Solar Oven 2.0
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Here's my solar oven with Acrylic Mirrors. The mirrors are removable for storage, and maybe one day portability. It's a simple plywood box, lined with cardboard for insulation and a black aluminum box on the inside as the cooking chamber. The top is thin glass, which needs a better seal than a strip of duct tape (all hail mighty duct tape!) to keep the hot air in.
Note: I found that by simply running a strip of masking tape along the top of the cooker and the edge of the glass to seal the hot air in, I can get temps over 250F.
Click for pictures of the cardboard and foil Solar Oven 1.0
Solar Oven Field Test #1: (photos on right)
I cooked four hot dogs to an internal temp of 181F in roughly 40 minutes on 6/7/08.
Time Hot Dog (F) Oven(F)
11:45 53 113
11:50 75 150
12:00 114 164
12:05 125 175
12:10 143 188
12:15 156 194
12:20 167 199+
12:25 181 199+
12:20 167 199+ (thermometer only went up to 200F)
Solar Oven Field Test #2: (photos on right)
I baked bread rolls in 2 1/2 hours, at a max temp of 260F, on 6/8/08
Time Oven(F)
12:00 168 (Preheated with black ceramic tiles in the bottom)
12:15 183
12:30 201
12:45 205
1:00 213
1:15 222
1:30 231
1:45 246
2:00 258 So hot it's cool!
2:15 249 (clouds)
2:30 253
Click the images to enlarge
Finished Construction:
Field Test #1
11:45 hot dogs in cold oven, in the bottom right corner you can see the internal temp of the hot dog is 62F.
12:20 The cooked dogs
...at an internal temp of 181F. Wah-hoo!!!
Field Test #2
Preheating tiles and oven without mirrors - 167F
Dough dropped on hot black glazed bathroom tiles, brushed with a little extra virgin olive oil
Oven sealed up and starting to bake
2 1/2 hours later they're done and lightly browned
The finished product - Them's Good Eatin'!