SOLAR OVEN

[Marianne]

I just might have to try to build one. I'd love to have electric bills that low in the summer. I've already decided that my crock pot and bread maker will be used a lot during the summer so I don't heat up my whole kitchen cooking.

Deb, I plug my slow cooker in outside during the summer. Never had any problems with bugs hanging around. Both of my slow cookers put out a fair amount of heat. I tried wrapping them with a big towel. Worked really well on one cooker. I had it set on low, but it cooked like it was on high and there wasn't a speck of extra heat in the house from it. On the other slow cooker? Dang near melted the cord and scared the crap out of me. Good thing I was home and checked it.

I think I'm going to see about building a 'hay box'. It's just a well insulated box that you put your pot of boiling chow into. Shut the lid and it cooks all day using the residual heat from the pot. Still not as energy efficient as the solar cooker since you have to bring that pot to a full boil before you put it in the box.

Oh and welcome newbies!

Maggie, somewhere (Mike Oehlert?) I saw a video of an owner built house that had a solar oven that was accessed from within the kitchen. If I recall, it was just glass on all sides and the door in the kitchen wall was well insulated. Neat concept, but I bet you got an oven blast of heat when you opened the door.

And of course, now that we're talking about solar ovens again, I have the urge to build one...

 

[Denim Deb]

For me, it probably won't happen until next year. I have too much stuff to get done first, but I'm slowly getting there.

 

[valmom]

I love the idea of the car sunshade solar cooker. I may just have to try that one this year. I think we get enough sun to use it in the summer,at least.