The only thing you need is sunlight and for the solar cooker to be facing the sun before use. Apart from that, it is not much different from a conventional oven.

The only disadvantage of solar cooking is that it provides the hottest food during the hottest part of the day, when people are less inclined to eat a hot meal.

However, the health benefits of solar energy used in this way means that people can cook their food without fear of contamination.

Health Benefits Of Solar Energy

Because the food does not reach too high a temperature, it won't burn, so can be safely left in the cooker all day. It is best to start cooking before midday.

However, depending on the latitude and weather, food can be cooked either early or later in the day. The cooker can be used to warm food and drinks and can also be used to pasteurize water or milk.

Solar box cookers can be made from locally available materials or be manufactured in a factory for sale.

The solar box cooker won't reach a temperature as hot as a standard oven, but it should be hot enough to cook food over a somewhat longer period of time. It should be remembered that food containing moisture cannot get much hotter than 100 °C (212 °F) in any case, so it is not necessary to cook at the high temperatures indicated in standard cookbooks.

The health benefits of solar energy cannot be ignored. These simple and useful appliances are seen in growing numbers in almost every country of the world. And that can only be a good thing!

To return to our solar energy home page.