Modern technologies are putting the powers of the sun to many uses. We are beginning to power airplanes and cars with solar panels, we heat our domestic and swimming pool water with the sun, and many people are beginning to power their homes with it too.
For centuries, however, people have been using the sun to do all of their cooking as well. Today, solar cooking and ovens are a very popular topic and many world health organizations and groups putting the power of the solar oven to use in order to combat disease and illness.
For example, in impoverished countries, pasteurization of water is possible through solar cooking, and its use also eliminates the inhaled pollutants created by non-vented hearths and the use of solid fuel for family cooking. Additionally, a modern solar oven may even help to reduce global warming and climate change simply because it automatically eliminates the need to burn any fuels or to create hazardous smoke and smog.
Of course, many environmentalists and outdoor enthusiasts are turning to solar powered ovens and cooking in order to enjoy a wider range of dining options without the need for electricity too.
The designs used for such cookers include box types, panel varieties, and the parabolic styles too. The latter is the one used more and more frequently because it can actually cook almost as quickly as a traditional oven or stove, but these do have the proverbial “downside” which is that they are somewhat difficult to build and that they must also be continually monitored and angled towards the sun. The other styles capture all available light and redirect it into the box or container in which the cooking is taking place.
One of the most frequently asked questions about the use of solar power for cooking is “what can you make with such an oven or cooker?” The answer is really “just about anything you have in mind”. There are entire cookbooks offering recipes for everything from beverages and snacks, to salads and desserts. In fact, the surge of interest in slow cooker or Crockpot cookery has also transferred into the solar powered cookers too. Most of the recipes are compatible and can be easily used without electricity at all. For instance, any recipe calling for rice, grains, corn, meat, vegetables, and other foods can be safely cooked by the sun. There are millions of people around the world who bake their daily bread and make an evening crock of stew without anything except a few pans and their solar oven or cooker.