Enjoy Greener Cooking With Solar Oven

Posted by kamal on April 24th, 2019

One of the things that contribute greatly to our carbon footprint is the way people eat. Aside from the energy needed to produce the stuff we take home from the grocery; people may not notice that the way they are cooked can also be environmentally harmful.

Most homes utilize gas or electric stoves that eat up a lot of fuel. So, does this mean people should go back to cooking bonfires and cooking everything on a grill? That doesn't have to be the case since several green cooking options are now available for those looking to help save the environment. One of these is the solar oven.

It may sound something out of a sci-fi movie but it has been around for quite some time now. These are also popularly known as box cookers. These Mini Solar Ovens are thermally insulated boxes that can heat up to 300F. They have either plastic or glass tops that make sure that convection is reduced. The sides could be lined with foil or reflective panels while the bottom must be colored black. The box itself and the insides should be insulated properly to avoid melting.

A Solavore Solar Ovenconcentrates on sunlight, usually with the aid of a reflective panel angled towards the inside of the box to cook the food. The light is converted to heat and trapped inside with the help of the insulated walls of the cooker. Black pots and pans are preferred when cooking to help contain heat. The best time to use one is at noon, when the sun is at its highest. However, not everything can be cooked in a solar cooker. Since there are limits as to how high the temperatures can get when using one, it is best to look for recipes that do not require food that have a lot of moisture.

The solar cooking technology has not only helped in decreasing harmful emissions and the use of non-renewable resources but also help in providing means for people in other less developed parts of the globe to have safe and warm meals. Because the technology is cheap and very portable, a solar oven is easily transported to villages where they are still using firewood to cook and also provide the benefit of Water Pasteurization Indicator. Since it uses solar energy and does not involve any ignition, it is also safer to use. Because the oven can only reach a certain temperature, it is easy to use and does not burn food even when left unattended. The depletion of forests due to the use of trees for firewood can also be prevented this way. A solar oven can also be used to make sure that food is well cooked and that water can be boiled so that families in remote areas can avoid diseases.