Solar Cooker/Cooking

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INTJohn

Active member
Joined
Aug 13, 2015
Posts
26
Am thinking about building one or maybe purchase:
http://www.solarcooker-at-cantinawest.com
Prices don't seem to bad.

I could design & build one as well since determining the parabolic focal point(s) is all thats needed and the reflective materials are easily found anywhere. Would save on propane & battery juice as we all gota cook & eat.........

Anyone out there have any experience with cooking like this or also making their own solar stove?

Thanx........INTJohn
 
You may want to also check out using a fresnel lense from an old projection television for a heat source for outdoor cooking.
 
In January 2013 SmokerBill started a discussion on Solar Ovens.  See RVing message boards ? Homemaking on the road ? Building And Using a Solar Oven.

ArdraF
 
kdbgoat said:
You may want to also check out using a fresnel lense from an old projection television for a heat source for outdoor cooking.

Yeah - a fresnal lens would be a kool use for solar cooking application too; as well as water heater. I'm just trying to think about ways to cook and heat water while boondocking in the SW to conserve on propane and battery. As long as there is tons of sunlight like exists in the SW why not optimize it if one can in a really cheap & efficient way.

Thanx........INTJohn
 
denmarc said:
My 2 cents...

Nothing beats food cooked over a hardwood campfire.
Just sayin'


Aint' sayin........I'm just sayin' haha.....
Actually if one is a fulltime boondocker like i am there is plenty that beats cooking over a hardwood campfire.
I see your from GR Mi. and I have no clue about your lifestyle but my guess is your a weekend vacation type rver and GR Mi. is  my neck of the woods for 8 months of the year. Yeah - for 8 months of the year I boondock live about an hour northwest of GR Mi. Before I became a fulltime boondocker i lived on 40 acres of wooded land there and heated my house with wood and often cooked over it as well for 26 years. Cutting it, splitting it with a maul, hauling it stacking it etc. etc. 8 to 10 cord per year every year - it was an integral part of my lifestyle for 26 years...........

Since fulltime boondocking has become my way of life I don't mess with open wood fires to much little lone cook on one and don't really have a desire to either.  Too much time invested with it for one thing but when I spend my winters in the SW - Ca & Az border areas there is simply so much sun and so little firewood as well even if one wanted to spend the time to gather enuff for 4 months use....... SUNshine is there and I just as soon utilize it if possible like most of us have utilized it by employing solar panels for electrical charging, etc......Grand Rapids too is one of the most cloudiest places in the USA.

So I guess its my dollar which i think is worth more than your 2 cents - haha

Thanx..........INTJohn
 
I have two solar box ovens. The only thing I can't cook in them is fried foods. That requires a lens or dish cooker. I don't have either of those for two reasons.

First you have to have a pretty good sized parabolic or lens cooker to do much. Second is since the solar system can directly power the hotplate we use for cooking, it makes the parabolic or lens cooker redundant.

Here is a page of solar cooker plans.

http://solarcooking.org/plans/

You can find a solar cooking group on yahoo as well as a ton of videos on you tube. With the two ovens and hotplate I can cook for a small army on a sunny summer day.
 
INTJohn said:
Aint' sayin........I'm just sayin' haha.....
Actually if one is a fulltime boondocker like i am there is plenty that beats cooking over a hardwood campfire.
I see your from GR Mi. and I have no clue about your lifestyle but my guess is your a weekend vacation type rver and GR Mi. is  my neck of the woods for 8 months of the year. Yeah - for 8 months of the year I boondock live about an hour northwest of GR Mi. Before I became a fulltime boondocker i lived on 40 acres of wooded land there and heated my house with wood and often cooked over it as well for 26 years. Cutting it, splitting it with a maul, hauling it stacking it etc. etc. 8 to 10 cord per year every year - it was an integral part of my lifestyle for 26 years...........

Since fulltime boondocking has become my way of life I don't mess with open wood fires to much little lone cook on one and don't really have a desire to either.  Too much time invested with it for one thing but when I spend my winters in the SW - Ca & Az border areas there is simply so much sun and so little firewood as well even if one wanted to spend the time to gather enuff for 4 months use....... SUNshine is there and I just as soon utilize it if possible like most of us have utilized it by employing solar panels for electrical charging, etc......Grand Rapids too is one of the most cloudiest places in the USA.

So I guess its my dollar which i think is worth more than your 2 cents - haha

Thanx..........INTJohn

Now you've peaked my interest!
I was a bit more than a weekend camper not too long ago. But times have changed in the past couple years.
You mentioned being from "an hour northwest of GR". My place is almost exactly that far from the stick/brick home. Curiosity abounds.
Besides, my place is always "cloudy". Solar is not an option. I'm in the woods. Those damn trees keep growing those green things on them every Spring...Oh yeah, leaves. Blends right in with MI weather.  ;)

PM me if you like. Might be interesting.
 
Another good reason for a solar cooker is that there are many places where firewood is very, very hard to find when boondocking (southwest USA).

Anxious to see your solar cooker results.

Maybe worth noting - I do some dutch oven cooking using charcoal.  Charcoal being easier to find (in some places) and more condensed that wood.
 
I think the advantage of solar cooking is it will give you plenty of time to drink beer while the meal cooks.
 
We built one in the early 90 high school science class.    It cooked hotdogs good.  But where never able to get 1lb of water to boil...... More of a gimmick.  If your going to use solar to cook use a magnifying lens to start a fire
 
My SOS sport and Global sun oven both reach 300 F and have no problems boiling water. A American sun oven will produce over 400 F but all are all well designed, well insulated, sealed and have reflectors at the proper angles. The thing is they are all bulky. I can cook two chickens at once in the Sport and a full rack of ribs in the global, it takes the bulk to hold the food.

Check out solar ovens, solar cookers and solar cooking on You tube. You will see everything from DiY to the commercial models.
 
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