Most homes utilize gas or electric stoves that eat up a lot of fuel. So does this mean people should go back to cooking bonfires and cooking everything on a grill? That doesn’t have to be the case since several green cooking options are now available for those looking to help save the environment. One of these is the solar oven.

1. Greener Cooking with a Solar Oven
One of the things that contribute greatly to our carbon footprint is the way people eat. Aside from the energy
needed to produce the stuff we take home from the grocery, people may not notice that the way they are
cooked can also be environmentally harmful. Most homes utilize gas or electric stoves that eat up a lot of fuel.
So does this mean people should go back to cooking bonfires and cooking everything on a grill? That doesn't
have to be the case since several green cooking options are now available for those looking to help save the
environment. One of these is the solar oven.
What is Solar Oven Made Of?
It may sound something out of a sci­fi movie but a solar oven has been around for quite some time now. These
are also popularly known as box cookers. These ovens are thermally insulated boxes that can heat up to 300F.
They have either plastic or glass tops that make sure that convection is reduced. The sides could be lined with
foil or reflective panels while the bottom must be colored black. The box itself and the insides should be
insulated properly to avoid melting.
How Does a Solar Oven it Work?
A solar oven concentrates on
sunlight, usually with the aid of a
reflective panel angled towards the
inside of the box to cook the food.
The light is converted to heat and
trapped inside with the help of the
insulated walls of the cooker. Black
pots and pans are preferred when
cooking with a solar oven to help
contain heat. The best time to use
one is at noon, when the sun is at its
highest. However, not everything can be cooked in a solar cooker. Since there are limits as to how high the
temperatures can get when using one, it is best to look for solar oven recipes that do not require food that have
a lot of moisture.
What are the Benefits of Going Solar with Solar Oven?
The solar cooking technology has not only helped in decreasing harmful emissions and the use of non­
renewable resources but also help in providing means for people in other less developed parts of the globe to
Greener Cooking with a Solar Oven © 2012 www.idcook.us

2. have safe and warm meals. Because the technology is cheap and very portable, a solar oven is easily
transported to villages where they are still using firewood to cook.
Since it uses solar energy and does not involve any ignition, it is also safer to use. Because the oven can only
reach a certain temperature, it is easy to use and does not burn food even when left unattended. The depletion
of forests due to the use of trees for firewood can also be prevented this way. A solar oven can also be used to
make sure that food are well cooked and that water can be boiled so that families in remote areas can avoid
diseases.
More and more kinds of solar cookware like solar oven are being developed today. More sophisticated models
are coming out that may be a far cry from the ones we are familiar with. It is definitely a technology worth
looking into not only for the environment but for the improvement of lives in other parts of the world.
CLICK HERE To See The Solar Oven SUNCOOK + In Action.
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Greener Cooking with a Solar Oven © 2012 www.idcook.us