DIY Solar Oven

We will need sun like you have to do this.
In Melb Australia"s summer its more posdible.
Ill aim to try it one day.
No promises.

Hows it working out in 2021?

Here is the latest design.

Key points.
Easy to put together...no welding or hammers
No need to buy toxic insulation...recycle old clothes
Assemble it in less than 5 minutes...
Leave it in the sun for 4 to 5 hours and the food is cooked
Inexpensive...most parts you already have





Kostas

Thanks i love its simlpicity.

So the outer container of the latest experiment is a plastic tub?
--
Insulated from the passive solar energy to be generated by reflection of mirrors.

Or what material is the outer tub that your used?
Although its more of a safe carry case fir when your dinner is cooked rather than essential to the process.
Or have i missed its other importance?

Not sure, I understand your question Joyce. But...

The outer tub is plastic - in this case I picked it up from the neighborhood recycling bin. Its not in contact with the food.

This tub can be constructed with wood...it needs to be air tight (wood filler will do).

The old clothes provide, it turns out, excellent insulation. They are also not in contact with the food.

I am amazed at how easy, simple and inexpensive it is - (don't know why it took so long for me to get to this point).

I hope I answered your question.

kostas

Yes, you answered my question.
Thanks.

Yes sometimes simplicity is illusive until the light goes on we see it for all its glory!!!

Great initiative.

A few days ago I baked a loaf of bread, using this latest design...it came out good. I wish it did not take as long. I suppose I could have taken it out 2 hours sooner; but I like crusty bread and the power was free !!!

As time goes on we will learn from this process of cooking meals and baking bread and stuff...unfortunately fall and winter is approaching and we don't have many days for solar cooking; next spring - if we can.

I like this design...the use of old clothes as opposed to commercial insulation and the fact its easily assembled. To buy a solar oven and have it travel around the world to get to me makes no sense...all that energy and human effort - not necessary.

It's not for everyone...if you have enough money and not enough time you can purchase a solar oven available online;  there are many good ones available.

If anyone tries it, let me know your thoughts.



Kostas

Hi Kostas, does the cooker get rotated at all during the day to keep it facing the sun? I could see checking it say every 2 hours, and turning it a little too far, so that after another hour it would be in direct sun, vs turning it every 20-30 minutes for optimal cook time but too much effort "fiddling".

If a simple/low tech method of sun tracking could be used that would be ideal, I've seen some designs for solar panel rotation but no idea how much those cost. I saw someone made one with used a printer motor and a lazy susan / rotating platter and a few light sensor diodes.

Hello Mark,
Good question.
I am at the beginning of learning how to use this design can bake bread. I was glad to see this loaf come out so well. Bread is very important for many cultures around the world.  It takes a lot of energy to bake bread. Usually many trees trees, coal or other hydrocarbons are burned every year. Until solar/wind and storage become cheap enough for all, we need other solutions.

The ideal would be to set up the oven at 8 or 9 am then come back at 3 or 5 pm and the food would be ready. No moving of pan or adjustments.

I know about the trackers, but are outside my parameters (for now).

With regular food, I don't rotate the cooker. I adjust the mirrors  - slightly change the angle so the sun hits the pan better.  I usually do this, close to noon, and maybe at 1.

In the early morning, the east facing sun, provides most if the energy, and as the sun rises and moves in the southern sky, the south facing mirror contributes most of the energy. The other mirrors are important because they help raise the temperature to the ideal140-150C.  If you can keep the energy in the pan at 140-150C, constantly...you can cook just about anything.

Again...it's very very very important to keep half or more of the pan empty.  It collects the sun's energy, it's the burner that cooks the food.

The color of the doe is bright white and reflects the sun away from the pan, so its slower to heat up. I will try whole wheat bread, if I get another good sunny day this season, to see how much difference it makes. Or place the bread in a different position in the pan.

I hope I have answered your questions.

Kostas

Another meal was cooked yesterday, on a partly hazy day.

Kostas

From memory, Kosta, you are in the meditation?

Or where are you, with all that warm solar source for 7+hrs worth of baking?

Joyce.

Hello Joyce,
We are in northern Greece...Thessaloniki... plenty of sunshine in the spring summer and fall.

(Meditation?    Lazy about it lately)

Kostas

Ah, yes, I thought so.

When the BORDERS all resolve and freedom of movement is norm, we should all come over and enjoy some of that bread!

Maybe CREATE your own recipe BOOK.
So the rest of the SUNNY world can follow your lead.

Although I am Vegetarian, which is a lot less risk in food prep and cooking temperatures than nonVeg, I am wondering about hygiene of how long I would need to leave something to cook in our hot summer.  Im thinking.

Ill let you know if I try something.

I have picked up off others front nature strip,  solid glass table tops, (only God knows what happened to their frames. ? outdoor low grade metal that rusted through??)
I wonder if they too would have some reflective potential. I know they absorb, what do you think?

We all should be vegetarians....the earth and all it's creatures would greatly appreciate it.

Heavy glass...I don't think would be reflective...

I am sure you will find other uses for it.

Kostas

yes, I have other uses, that's why I picked them up.

but just wondered.

Enjoy creating that RECIPE BOOK MAYBE which you might call  "Solar Cooking for Mediterraneans"

The latest version of the Solar Oven...very happy with it.



Kostas