Museum of Science and Industry

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The solar oven has a reflector that takes the light energy from the sun and concentrates it towards the baking chamber. The sun's rays are collected by the aluminum foil flap and concentrated on a single point inside the box. The rays are converted into heat energy. When an object such as chocolate or a hot dog is placed inside the box, it heats up and cooks.

This solar oven lets you cook anything that can be prepared in a conventional oven or stovetop. It can reach temperatures of 275 degrees - hot enough to cook food and kill germs in water. A general rule for cooking in a solar oven is to get the food in early and don't worry about overcooking. Expect cooking time to take about twice as long as conventional methods, and allow about half an hour for the solar oven to preheat.

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