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Solar Ovens?

post #1 of 6
7/10/11 at 12:40pm
Thread Starter 

I didn't know where to post this question, so I'm putting it here, since it might be useful at a campsite.

 

Has anyone used solar ovens? I am wondering about special recipes for them.  A really good heat for one would be 400º, but if it is overcast or clouds roll by, it can go down to 200º or so.   Recipes would have to account for the inconsistency.

 

I own a backpack stove and have used it, but I was thinking that a solar oven would allow goodies like pizza.  Or fresh bread.   I have not invested in anything but backpacking equipment yet.   I go for years without going backpacking/camping at all,t hen if the weather is nice, I go several weekends in a row.  Kind of a "fair weather" camper.

 

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post #2 of 6
7/13/11 at 10:44am

I've only eaten food prepared in a solar oven twice. The first time, we used a parabolic model to cook chicken, and the second time, we used an enclosed oven that weighed about 20 pounds. It was crazy to smell freshly baked bread in the middle of a campsite, but it worked! Not all solar ovens are created equal -- the food from the second oven was more evenly cooked, and it didn't take nearly as long.

 

Have you been to REI or another outdoor-gear store to see the range of products? The high-end one we used was about $250. You'll definitely want to buy a solar-oven cookbook to go with.

 

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post #3 of 6
7/14/11 at 7:37am
Thread Starter 

Thanks, Chef

I will check it out.   I understand that the Global Sun one is a good one, and it packs up efficiently.  I would love to make up a bread or biscuit mix and fix it at the campsite!   But anything you have would have be after breakfast, because you have to warm the oven up in the full son first.  :(

DD

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post #4 of 6
7/14/11 at 8:37am

Keeping in mind that you cannot create something from nothing.

 

Solar oven can work, but the design is very critical.

 

Solar energy can only give you a little more than 200 BTUs per square foot under bright sun.

 

A home gas stove can give you 15,000 BTUs.

 

dcarch

 

 

 

 

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post #5 of 6
7/18/11 at 1:34pm

We've made bread in a cast iron dutch oven while camping. Pizza can be made in a grill. Why do you need an oven (just curious)?

"The moral of this story is not everything that's slick is non-stick, and not everything non-stick is slick."
— Alton Brown

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post #6 of 6
7/18/11 at 1:53pm
Thread Starter 

Well, most of the cooking is done over a fire, but I thought it would be nice to have fresh cookies without smoke flavor on them.   Also I would like to make something that does not require that I stay at the campsite while everyone else goes off hiking and having a good time.   I'd like to set it in the sun with a pot of something in there.  Maybe adjust it so that the sun passes advantageously, then I can go have some fun too.  Fresh bread is very hard to achieve - so kudos to you on that.  I'd also like to keep the heat down at the campsite. 

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