Bread, beans, rice, casseroles, hot dogs, burgers, desserts, even a whole Thanksgiving turkey…
Would you believe me if I told you that all these things and more can be cooked with only the power and heat of the sun?
Sounds crazy, right? But with a solar oven, it’s possible.
How Do Solar Ovens Work?
A solar oven, (also called a solar cooker or sun oven) uses the heat and energy of direct sunlight to cook food.
Solar ovens rely on four basic concepts to cook food. Once you understand these concepts, you’ll have a good understanding of how solar cooking works and realize that it’s really quite simple.
- Concentrating Sunlight: The solar oven uses a reflective surface (such as a mirror or shiny metal) to attract and concentrate sunlight onto a small surface. This is where the solar oven gets its power.
- Converting Light to Heat: A non-reflective, dark surface inside the solar oven absorbs sunlight to create an environment hot enough to cook food.
- Trapping Heat: An airtight container inside the solar oven traps the heat so that the food can cook. Since the solar oven is so efficient at turning light into heat, it can be used on cold days just as well as hot days.
- The Greenhouse Effect: Have you ever gotten into your car on a cold but sunny day and found that your car was hot inside? This is due to the greenhouse effect, where rays of light shine through a clear surface and are trapped inside and converted to heat. This is the principle that allows plants to grow inside a greenhouse even in winter (hence the name), and it’s what allows the solar oven to cook your food.
Solar ovens come in all shapes, sizes, styles, and price points, but every one of them works by using these four basic concepts.
Benefits of Solar Cooking
At first glance, solar cooking might seem like an old-school, inconvenient way to do things. I mean, isn’t it slow? And why would I want to use a solar oven when I’ve got a real oven and a microwave right in my kitchen?
In fact, there are tons of reasons why you should consider trying a solar oven. For example:
- It's cheap. Aside from the initial cost of the oven itself, solar cooking is virtually free.
- It's environmentally friendly. Solar cooking uses a renewable energy source — the sun — and cuts down on energy consumption.
- It's portable. A solar oven can be used just about anywhere, and most are small enough to be transported easily.
- It's safe. With a solar oven, you never have to worry about starting a fire or inhaling harmful smoke.
- It's healthy. Cooking food slowly in more moderate temperatures helps preserve nutrients.
- It's SHTF-ready. In a power grid failure or other disaster, a solar oven will allow you to still cook meat and other food without electricity.
These are just a few of the benefits provided by a solar oven. To see more, click here.
Homemade vs. Commercial Solar Ovens
Like I said earlier, there are all kinds of solar ovens out there, and you can even make your own. Here's a great video showing the construction and use of a homemade and commercial solar oven:
Whether commercial or homemade, a solar oven is a must-have survival tool. They're not just great for camping or cooking outside, they're vital for survival during a long-term power outage or other SHTF situation.
Editors Note: These ovens are fantastic to have on hand but are hard to come by. I'veIf you want to get your hands on an exclusive package, made just for the Survival Life Community. Please click the link below:
I have a very personal reason for putting this kit together and I want to share it with you.
So please Watch This short presentation and see exactly why solar cooking is so important to me (and why it should be important to you as well)
Please act quickly, I was only able to put a few of these together and I don't know if I will ever be able to get them again.
