Solar Cooking

As a corollary to my last post where I mentioned that renewables is not only electricity, I bring to you in this article more on how solar can be used as heating fuel for cooking.  The three most common

types of solar cookers are : The box cooker, Parabolic Concentrators and the Panel Cooker.  Most solar cookers work on the principle that the Solar Energy is converted to heat

for cooking, heat that is retained for cooking.

Solar cookers based on their advantages and disadvantages can be classified under the following categories :

Panel Cookers
Category                                           Advantages                             Disadvantages

Fun Panel                          Built in an hour from one large              Not water proof
                                        cardboard box                                     Difficult in equatorial climates
                                        Easy to adjust for different sun
                                        angles
                                        Great Cooking power
                                        Very good for winter cooking



Windshield Shade              Fastest Cooker to make                        Only feasible where windshield
                                       Water Proof                                         shades are sold


Cookit                              Folds to the size of a large notebook      Not Water Proof
                                       for transport or storage                        Cooks best when the sun is high in
                                                                                                 in the sky



Box Cookers
Category                                           Advantages                             Disadvantages

The Minimum                    Simple to build from two                      Not water proof
                                        cardboard box                                  



Heavens Flame                  Extra Power due to multiple                 Must be turned more often to
                                       reflectors                                           follow the sun
                                       Can heat multiple pots                         Bottom of the oven not level as
                                       simultaneously                                   cooker tilts to the sun
                                                                                               Not water proof



Parabolic Cookers
Category                                           Advantages                             Disadvantages

Parabolic                           Cooks as fast as conventional               More Expensive
                                        electric burner                                    Can't be made without imported
                                        Can fry food                                       material
                                        Great Cooking power                           Can't bake bread



Based on the above parameters its easy to see that the parabolic cookers are the best as they fry food as well unlike the other categories that don't have the power to fry food.  But Parabolic Cookers are expensive to make and require some imported material as well.  I would recommend parabolic cookers any day over the other categories.
Whats cooking today, I can smell some beans.