How to Make an Inexpensive Homemade Solar Oven!

You know how it is, a group of you are camping and although each of you has their own tasks of what items to bring with you somehow the task of who was to bring the cooking equipment was overlooked, well don't despair here's a simple to make and inexpensive solar oven that will only take a few minutes to construct.

You will need:-

A cardboard box, the size of which determines how much or how big an item you can cook. The best type of box is one with a large one piece lid.

Black heat resistant paper

Tin foil

Clingfilm

Tape/glue.

The first task is to completely cover the outside of your box with the black heat resistant paper, taping or gluing the edges to ensure a good seal. Line the inside of the box with the tin foil, including the inside of the lid.

The lid needs to be positioned in a spot to catch the full heat of the sun, well away from any shade. The angle needs to be sufficient to redirect the sun's rays inside the box. Allow up to thirty minutes in the sun for your homemade solar oven to heat up, place the food that you wish to cook inside the solar oven. The next stage is to completely cover the top of the oven and reflective lid with the cling film; this creates a heat seal trapping the heat inside and prevents any of the heat from escaping.

You need to allow about twice as long a cooking time than you would for a conventional oven, but by following this method high temperatures can be achieved.

This can be a fun way to cook your own food while in the great outdoors, while giving you the added satisfaction that it cost you virtually nothing to make, as well as the added bonus that you didn't have to pay anything in operating costs. Depending on the size of your box you can easily cook anything from sausages and burgers right up to a full pot roast. If you are using a pot, the best ones to use are the black ones as this helps with increasing the heat and further quickening the cooking process. One little word on safety, if you are cooking larger pieces of meat then you should always check that they are thoroughly cooked in the centre before eating.

Bon appétit!

For a more permanent lid you can always use a glass or Perspex lid, replacing the need for the cling film covering.

Sources:- personal knowledge and experience.