This is a copied post from 2012 when we got our first solar oven. It’s still the one I use unless I have enough food to put in a second oven. They’re both the same but I guess I’m trying to keep the new one nice and new! I don’t know.
Also, I have no idea who has the best price now but here’s a link to one at Amazon.
Here’s the blog post:
Did someone ask what was in my box?
For years I’ve wanted a solar oven. They’re supposedly fairly easy to build but Vince just hasn’t had the time or the desire to build one, and I think he got real tired of hearing “When are you going to build my solar oven?” so he ordered the Global Sun Oven.
We all have our views and our beliefs and our fears. Some may think I’m a bit over the edge with my preparations for whatever may happen but having a solar oven gives me a bit of confidence in how we will face difficult situations if they arise. I love knowing that if we go for an extended period without power, and without fuel of any kind, I can still heat up food that we have on hand. And, if I choose to do so, I can use this instead of the inside oven for almost everything we cook. Why use propane and heat up the kitchen with the oven when I can stick food in the solar oven and use absolutely no power at all?
I know there are reasons why this oven isn’t for everyone . . probably because most of you have no interest in having one but if you live in an area that has little sun or has lots of shade or if you have no place to put it . . then it’s not for you but I think we’ll get a lot of use out of it. We definitely have the sun.
Looks like something that landed in my yard, huh? So far, I’ve boiled water and baked pepperoni muffins.
I called Vince and told him it was here and I was fixing to stick some muffins in it and it wasn’t long before he can driving up.
He wanted to see it too! See that sky? Not a cloud to be found. Perfect day for using the solar oven, huh?
Joyce says
I know I could use a solar oven here in the summertime, but is there an ambient air temperature where it wouldn’t work? (I’m thinking winter when the temp is in the 30’s or 40’s).
Judy Laquidara says
No. It’s the sun and as long as the sun is shining, it will heat right up. There may be some problems if it’s below zero because i’m not sure how much insulation is in the “ox” and there’s just a piece of tempered glass on top but I’ve tried cooking in it when it’s 20 degrees outside and it cooks at exactly the same temp it does when it’s 100 degrees out.
One thing – if there are clouds – even a few . . when one cloud passes over, the temp will go from 350 down to 150 very quickly so it’s much better for baking chickens, casseroles, potatoes, etc. than for baking bread where the temp needs to remain constant. I’ve baked brownies and cookies and had good luck too.
One last thing . . I wouldn’t recommend it if you don’t have a safe, out of sight place to put it. Even in the middle of cooking, once you take the hot food out, you can fold it up and carry it with your bare hands. Nothing on the outside gets hot. If I lived where I had to stick it in the front yard, I’d be nervous about the safety . . especially if things get any worse with our food supply.
One more “last thing” — You do have to move it from time to time. You want it facing the sun so as the sun moves from the east, to directly overhead to the west, you have to turn the oven by hand. It isn’t like the house oven where you set it and forget it.
Susan Nixon says
I love the sky. It’s never quite that blue here. I miss that. A Sun Oven is on my list and has been for several years – hope I get one some day. I have a home made one that works fine, but not as fast. Not that I’m really in any kind of hurry. My deck has sun almost all day. It faces north, and the shade is on one end in the morning, but that’s it. The other end doesn’t see shade until sunset. Perfect place.