Where can I find/buy a solar cooker? Or directions for making one?

I once purchased a cooker (forget where) that depended on reflectors that blew down in the slightest breeze, so abandoned it. There must be something more practical.

I live in San Diego, with much sun, but seldom very hot sun. I don't necessarily need an all-purpose cooker. One with a single "recipe" or just a few uses - potatoes, oatmeal? - for experimenting would be an appreciated start.

Thank you.

Mary Krimmel

-- mary krimmel (mary@krimmel.net), May 07, 2000

Answers

Mary, do a web search -- I found several sites with plans for solar cookers and sirections for using them. They sound really good -- I want to try one this summer.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), May 07, 2000.

Try homepower.com There have been articles printed that show a variety of these. The entire archives are available on line.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), May 07, 2000.

Mary, my Son built me a jam-up solar oven for Christmas 1998. This thing is a beaut. The outside is wood. The inside is lined with aluminum. It has a plexi-glass door that has different positions. This thing is large enough to roast a pig. Understanding you want something smaller. What are you wanting to cook? The instructions for this project came from one kind soul on the Internet. Maybe my Son could offer suggestion for modifying size.

-- lectric oven (ain't@llthereis.com), May 07, 2000.

We have a Sun Oven and a backpacker's model my husband won in a drawing at an outdoor equipment show. I can't get adequate heat for much more than heating water for coffee, etc., in the backpacker's cooker but then I really haven't played with it enough to see what it can do. The Sun Oven does as advertised and although I use it very often for everyday cooking, it's really great when I don't want to heat the house. The gimbel that keeps food level can also spill the food if it's liquid and the unit is bumped. One day I started cooking something in the house and had to leave on an emergency. I transferred the dish to the Sun Oven, oriented it to the sun and left. When I returned late that afternoon, the oven was cooling but the temperature was still hot enough that the food was safe to eat.

All solar cookers recommend thin dark colored utensils and I tried enamel. I was frustrated it chipped so easily that I went to the dark glass covered casseroles and recently bought 2 thin shiny plain metal pots that I painted black on the outside. They've worked well and if the paint comes off, I'll just repaint them.

Try to find "Cooking With The Sun" by Beth and Dan Halacy at your library as it has recipes and directions for a number of solar options including one they call a solar hot plate.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), May 08, 2000.

Mary this is Shaun of shaun& terri where in sandiego do you live I'm down in chula vista it's great to know that there is some one else around in the area email me please Shaun

-- shaun cornish (shaun-terri@juno.com), May 08, 2000.

I found a couple of sites last fall that have designs for solar box cookers. One is from the How-To Survival Library http://forums.cosmoaccess.net/forum/survival/prep/solarbox.htm

The other one is from BHM, go to their site, then to their article index. The title of the article is Making and using a solar cooker. It's from Issue 30. Good luck. Polly

-- Polly (oakridge@netcommander.com), May 10, 2000.