Cooking with a Solar Cooker

When can the Global Sun Oven be used?
Like all solar cookers, the Global Sun Oven requires direct sunlight to function properly. So it is important to use the solar oven on bright days in locations where there is no shade or shadows. The Global Sun Oven can be used summer or winter. What is important is the brightness of the day, not the outside air temperature. This solar cooker has been used very successfully at the base camp of a Mt. Everest expedition where the temperatures were often well below zero. There are, however, more cooking hours available in the summer than in the winter. You can typically solar cook two meals per day — a noontime meal and an evening meal. You cannot cook early in the morning or after sunset. The sun is most intense between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., which is when breads and pastries should be baked if possible. The Global Sun Oven will reach temperatures of 360 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The oven will generally reach its maximum temperature as it is being preheated. The temperature will drop when food is placed in the chamber. Cooking times are close to the same as those in a conventional oven. Because the sun is often obscured by drifting clouds, cooking times can vary. The factors that affect the cooking time are: the quality of the sunlight at the time you are cooking, the types and quantities of the food being cooked, and how often the oven is being refocused.

What can be cooked in the Global Sun Oven?
Anything you can cook in a conventional electric or gas oven can be cooked in a solar cooker. You can bake, boil and steam using any of your favorite recipes. There is no need for special recipes. You can also use the Global Sun Oven for pasteurizing water in emergency situations. You will find that food tastes much better cooked in a Global sun Oven. Solar cooking allows many of the natural flavors of food, which get baked out in conventional ovens, to remain. The slow, even rise in temperatures in a Global Sun Oven gives the complex carbohydrates time to break down into simple sugars, allowing subtle natural flavors to emerge. Sun baked foods stay moist since the natural internal juices do not bake out. This results in a superior, moist taste with much less shrinkage. Many people compare the taste of foods cooked in a solar cooker with those cooked slowly in a crock pot.

What kind of pots and pans are required for the Global Sun Oven?
Dark, thin-walled pots with lids work best. Dark pots help convert the light from the sun into heat energy. Lids are important because they hold steam in the pot. If a lid is not used the steam will dissipate, resulting in drier foods with less flavor. Use of shiny aluminum pots and pans are not recommended because they cause light to be reflected out, thereby reducing the oven's temperature. Glass casserole dishes with lids work quite well, as long as they are dark. For baking cakes, breads, cookies, and pies, dark cookie sheets and baking tins work best. There is no need for stirring to prevent scorching while using the Global Sun Oven. Since there are no hot spots, the temperature of the food rises evenly and it is almost impossible to burn food in a solar cooker.

Can food be left unattended while cooking in a solar oven?
Many meals can be cooked in a solar oven without being attended whatsoever. Solar oven users will often put their ovens outside, focused for the mid-day sun, with their dinner in it when they leave for work in the morning. As the sun moves overhead, the temperature in the Global Sun Oven chamber slowly rises to a cooking level. As the sun passes overhead, the food is kept warm and when they return from work they have a warm, sun-cooked dinner. (Keep in mind food will not burn in a Global Sun Oven and that the chamber is extremely well insulated, allowing food to stay warm for hours.