# Solar oven



## No Body (Feb 8, 2017)

Was wondering if any of you had ever tried to make a solar oven and if it works. I was looking them up on the internet the other day and they seem pretty easy to make. If not I may try it and see what happens. 
Thank you


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## RJAMES (Dec 23, 2016)

I have not really used it other than a test but I did make one. I had a large foam cooler in a cardboard box at work that was getting tossed. Cooler foam is about 3 inches thick , I lined it with aluminum foil, painted the cardboard black. Lined the lid with foil put a glass from an old window on top and set it in he sun. Put some blocks in side and let it preheat then placed a roast in a roasting pan inside . Worked well. 

Have not used it since , not convenient in that you never know who long it takes, it gets as hot as it gets you do not have much temperature control. Still if no other way to cook It works just with other ways to cook, electric range with oven, , gas stove with oven , wood burner with oven, dutch ovens, camp stoves , I find it easier not to use it. 

All it cost me was some time, a little paint, foil and some duct tape .


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## No Body (Feb 8, 2017)

Thank you. Nice to know it will work. 
:tango_face_smile:


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Yes they work and pretty well from what I saw. 
Local group (preppers?) actually had a big outing. There must have been 12 - 14 people there cooking 
with their mostly homemade solar ovens. In addition there were sever people selling commercially 
made solar ovens. All the group people were cooking various foods from mini-cupcakes to cookies to 
a pork loin and a chicken. They started their cooking early in the morning for the meats but the smaller 
foods like cookies, etc were running about an hour if my memory serves me. The small foods were 
being handed out as samples as they finished cooking and another batch were put in to cook. This was 
8 hour "show" and I was there only there during lunch. Please remember this is in southern AZ so we 
have plenty of bright, hot sun to spare.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

I have an All American sun oven but have never used it. I just think they might be too limited by weather to be of great use. I am researching earth ovens and hope to build one this year. My property has plenty of sand & clay, so I have everything I need to make one. I really like this video, if you are interested in such an oven.


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## dichthuatchaua (Mar 26, 2017)

Converting light energy to heat energy: Solar cookers concentrate sunlight onto a receiver such as a cooking pan. The interaction between the light energy and the receiver material converts light to heat. This conversion is maximized by using materials that conduct and retain heat. Pots and pans used on solar cookers should be matte black in color to maximize the absorption


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

******* said:


> I have an All American sun oven but have never used it. I just think they might be too limited by weather to be of great use.


We have the exact same solar oven, but ours is from when they marketed them under the name "Solutions From Science". I hate that damn thing! We bought it when we were still living in Minnesota. My wife tried it a few times in Minnesota, made some beans etc.; it cooked, sort of... I thought it was due to being in Minnesota.

Once we got moved to Arizona, we tried it again. It did not work much better than it did when we were in Minnesota. Although the big problem here was the wind blowing the reflectors around. We are about 50 miles SE of Paraquack. But we are also about 2000 feet higher than he is. So it is windy here all the time.



******* said:


> I am researching earth ovens and hope to build one this year. My property has plenty of sand & clay, so I have everything I need to make one. I really like this video, if you are interested in such an oven.


Now that ^^^ is a much better solution in my arrogant opinion. I might have to give that a try after I get our house built. Lord knows, I have more clay than brains out here.


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## RJAMES (Dec 23, 2016)

The earthen oven is mostly time - so why not. Even if you just use it a couple of times a year for pizza still worth doing. I have had some great bread from one and it was nice to have such good bread during the summer months when I do not want to heat up the house. 

Multiple ways to cook is not a bad thing.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

That earth oven is a neat idea but since it would be very heavy to move you probably need to build it where it would stay forever. Add to the complexity toe requirement to keep rain off of it taking valuable covered space. 

I wonder concrete instead of clay would work making it something for the back yard.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

John Galt said:


> I wonder concrete instead of clay would work making it something for the back yard.


The current issue of Mother Earth News has an article on building a DIY oven, but as opposed to using clay from the soil, they use bags of dry fire clay. In the article, they state if you use bags of refractory cement, which costs considerably more, the oven turns out even better & is practically indestructible. I think with the special cement, the oven doesn't have to be covered. They also show insulating the oven much more, using aluminum foil, chicken wire & additional refractory material which allows the oven to stay hot for days. Rather interesting article & at a minimum, I think I might bring in a few sacks of fire clay & keep in my barn.

Also an article on making a DIY windmill to generate electricity using an alternator from a car. Last month was an article on making your own moccasins. IMO, all preppers should subscribe.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

Researching these "earthen' or "domed" ovens makes me think they'd be great to have on the deck and if the power was out they would make a realistic way to cook any meal you could cook in a regular oven not to mention adding a little "firepit" effect for evenings on the deck even when not cooking for when sitting out back listening and playing music.

But they are very heavy, over 1200 lbs for a medium sized one and a small one is at least 700 lbs almost requiring additional support for the deck and serious lack of mobility. I did run across several insulated stainless steel with brick floor models ranging in price from $850 to $1200 and weighing about 130 lbs. Expensive but probably no more expensive than a self built one made from refractory cement and fire bricks. They heat up much faster but don't hold the heat nearly as long as the 1200 lb ovens but stay warm for several hours. Add a slightly oversized table on large rollers and it can be stored outside on the deck and rolled closer to the table when needed so much more usable for evenings on the deck.


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## LVPrepper (Mar 29, 2017)

I have a Sun Oven... It was a lil pricey.. but I love the dang thing...Ive boiled water..baked bread(did this beautifully)..roasted chicken, potatoes, green beans, and brownies...all at the same time...

its a dream... no fuel...no smoke to let folks know where ya are...just the smell gives ya away...


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## I'd_last_a_day (May 12, 2015)

******* said:


> I have an All American sun oven but have never used it. I just think they might be too limited by weather to be of great use.





Inor said:


> We have the exact same solar oven, but ours is from when they marketed them under the name "Solutions From Science". I hate that damn thing! We bought it when we were still living in Minnesota. My wife tried it a few times in Minnesota, made some beans etc.; it cooked, sort of... I thought it was due to being in Minnesota.
> 
> Once we got moved to Arizona, we tried it again. It did not work much better than it did when we were in Minnesota. Although the big problem here was the wind blowing the reflectors around. We are about 50 miles SE of Paraquack. But we are also about 2000 feet higher than he is. So it is windy here all the time.





RJAMES said:


> The earthen oven is mostly time


Solar ovens always made me roll my eyes, the word that always came to my mind was 'Weak' or 'Lame.' But can you guys please comment on this one, I've been eyeing up this bad boy for awhile, pretty hefty price tag but this thing looks pretty damn REAL DEAL. I'm almost ready to pay the $799 because I'm so convinced that it is a winner that is head & shoulders above most solar ovens.

https://www.gosunstove.com/products/gosun-grill

I've searched for all reviews and videos that I could possibly find and I can only find complaints such as "Cleaning it must suck" or "It's too small!" This thing looks amazing and seems to reach some seriously impressive temperatures on even cloudy days.


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## homefire (Apr 20, 2017)

I'd_last_a_day said:


> Solar ovens always made me roll my eyes, the word that always came to my mind was 'Weak' or 'Lame.' But can you guys please comment on this one, I've been eyeing up this bad boy for awhile, pretty hefty price tag but this thing looks pretty damn REAL DEAL. I'm almost ready to pay the $799 because I'm so convinced that it is a winner that is head & shoulders above most solar ovens.
> 
> https://www.gosunstove.com/products/gosun-grill
> 
> I've searched for all reviews and videos that I could possibly find and I can only find complaints such as "Cleaning it must suck" or "It's too small!" This thing looks amazing and seems to reach some seriously impressive temperatures on even cloudy days.


I have never used a solar oven and haven't ever seen one quite as fancy as that ^^^^ one. It does appear to come with all the flim-flams and doo dahs.

To the people that have used one: Does the time it take seem to be a problem? Or is it something you would prepare in the morning and watch all day?


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## homefire (Apr 20, 2017)

John Galt said:


> Researching these "earthen' or "domed" ovens makes me think they'd be great to have on the deck and if the power was out they would make a realistic way to cook any meal you could cook in a regular oven not to mention adding a little "firepit" effect for evenings on the deck even when not cooking for when sitting out back listening and playing music.
> 
> But they are very heavy, over 1200 lbs for a medium sized one and a small one is at least 700 lbs almost requiring additional support for the deck and serious lack of mobility. I did run across several insulated stainless steel with brick floor models ranging in price from $850 to $1200 and weighing about 130 lbs. Expensive but probably no more expensive than a self built one made from refractory cement and fire bricks. They heat up much faster but don't hold the heat nearly as long as the 1200 lb ovens but stay warm for several hours. Add a slightly oversized table on large rollers and it can be stored outside on the deck and rolled closer to the table when needed so much more usable for evenings on the deck.


Have you seen the one on American Homestead? Something like that? Yes..heavy, but very cool.


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## NKAWTG (Feb 14, 2017)

I've not built one and I know I should.
It's gets plenty hot here in Vegas.
And I really like Jas Townsend's series on earth ovens.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

******* said:


> I have an All American sun oven but have never used it.........


Box it up and send it to me. :tango_face_wink:


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Back Pack Hack said:


> Box it up and send it to me. :tango_face_wink:


You wish. 

That ain't the only thing I own that I've never used but to me, that is all part of prepping.


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

I'd_last_a_day said:


> Solar ovens always made me roll my eyes, the word that always came to my mind was 'Weak' or 'Lame.' But can you guys please comment on this one, I've been eyeing up this bad boy for awhile, pretty hefty price tag but this thing looks pretty damn REAL DEAL. I'm almost ready to pay the $799 because I'm so convinced that it is a winner that is head & shoulders above most solar ovens.
> 
> https://www.gosunstove.com/products/gosun-grill
> 
> I've searched for all reviews and videos that I could possibly find and I can only find complaints such as "Cleaning it must suck" or "It's too small!" This thing looks amazing and seems to reach some seriously impressive temperatures on even cloudy days.


Take what I say with a grain of salt, as I stated already, I am not a fan of our solar oven.

For $800 you can buy a hell of a lot of denatured alcohol which burns smokeless and almost invisible during the day. The only downside to it is that it does need to be above about 25 degrees to get it started. Or invest a lot less money in a Silverfire rocket stove. (I did a review on that out here somewhere when the temp was -15 or so and it worked really well.)


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

I also have played with an American solar oven and am less than thrilled.


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## I'd_last_a_day (May 12, 2015)

Inor said:


> For $800 you can buy a hell of a lot of denatured alcohol which burns smokeless and almost invisible during the day. The only downside to it is that it does need to be above about 25 degrees to get it started. Or invest a lot less money in a Silverfire rocket stove. (I did a review on that out here somewhere when the temp was -15 or so and it worked really well.)


Funny you say that denatured alcohol is precisely the ONLY cooking 'Prep' that I own. I bought an Origo 3000 and a bunch of denatured alcohol, I was more attracted to it's ease of use than a wood stove. I will admit that the biggest factor in me wanting to buy the $800 GoSun is intrigue, almost like a luxury item! And because I've been wanted it for so long. Since I already own the Origo $800 would indeed buy a bunch of denatured alcohol.


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