Going Solar

So far my SOS SPORT Solar Oven (www.SolarOvens.org) is a hands-down winner but this is just the beginning of my work with this unit

What it is: An insulated black box with a clear plastic cover. Inside is room for two dark, spackleware (enameled steel) pots with covers. Each holds about two quarts, ideal for anything from cakes and breads to casseroles and soups. Use one or both. Also included is an oven thermometer. Optional reflector “wings” are recommended for locations where the angle of the sun is low. The unit does not heat in the shade or on a cloudy day.

Without using any fuel or creating any pollution, this oven quickly comes up to cooking temperature. It’s then just a matter of cooking food or heating water, and here’s where the learning curve comes in.

What I’ve learned so far:
*At under 10 pounds the oven is a snap to shuffle in an out of a storage space and it doesn’t add much to the weight the RV has to transport. However it’s bulky, requiring a space about 30 X 12 X 20 inches. In most RV’s this means dedicating a slot in one of the basement compartments. Because I expect to use the solar oven almost every day it has to be stowed in a spot that’s easy-in, easy out.
* It’s not flimsy but it does require moderate care. I found that a standard size pillow slip just fits over the plastic cover. Before stowing the unit I slip on the cover to keep the clear plastic from scratching. Scratches would surely reduce its ability to transmit the sun’s rays.
* It gets hot quickly. I always wear oven mitts when working with this solar oven.

I’m in North Florida, where the sun has dipped deep to the south. In a shaded lot I’m still looking for a spot where I can leave the unit untended for several hours at a time. My first experiment was a New England boiled dinner (cooked ham, potatoes, carrots and cabbage) and I had to finish it on the stove when long shadows stole my sun spot.

On the beach or any open spot, it would probably have meant only turning the oven every few hours to keep the sun shining in. Nevertheless, half the cooking was done with only the sun for fuel and I’m wowed at how easy it was. Stay tuned.