Solar oven recommendations

[PolishDeli]

I'm interested in you anyone's recommendations / thoughts / comments on solar ovens.
Diy and commercial.

My intended usage: Mostly for emergencies, rather for regular use. So portability/storage is important. I can envision using it for fun a couple of times a year.

I'm leaning toward one of the umbrella-shaped options. The tube cookers seem like a hassle since they only accept the product-specific cookware.

 

[ddow229]

I went to a farm show this weekend where there was a vendor selling sun ovens. It was interesting to see how quick the food cooked. They cost in the $500 range so I will probably be working on my own design as well as a solar dehydrator. I do think they have their place, especially if you enjoy cooking out doors.

 

[tbern]

interesting thread, will be following to see others thoughts!

 

[hooked on smoke]

Agreed, very interesting.

 

[thatcherleal]

I’ve dabbled with solar ovens for emergency prep and fun. I started with a DIY model using an old umbrella frame and some reflective material. It worked pretty well and was easy to store.

I’ve also tried a commercial umbrella-shaped solar oven, and it’s fantastic for portability and storage. I agree that the tube cookers can be limiting with their specific cookware.

For powering my setup, I use solar panels Dublin. They’re reliable and have been a great addition to my emergency gear. If you’re leaning towards the umbrella type, I'd say go for it – they’re versatile and easy to use.

 

[geostriata]

Wow, I'm just learning that this sort of thing exists. Neat! So, just to find a solid reference, are you looking at something like this?

It seems like the tube based ones are more popular, so there are more reviews for that, but less so for the umbrella-looking examples. I'm super curious what you pick and how it turns out!

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

It's going to take a while to cook it.

 

[MM73]

I'm interested in you anyone's recommendations / thoughts / comments on solar ovens.
Diy and commercial.

My intended usage: Mostly for emergencies, rather for regular use. So portability/storage is important. I can envision using it for fun a couple of times a year.

I'm leaning toward one of the umbrella-shaped options. The tube cookers seem like a hassle since they only accept the product-specific cookware.

We recently made our own solar oven (box type) and it works surprisingly well. It is small enough to be portable for using a couple of times a year no problem. We documented our build process here if you want to see if it's a fit for your needs - it is perfect for the Portuguese weather we have :)

DIY Solar Oven