Solar oven?

[Sea Dreaming]

Do you use a solar oven on board? Which brand do you have? Does it work well?
Do you use it oten enough to make storing it worth while?
What don't you like about your oven or solar cooking in general?
Have you made a solar oven? How did you design yours?

Obviously I am tempted to try a solar oven but I'm not sure buying a commercially made oven is worth the cost or storage (some are bulky!). I'm thinking about using fan core cut along the lines of a parabolic reflector and lining it with mylar "space blanket". I would love to hear your ideas!

[Pete7]

Ha, wish we could but at 50 North a slow cooker and stews are more likely to be needed than a BBQ. Interestingly running the slow cooker off solar panels is an option as the cooker is only 120w.

Pete

[Training Wheels]

We're going to try a Gosun Sport. It sure seems like a great concept; I hope it works!

[UNCIVILIZED]

If you do some searching (mostly online, not on CF specifically), you'll be able to find some for backpacking & camping, that are designed so that they fold flat when not in use. Usually these are primary made using flat metal plate stock. Though some also use various "fabrics", & clear "glass" (of various materials).

Mostly I just bake on the stove top. We started doing it when I was about 5, including dad letting my brother & I do it mostly unsupervised from age 10. So it's fairly easy. Though there's a small learning curve. But you can make almost anything but for gourmet dishes this way. Cakes, bread, scones, muffins, biscuts, & bannocks. All turn out well, & are delish! Just use low heat, & allow the retained heat of the pot to do most of your cooking for you.

Sometimes using a bundt cake pan with a hole in the center is best, especially when used with a metal plate atop it. The hole & the plate help the heat to radiate & bake some things a bit better than do regular cook pots. And large cooking pots that you can put baking tins into also can be used. Ditto on big cast iron ones which hold heat well, & re-radiate it into your creations slowly, if you're using baking tins inside of them. Though usually I'll just bake right in a dutch oven, or standard pot which has been properly greased.

It's a bit easier to do such things on a gas burner, as you can more easily control the heat input.


Edit: Look for books on cooking & baking from the 1970's, they tend to have more info in them on such things. Ditto periodicals like Mother Earth News.

[daw_two]

Originally Posted by Training Wheels

We're going to try a Gosun Sport. It sure seems like a great concept; I hope it works!

The Gosun Sport is used on s/v Uma.

In the credits:
-GO SUN (Solar cooker)
http://www.gosunstove.com
(use promo code SailingUma for $25 off)

They have used their Gosun solar in other episodes. Here's a link (look at 04:24) where Dan is using it to roast some peanuts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgjbrW-GsVM

[Sea Dreaming]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

If you do some searching (mostly online, not on CF specifically), you'll be able to find some for backpacking & camping, that are designed so that they fold flat when not in use. Usually these are primary made using flat metal plate stock. Though some also use various "fabrics", & clear "glass" (of various materials).

Mostly I just bake on the stove top. We started doing it when I was about 5, including dad letting my brother & I do it mostly unsupervised from age 10. So it's fairly easy. Though there's a small learning curve. But you can make almost anything but for gourmet dishes this way. Cakes, bread, scones, muffins, biscuts, & bannocks. All turn out well, & are delish! Just use low heat, & allow the retained heat of the pot to do most of your cooking for you.

Sometimes using a bundt cake pan with a hole in the center is best, especially when used with a metal plate atop it. The hole & the plate help the heat to radiate & bake some things a bit better than do regular cook pots. And large cooking pots that you can put baking tins into also can be used. Ditto on big cast iron ones which hold heat well, & re-radiate it into your creations slowly, if you're using baking tins inside of them. Though usually I'll just bake right in a dutch oven, or standard pot which has been properly greased.

It's a bit easier to do such things on a gas burner, as you can more easily control the heat input.


Edit: Look for books on cooking & baking from the 1970's, they tend to have more info in them on such things. Ditto periodicals like Mother Earth News.

Thank you for your thoughts. I might try some stove top baking one day but we do have an oven. My real motivation is to save fuel and keep heat out of the cabin. I've been looking at all kinds of ideas. Solar cooking is one, thermal cooking another. For thermal cooking I have pretty much decided to use my pressure cooker in a collapsible ice chest with towels or blankets to increase the insulation. Easy to break down and store, as well as free because I already have the goods.

I looked at the gosun...I really like the idea, except the price! Being cheap, er, um "frugal", I hope to find an idea closer to the thermal box idea. If anyone has more ideas, bring em on!

[vivaan]

well i have read all the views but my friends if you see this video then in actually you can feel how solar oven works properly.i have made video on it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxGSm7tKD4E

[NornaBiron]

Originally Posted by Sea Dreaming

Thank you for your thoughts. I might try some stove top baking one day but we do have an oven. My real motivation is to save fuel and keep heat out of the cabin. I've been looking at all kinds of ideas. Solar cooking is one, thermal cooking another. For thermal cooking I have pretty much decided to use my pressure cooker in a collapsible ice chest with towels or blankets to increase the insulation. Easy to break down and store, as well as free because I already have the goods.

I looked at the gosun...I really like the idea, except the price! Being cheap, er, um "frugal", I hope to find an idea closer to the thermal box idea. If anyone has more ideas, bring em on!

I use a Wonderbag for thermal cooking, works very well, not expensive and squidgy so easier to store than a rigid box.

I often use it in conjuction with my pressure cooker, bringing the pc up to pressure for a quick, very hot burst and then letting the pressure drop to normal before tucking it in the Wonderbag for a slow cook using retained heat.

Home page

[Steadman Uhlich]

I recently saw a posted photo of a solar oven and the bread loaf baked in it while used on a sailboat. It looked GREAT. I was impressed.

From what I have read, the Thermal Cooker, Solar Oven, and Pressure Cooker will all have a place on my boat. And, since I like tea, I will add "Sun Tea" jug too.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by NornaBiron

I use a Wonderbag for thermal cooking, works very well, not expensive and squidgy so easier to store than a rigid box.

I often use it in conjuction with my pressure cooker, bringing the pc up to pressure for a quick, very hot burst and then letting the pressure drop to normal before tucking it in the Wonderbag for a slow cook using retained heat.

Home page

$70 for an insulated pot cover, no thanks

[Sea Dreaming]

That's a really nice vise Viviaan. Thank you for posting. You rather prove my point that a solar oven does not have to be complex or expensive to work well. I am not a student engineer, but I did win the engineering egg drop contest in high school. Ha ha!

Steady - the wonder bag is a great ready made contraption. But it really is "just an insulated bag". I don't knock the product at all. Wonder bag has been donated to women across the globe to help with fuel issues. They have a great message and promote sustainability in poorer communities. However, extra insulation can be made with items you might already have on your boat, blankets, a sleeping bag, soft sided cooler etc. Less to store, more uses for what you have on board.

And don't forget cold breed coffee...

[NornaBiron]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

$70 for an insulated pot cover, no thanks

It's a bit more than an insulated pot cover, more like a power free slow cooker. And significantly cheaper than the Shuttle Chef and Mr D's equivalents that also need special pots.

[dsiddens]

We use a Sun Oven on land. We are going to try it on the back deck of our ketch. The most concern we have is the effect of the wind on the reflectors.

I can attest to the cooking of the Sun Oven for soups, tough cuts of meat, bread, muffins, root vegetables. When cooking a tough cut of meat we find that 5 hours makes it fall-apart tender. If the sun is not hindered by cloud the oven will run at maybe 350+*F. If cloudy, depending on the amount of cover, 225* to 275* is a normal range.

Doug & Anne

[JPA Cate]

Sea Dreaming,

Fellow CF'er "Mike OReilly" will also have some input, perhaps send him a PM?

Ann

[Toaster]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Ha, wish we could but at 50 North a slow cooker and stews are more likely to be needed than a BBQ. Interestingly running the slow cooker off solar panels is an option as the cooker is only 120w.

Pete

We use a slow cooker - when our batteries are mostly charged and the 200W of panels are just trickle charging them, we use the excess capacity to run our slow cooker. Make sure you get one that has a rubber gasket on the lid and clamps to hold the lid in place. We use it on the gimbaled stove. They're made for taking food to potlucks. Starting with boiling water helps.

But I really like the solar oven idea! I'm going to have to try it. :-)