:: Solar Cooker
 Domestic Solar Cooker | What is Solar Cooker ? A solar cooker looks like a simple square aluminium suitcase, with five main components with an outer box measuring 500 x 500 x 165 mm with three containers. |
Benefits of using the solar cooker
- In an age where domestic fuel costs are rising each year, the solar cooker is a real boon.
- Reasonably priced, easy-to-use and completely trouble-free, the solar cooker is an ideal supplement to the conventional cooking appliances.
- Can be used 300 days a year.
- No fuel required for cooking.
- All items can be cooked except the fried and chapatis.
- Cooking is safe and clean.
- Solar cooking is entirely non-polluting and has no ill effects on health.
- Food cooked in solar cooker tastes better, is more nutritious and healthy.
- No need to keep close watch during cooking as the process is slow.
- Cooking time is around 1.30 to 2.30 hours.
- Food remains hot as long as the glass assembly is not opened.
- Three LPG cylinders can be saved annually as a result of solar cooking.
- Pay-back period is around three years.
- Life is around 10-15 years.
- O & M cost is almost negligible.
- The first box type solar cooker was built by Horace de Saussure, a Swiss naturalist, in 1767! He is said to have cooked fruits in it.
- That box type solar cookers can be fabricated using just cardboard and aluminum foil? Check out this website for the design http://www.i4at.org/surv/solarbox.htm
- In the 1950’s UN and other funding agencies commissioned studies to design solar cookers. The conclusion was encouraging – that solar cooker can cook food thoroughly and nutritiously and was easy to make and use.
- Based on the above study, UN sponsored programmes to introduce them in communities where there was a felt need, but this did not meet with much success.
- A World Conference on Solar Cooking was held in Stockton, California, in 1992. (http://solarcooking.org/stockton.htm )
