Hey guyz, I’m an Indian 13 year old kid (kay! i’m not a kid but 13 year old)
I am so glad to know about solar cooker. I saw a similar type of episode on disney with backyard science but that was bit confusing and costly. But this one is simply awesome!!!
I would recommend my friends to see this post, its almost the best and would surely help me in my school!
Hope of new articles from you very soon, and I’m gonna subscribe by email, surely right now!
Thanks for this awesome post Solreka! Thanks again!
January 6th, 2011 at 3:20 pm
@Aakarsh
Hi Aakarshm, many thanks for dropping by, please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you promote the wonderful world of solar cooking. I am always happy to help. Take care.
February 1st, 2011 at 3:21 am
people r soo crazy this crep is good even tho i read like like like like (lol julie) a sentence but still its good i think
February 22nd, 2011 at 10:38 am
I was baking pizza today and then my friend sent me a link to your blog…so I think I will try this solar cooking thing.
The problem is I have to wait for the Summer, because outside is snowing…only polar cooking is possible…:D
March 9th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
Hi Timea
Thanks for dropping by. Solar cooking really is a simple and fun past time. You don’t need to wait for the summer. I should know I live in England – where we have 2 days of sun… a year.
Only yesterday I made a lovely cup of solar tea. The sun was barely over the horizon (3pmgmt) and outside temp was barely above 5C, yet I managed to boil water in minutes using my highly accurate parabolic cooker. Polar cooking is the same as solar cooking. All you need is a few sprinkles of the magical force that is the sun, and away you go. Cooking for free – you just can’t beat it.
Let me know if I can be of any help with regards to solar cooking info, tips, advice.
Take care
April 7th, 2011 at 4:23 am
Like as the original solar cooker
April 18th, 2011 at 3:28 pm
Well apparently some of you can’t spell. *stupid. *faggots. THATS how you spell. anywhoo, ima make mashed potatos :]
April 18th, 2011 at 8:13 pm
Have fun with your mashed potatoes, thanks for dropping by.
May 2nd, 2011 at 6:50 pm
wow.. really yall lame rere
May 4th, 2011 at 1:51 pm
hi
May 5th, 2011 at 12:53 pm
mother f*****
May 13th, 2011 at 8:19 pm
i mak on four siense it wurk good (i talk like james)
May 13th, 2011 at 8:20 pm
myn kuck hot pokits
July 6th, 2011 at 8:28 pm
I’ll do the pizza box solar cooker with my grandchildren. Their father made a cone shaped one for a school science project when in elementary school – the 4 foot cooker was nearly as tall as he was & very awkward to haul around. I’ve also done box cookers that used charcoal & smaller solar cookers with Girl Scouts in the past. Time to reconnect with my past memories & do this compact solar cooker. Thanks for the info. I like the multiple panels idea.
July 7th, 2011 at 8:49 pm
@sandy_scout
Hi Sandy. The great thing about solar cooking is that it can be as simple or as complex as you want. A pizza box solar cooker is easy and fun to build with children, but designing and building a parabolic solar cooker is a whole new kettle of fish… as I found out the hard way
Let us know how you get on with your solar cooker. Have fun with it, that’s all that matters.
August 9th, 2011 at 4:51 am
going to use this for my science project hope it works ! but more help then other websites !
September 9th, 2011 at 12:05 am
this is great
September 9th, 2011 at 12:08 am
i love this i got an aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
September 21st, 2011 at 1:36 pm
Hi Ashley
That is fantastic news. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you. Perhaps you might want to build a Stirling engine 10kw solar array system.
October 10th, 2011 at 3:32 pm
I have been looking for information about making a solar cooker, Now am going to try the methods you gave. I am a mathematics teacher and i want to use it as a project work.
I will get back to you.
Rebecca.
November 8th, 2011 at 9:29 am
bleeeeeeeee!pingiyt kka
December 11th, 2011 at 3:11 pm
The idea of making this cooker is very nice. Please can you send some more ideas like this.
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