Cooking Without Electricity – Solar Sun Oven

cooking-without-electricity-solar-sun-oven
Cooking without electricity can be simple and easy while using any number of solar oven cookers that are available out there, or maybe by building one yourself.
We have built several solar cookers ourselves and we have also purchased one particular model which has always seemed to be one of the best. It is called the Sun Oven. We have used this solar oven for several years now, and it gets a pretty good work out.
This particular cooker gets hotter than others, including the models that we have built ourselves. We find that we more or less have to treat it as a normal oven with regards to keeping track of the cooking time, whereas other "less hot" solar ovens can be largely left unattended since they cook low and slow, kind of like cooking in a crock pot.



There are two features that I particularly like about the Sun Oven, the reflector assembly and its ability to tilt at an angle facing the sun.
The reflector is made of four highly reflective metal sheets and does an excellent job of collecting available sunlight. I really like the fact that the assembly is hinged in such a manner that allows it to fold up very easily.
solar-cooker-sun-oven


The cooker box has an adjustable rear leg which allows an optimum angle of the entire solar oven towards the sun. Simple, but clever.
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There are countless foods that can be cooked in a solar oven. By the way, because they typically cook slower, most all of the moisture is retained for a delicious tasting meal.
The tray platform inside the oven measures 13 x 9 inches, so be sure that you get a pan that fits. Two Granite Ware pans that fit nicely are the 13 Inch Covered Oval Roaster and the 3 Piece Everything Roaster. Remember, whatever you use, be sure the pan and cover are black.


solar-oven-baked-potatoes
One of my favorite simple foods to cook in any solar oven is the potato. A baked potato cooked in a solar oven will probably be the best you have ever tasted. The reason being, the inside of the potato remains completely moist.
When through, slice it, add a pad of butter, sprinkle some chives, a sprinkle of salt and a few twists of crushed pepper, and oh my goodness you have yourself a delicious baked potato.
One tip is to add about half an inch of water to the bottom of the pan, and of course cover the pan with a lid. Also, should go without saying, always use a black pan in a solar oven to further collect the energy from the sun.
Experimenting with different foods in a solar oven is fun. There is hardly a chance of burning anything. That coupled with the moisture retention, always results in something delicious. Now I've gone and made myself hungry just typing this…
For energy savings, for your health, and for emergency survival preparedness, consider obtaining (or building) your own solar oven cooker.



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