Simplest Solar Cooker Ever! (cardboard and foil oven) cheapest/easiest how to DIY

solar cooker (oven) made using only cardboard and aluminum foil. cooks like electric crockpot using only the sun. reaches 220 F (104.44C). great for slow cooking. items needed: 1 piece or cardboard or a cardboard box, tape or glue and aluminum or tin foil. and 2 cooking pots.

[@julesfalcone]

I'm looking at a solar oven for around $500. Now I'm having a hard time justifying paying that. Thanks, I think I just saved about 497 bucks.

[@off-gridsimplyhappyrodriguez]

Thinking the same thing. 567.00 is too much

[@julesfalcone]

@@off-gridsimplyhappyrodriguez I've tried my homemade 1 a few times with not great results. Twice the wind blew it over. Usually it just doesn't get hot enough. I stopped trying for the winter. We'll see. Good luck.

[@84adl2012]

I've oftened thought of using my car as a solar cooker--I have the mylar reflector windshield cover, and maybe just put the ceramic pot in a glass pot as my cooker in between the window & the reflector while my car is parked in the sun. Have made beef jerky in the car while it was parked! Love all your videos!

[@desertsun02]

Thanks. sound like a good idea. the interior of a car can quickly reach 140F in the summer (where i live). i've heard local reports of cars getting as hot as 180F.

[@joelsp1986]

Cool, but the sound of that SAW!!!!!!!

[@graystripe9285]

THATS WHAT I THOUGHT!!!!! lol

[@nidhanrana1058]

Very good idea..... No need of other materials.

[@chronobot2001]

Nice. Having another reflective piece under the pan and having the pan elevated a little bit would probably help. You don't want the ground to act as a heat sink.

[@2DReanimation]

"If someone can make a simpler solar oven than this..." I love a challenge! My initial thought for a nice, portable design, is to have aluminum-foil glued to some paper, which can be folded around a wood pole (easy to pull out). And have three rolls of this foil inside a cardboard box. Well, obviously not simpler, but it could be more practical and portable. And really small in size, but with a great surface-area, which can be shaped parabolically, by a thin steel strip. And holding the parabolic sheets in shape by attaching them with lines to the box. ... I should try making a parabolic roll first though, to test the concept...

[@2DReanimation]

I'd like to combine a solar oven with a minimal rocket furnace as well, to have the ultimate camping stove :D

[@nzzenith]

A box folds flat.

[@pinksnow42]

That is a great idea for someone like me who needs simplicity thanks for sharing

[@Lillipod1]

Great idea. Thanks.

[@timkeele8790]

I've made a few solar cookers of different types. not an expert, just a tinkerer w/ a little experience. I'd just like to throw out a couple of things that I think I know, for people to consider, especially if they're thinking about making a solar cooker. this will work better if the reflector is angled backwards a bit. in SoCal where I am, the sun gets up to about 88 degrees above the southern horizon on June 21 (summer solstice), but only about 33 degrees above horizon on Dec. 21 (winter solstice). In Dec, I'd want my reflector inclined backwards only about 13 degrees from the vertical to make a cumulative 45 degree angle to bounce the photons of light hitting it down to my cookpot (32 +13) and in June I'd want it inclined backwards from the vertical somewhere in the 40-45 degree range (88 - 43 or so), depending on where the focus point of the reflector was located. for sheer simplicity, this is an excellent proof of concept exercise. I like it, but to develop it into a reliable cooking app, you'll have to solve several problems including reflector angle problem. since reflectors want to become sails in any significant breeze, have to anchor it in place. since passive solar cooking takes roughly twice as long as conventional cooking (depending on food type) and the sun moves 15 degrees an hour across the sky (360 degrees divided by 24 hours) anytime the reflector isn't pointed exactly towards the sun, you're losing some of the potential heat 'cause some fraction of the photons of light hitting the reflector aren't being bounced at the cookpot, but in front of it across the reflector or down the side of the reflector behind it. I put my solar cookers on a piece of plywood positioned on top of a plastic lazy susan (taken from the kitchen) so that it's easy to keep the cooker aligned to the sun's position as it moves across the sky. I attach a stick (like the gnomon of a sundial) to top center of reflector so that when the shadow it makes is not in alignment with the reflector anymore 'cause the sun moved, I can easily and accurately reorient the cooker w/o having to look towards the sun or into the glare of the reflector. thanks for putting this up. sorry about comment length, I just love this stuff. ATB

[@nicholasgoettl8372]

Sorry, this is two years later you might not see this at all but: Could you expand on how you make the lazy susan work? I just cannot quite picture it. Looking to start getting into this kind of thing, it is really interesting. Thanks

[@desertsun02]

the temps were about equal with both designs.

[@mandymolina8607]

this is awesome.. thanks so much for sharing this ideo..

[@1rocknroy]

Very efficient back yard lawn :)

[@lowerelectricbill]

with this size of solar cooker can you cook in two pots at the same time?

[@WORRO]

Good idea! Thumbs up!~~John

[@ElJibaroBravo]

Did you get any temperature changes when you switched over to the second design?

[@SusanStoneSalas]

Cool!!

[@desertsun02]

i think that's a great idea.

[@sandrajohnson9926]

Lots of people are looking at these designs just in case our power goes down or much cheaper than electricity. This May 31, 2023. I'll send people your way.

[@GlobalAdventurer]

Do you think someone could use those reflective car windshield sun visors if they were modified to stand up?

[@fatimabotello9945]

could you dig a hole and place the aluminum in the hole and place the pot in pot design in the hole and use the second design?

[@shelleypenn7577]

❤

[@HERU-ls9jn]

if i may make a suggestion, a control set up with another crock pot just sitting in the sun would be a useful comparison . it looked like a pretty warm day. none the less thankyou for your time and considersation

[@desertsun02]

+mega monkey hi there. i tried it without the reflectors but even after several hours on a 100 F day, the pot in pot design alone only reaches about 150F. *which is not quite warm enough to safely cook many foods

[@desertsun02]

You're welcome. It's worth noting that any flat surfaced objects covered in reflective material and positioned in a semi-circle would work. (these cookers can also be used to pasteurize (disinfect) water - making it much safer to drink). the target temperature for water is 150F (65.55C). At that temp. the water will be free of disease causing bacteria and parasites

[@starphase1623]

desertsun02 Awesome.

[@dougl6304]

How long should the water be at 150 degrees F to make the water safe to drink?

[@landonputt1932]

sweet

[@gracebrunelle1]

How could this work in a cloudy state like Vt? We are 3rd cloudless gray she for 3/4 of year. Amazing idea! I wonder if? You could make bread in it.

[@Lillipod1]

I think you need the sun to create the heat. Good idea though for bread. I’ll try that on a hot day.

[@josephrobi6806]

Easier would be the sun shade for dashboard car

[@desertsun02]

hi. those can work but some of them are not quite as shiny

[@davecardin]

Thanks for taking the time to show how easy it is to cook. In Nicaragua, the locals are always running out of wood and they are so poor the cost is a large part of their income. see playaroca sot com where we are going solar

[@susanramares2876]

Would someone please post the size and dimensions? Thanks!

[@JesusFreakJene]

Can you use a bigger pot set up? ty

[@Lillipod1]

You must be able to use any but it would be a longer warm up time

[@raybon7939]

You mean with regular tin foil you can get over 200 degrees..

[@chemo38]

If you used mylar, it would be hotter. Myalr is sold in rolls at hydroponic stores.

[@howardjohnson9110]

How about just a cast iron dutch oven in the sun all by itself even without the reflectors? Stick a chicken in the pot, but the lid on, put it out in the sun, and let'er rip.

[@desertsun02]

hi there. i tried several setups without any reflectors (using cast iron, black ceramic, thick clay pots etc. all enclosed in various glass containers) but even in the best of conditions (full sun, 100F+ air) the food never gets quite hot enough to properly cook it.

[@flbeachinggirl]

Wrap the lawn chair in foil.

[@Lillipod1]

You need a curve to point the rays.

[@scetchport]

A black insulated base would be absolutely necessary, losing heat to the stones and ground. Cutting the handle off the lid ..on the rug ? Crazy....

[@Lillipod1]

I’d have to try a few designs. Stood in foil Stood on black painted cardboard.

[@phataton8206]

Bye bye eardrums @ :09

[@deanawade5878]

brillant (Do bugs bother your food/")

[@vaquero3578]

at those temps I would say not for long lol

[@ETsonggalaxy]

interesting! Well explained! Others fail to give good explanations! VERY FEW EXPLAIN what their really doing. Instead , people usually BRAG what they dowith vague explanations - really shity! This is one video done well! . Good job guy!

[@malongyoutuber488]

Very bad

[@vandanahasrajani3215]

Dub in hindi

[@CloakerM8]

'Cheapest how to do it yourself' RIP Grammar.

[@whopperlover1772]

It makes sense.

[@lethalurethral3056]

+Mr HellDoge it works

[@impartialanalyst4392]

@John 14:6 King James Version 6. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me..

[@sandravalani359]

Thanks deeply for sharinG your awesome experiment foR Humanity to benefit from especially durinG a Power Outage that a lot of people would appreciate cookinG with versus an extremely hot parabolic solar cooker!👍I haVe cooked with my Silver Car Sunshade and was able to cook some Pizza pops, PorK Chops etC at close to 200°F!👍I, also, made a cheap "ReD NeCk" SolaR Cooker out of a 1 foot tall foil lined boX that had 1 side taken off and with foil lininG the bottom!👍I put some eggs in a black poached egg pan and then put them onto an upside down campinG pot that was enclosed in a laRge plastic garbage bag that was able to contain both of the potS so easily!👍The temperature reached up to 200°F and the eggs cooked perfectly!👍Plz check out DIY Kauai how he cooks with SolaR Cookers to get Inspiration from hiS ideaS!!!👍Plz "BonD" with a High Tech Company that would help you to make light weight portable SolaR Cookers and in No Time many people will be willinG to buy them from you so that you would actually get paiD foR youR hard work creatinG so many incredible videos foR Humanity to enjoY!✌😍🙏😇☕🍵☕🍹🍻🎋🦜