| If you have not heard of solar or sun cooking and | | | | is placed into position, pointing at the sun, it will reach |
| baking, you are in for a pleasant surprise. Cooking | | | | 300 to 400 degrees F. within 25 minutes. If the solar |
| with the sun has been around for quite some time. | | | | oven has the proper reflectors and insulation, it will |
| The first documented research and successful results | | | | more easily maintain a constant temperature, even |
| of solar cooking or baking was in 1767 by a | | | | on a partly cloudy day, resulting in a more efficient |
| French-Swiss physicist, Horace de Saussure. | | | | appliance. |
| It was not until the past decade that a more | | | | Some amazing facts about the sun oven are:o You |
| concerted effort has been made to develop an oven | | | | cannot burn food using the sun's rays to cook with.o |
| cooker that would effectively utilize the energy of | | | | There are no "hot spots," so the food needs no |
| the sun for this purpose. Until the recent | | | | stirring.o You never need to add additional water to |
| overwhelming increase in the cost of nonrenewable | | | | what you are cooking.o Food does not dry out as it |
| fuels such as fuel oil, gas and natural gas, there has | | | | can in a conventional oven.o Food cooks more evenly |
| not been a sense of urgency to find alternative | | | | in a solar sun oven/ cooker.o Vitamins and nutrients |
| sources of energy. Now there is more emphasis on | | | | are not diminished cooking solar.o You cannot |
| greenhouse gases produced from burning fossil fuels, | | | | overcook food using a solar sun oven.o Sun baked; |
| coal, wood and petroleum products. | | | | steamed or cooked food tastes much better.o The |
| In the past, electric power and natural gas have | | | | fuel source is free and non-polluting "green energy". |
| provided a cheap and convenient source of energy | | | | In conclusion, the main factors to be aware of in |
| for powering or stoves and ovens, eliminating the | | | | choosing the best sun oven are:o Should be |
| need to pursue alternative sources of energy such as | | | | warranted for a minimum of 10 years.o Should be |
| the sun. No one can deny that the earth is going | | | | able to reach and maintain 300 to 400 degrees F.o |
| through a change in climate, whether caused by man | | | | Should be well insulated and not be warm to the |
| or a natural reoccurring cycle. If man is the cause of | | | | touch on the outside.o Should utilize reflectors for |
| climate change through the "Greenhouse Gas Effect," | | | | maximum energy control.o Should incorporate a |
| then it would behoove us to do our share in | | | | tempered-glass oven door to protect food and hold |
| preventing further damage to our ozone. We can | | | | heat.o Should be easy to clean and maintain.o Should |
| reduce the size of our individual carbon footprint by | | | | be lightweight and portable.o Design should allow |
| cutting back on our consumption of nonrenewable | | | | oven to be tilted to receive the sun without spilling |
| resources. | | | | food. |
| One way to accomplish this is by utilizing the sun's | | | | Sun cooking can be economical, fun, healthy and |
| energy through the use of solar panels and by baking | | | | nutritious, enjoyable and kind to the environment. Join |
| and cooking a portion of our meals with a solar sun | | | | the hundreds of thousands of people around the |
| oven or cooker. Anything that can be cooked in a | | | | world in over 128 countries that have discovered a |
| conventional oven can be cooked in a sun oven. | | | | new way of cooking and a new way of living cleaner. |
| From the moment a sufficiently designed solar oven | | | | Solar is the future, if it is not already too late. |