A few fun and creative ideas to make a simple solar cooker at home

Most of us have not yet jumped on the bandwagon of using natural resources for our everyday chores. Solar cooking is an excellent alternative to save electricity and petroleum. Many new models and designs have evolved, and it’s high time we try the solar cookers. Most of us have a notion that these cookers are complicated and onerous to use. But, they are probably not!

By taking proper precautions, they serve as an excellent replacement for our regular cookware. Solar cookers can be made at our homes as we have guides available these days with a simplified process of construction and working.

Let us now know the materials required.

1. Open-faced cardboard boxes measuring 15 by 15 inches-2
   The size matters, so, bigger the size, more efficient the cooking will be. One box should be bigger, and the other should be smaller so that the smaller one should fit snugly into the bigger one.
2. Additional piece of cardboard-1
   This piece of cardboard has to be 2-3 inches broader than the top of the bigger cardboard box to serve as a lid.
3. Black spray paint bottle-1
   Black tempera paint or spray paint can be used for insulation purpose. Most importantly, the paint must be non-toxic and should not cause any harm to the food being cooked.
4. Glue (Preferably white) – About 8 Ounces.
5. Oven cooking bags.

Plastic oven cooking bags will serve the purpose well. They should have the capability to withstand a temperature of about 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

If the days are not sunny enough, black foils can be used to cover the sides of the cardboard boxes to increase their capacity of heat absorption. Sheet made of metal can be used as the dripping pan. Cooking bags made of plastic must be replaced from time to time to avoid contamination of food.

If we want the solar cooker to function efficiently without any hitches, then let us have a sneak peek of some valuable tips below. These tips have been suggested by experts who have mastered the art of making these kinds of cookers at home by implementing various trial and error methods.

1. We have to decide the depth of the oven based on our cooking necessities. The inner box must fit perfectly in the outer one. Folds of the outer box must be cut to create a hole, and the flaps of the outer box must be tight.
2. The appearance of the inner box is more important than the outer one and for first timers, drawing lines and then cutting will help acquire the perfect shape and size.
3. The flaps of the outer box must be kept glued, and we can go for additional stuffing between the boxes as an extra precaution.
4. We can also make a drip pan on which the cooker has to be placed. We can use aluminum foil to cover it.
5. We should make a lid using another cardboard sheet that is broader than the outer and inner cardboard boxes.
6. Reflector flap, same size as the lid serves as an excellent heat absorber.
7. We can use an additional plastic bag for extra heating and hanger wire for easy removal of the lid.