Global Sun Oven Solar Cooker | Cooking System

Benefits of cooking in a GLOBAL SUN OVEN�

Cooking in a SUN OVEN� solar cooker is easy, fun, natural, and nutritious, while helping the environment. SUN OVENS� are ideal for everyday use in your back yard, at picnics, while camping, or in the event of a power failure. They can help keep your house cool in the summer by keeping the heat from cooking outside.

Even though it is called an oven, food can be baked, boiled, and steamed at cooking temperatures of 360� F to 400� F. There is no movement of air in a SUN OVEN� solar cooker, allowing food to stay moist and tender and flavorful. Sun-baked roasts are tastier and more succulent, and sun-baked bread has unparalleled taste and texture. The aroma of food sunning itself in a SUN OVEN� solar cooker is sure to please your senses.

Temperatures in a SUN OVEN� solar cooker rise slowly and evenly, allowing complex carbohydrates time to break down into simple sugars, emanating subtle natural flavors. The even temperature of the SUN OVEN� solar cooker prevents burning, so you do not need to stir your food while it is cooking.

There are two ways to cook in a SUN OVEN�. If you refocus the oven to follow the sun every 25 to 30 minutes, cooking times and methods will be very similar to cooking with a conventional stove or oven. Or a SUN OVEN� can be used for slow cooking, much like a crock-pot. You can prepare your dinner, put it in the SUN OVEN� solar cooker, point the oven where the sun will be approximately halfway through the time you will be gone. Leave, and come home to a tasty, slow-cooked dinner. If you run late, there is no need to worry; the SUN OVEN� will keep your food warm, moist, and fresh for hours.

Why Cook in a SUN OVEN� solar cooker? It's all about the Food!

The F's of SUN OVEN� Cooking

Cooking in a Food Friendly SUN OVEN� is Fresh, Flavorful, and Fundamentally Nutritious.

It's Fun It seems almost mysterious to put raw food into a black box and remove a moist, tender, sun cooked dinner. You can enjoy a leisurely day knowing the sun is hard at work gently cooking your dinner.

It's Forgiving

SUN OVEN� cooking is the most forgiving method of cooking you will ever experience. Sun cooked food does not burn or scorch, and is very difficult to overcook. A SUN OVEN� transforms unskilled cooks into outdoor gourmets.

It's Financially Favorable

After the initial purchase, there is no more money to spend. You do not need to use electricity, or buy charcoal or gas. You can cook outdoors throughout the summer and keep you house cooler, reducing air conditioning costs.

It's Friendly to the environment

The sun energizes food without hurting the environment. The air is not contaminated with smoke or greenhouse gases, and no fossil fuels or electricity are required.

It's Flameproof

A SUN OVEN� solar cooker can be used in parks that ban open flame cooking. There is never any danger of fire or of burning food or forests.

It's Fossil Fuel Free

The sun comes up every morning, and harnessing the sun for cooking does not deplete the earth of its resources.

It's a Family Favorite

Using a SUN OVEN� can be one of the most satisfying events you can plan with your kids. You can turn off the TV and computer, let the machine pick up the phone, and go outside and make a sun snack. In addition to healthy food, the family can learn about the power of the sun, nature and the environment through a fun tasty object lesson.

It's Flexible

You have the option of choosing how long it will take to cook by choosing how often you refocus the oven toward the sun. SUN OVENS� are portable and easy to carry, enabling you to use them in your yard, at the park, on the beach or while camping or boating.

It Frees up time

You spend less time preparing, tending and cleaning up sun cooked meals. You can place a frozen meal in your SUN OVEN� in the morning, set the oven where the sun will be mid-day, and come home from work to a meal that has thawed and cooked while you were at work. Cleaning up is easy because the even temperature of your SUN OVEN� prevents the food from burning or scorching your pots or pans.

It Foils the Forces of nature

A SUN OVEN� solar cooker enables self-sufficiency in the face of the increasing number of weather and natural disasters which lead to power failures. You can purify water or cook your dinner in the event of a blackout.

FAQs

What can I cook in a GLOBAL SUN OVEN� solar cooker?

Anything you can cook in a conventional electric or gas oven can be cooked in a GLOBAL SUN OVEN�. You can bake, boil and steam using any of your favorite recipes.

What is the cooking temperature range?

The GLOBAL SUN OVEN� solar cooker 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.

Will food prepared in a GLOBAL SUN OVEN� taste the same as food prepared in my conventional oven?

The food tastes much better! 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, the natural internal juices do not bake out, resulting in a superior, moist taste and much less shrinkage.

How long does it take?

Cooking times are close to the same as those in a conventional oven. Because the sun is often trying to run away and hide behind clouds, cooking times can vary. At times it may take a little longer. 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.

Does a GLOBAL SUN OVEN� solar cooker require special pots and pans?

No, but dark, thin-walled pots with lids work best. Dark pots change 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 much of the heat. Shiny aluminum pots and pans cause light to be reflected out thereby reducing the oven's temperature. Glass casserole dishes with lids also work well. For baking cakes, breads, cookies, and pies, dark cookie sheets and baking tins work best.

Does food need to be stirred?

No. Stirring to prevent scorching is not required when cooking in a GLOBAL SUN OVEN� due to the fact that there are no hot spots. The temperature of the food rises evenly. It is almost impossible to burn food in a GLOBAL SUN OVEN�.

How difficult is it to focus a GLOBAL SUN OVEN� solar cooker?

Focusing a GLOBAL SUN OVEN� is very easy. All that is required is to watch the shadows created by the oven. When the shadows are even on all sides, the cooker is directly focused. The built-in leveling leg on the back of the oven allows for easy tracking.

How often must a GLOBAL SUN OVEN� solar cooker be refocused?

The need to refocus depends a great deal on what you are cooking, the time of day, and the temperature you wish to maintain. A good rule of thumb is to plan to readjust every 30 minutes to maintain maximum heat. At noon the sun is high in the sky and moves quickly past the maximum focus point, creating the need to refocus more often. Later in the day you will not need to refocus as often. The GLOBAL SUN OVEN� is equipped with a built in Levelator, which keeps food level and avoids spills while being refocused.

Many meals can be cooked without refocusing. GLOBAL SUN OVEN� users often will 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, 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.)

With the GLOBAL SUN OVEN� solar cooker getting so hot, what is the risk of getting burned when using it?

The only parts that get hot are the oven chamber, the cooking pan, and the glass door. Proper care must be taken to use hot pads when opening the door and removing food. The entire exterior of the oven, including the reflectors, remains safe to touch.

How long will a GLOBAL SUN OVEN� last?

The estimated life of a GLOBAL SUN OVEN� solar cooker is 20 + years. With proper care it should last a lifetime.

Do I need special recipes to cook in a GLOBAL SUN OVEN� solar cooker ?

The GLOBAL SUN OVEN� reaches temperatures comparable to that of conventional ovens, therefore no special recipes are required. A good rule of thumb is to add 10 to 15 minutes of cooking time for each time the oven door is opened.

What are the dimensions of the GLOBAL SUN OVEN�?

The size of the GLOBAL SUN OVEN� is 19'' x 19'' with an average depth of 11''. The total weight is only 21 pounds.

Can I use a GLOBAL SUN OVEN� solar cooker in the winter?

Yes. The most important factor in using a GLOBAL SUN OVEN�is the brightness of the day, NOT the outside air temperature. Often, a 40-degree, clear, low-humidity day will allow food to cook faster than a 100-degree day with high humidity. The GLOBAL SUN OVEN� solar cooker has been used very successfully at the base camp of a Mt. Everest expedition where the temperatures are often well below zero. There are, however, more cooking hours available in the summer than in the winter. In the early summer, it is not unusual to cook from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, whereas during the early winter, effective cooking is limited to 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

How does it work?

The black surfaces on the inside of the oven captures and transforms the sun's energy into a form that cannot escape the oven chamber. When a GLOBAL SUN OVEN� solar cooker is focused in the sun, the interior of the oven is heated by the sun's energy. Direct and reflected sunlight enters the oven chamber through the glass door. It then turns to heat energy when it is absorbed by the black inner-shell and Levelator. This heat input causes the temperature inside the oven to rise until the heat loss of the oven is equal to the solar heat gain. The light energy absorbed by dark pots and the oven's dark interior is converted into longer wavelength heat energy. Most of this longer-wavelength radiant energy can not pass back out through the glass, ensuring more efficient cooking.

Are GLOBAL SUN OVEN� used in countries outside of the United States?

Yes. Currently they are being used in 126 countries around the world. In many of these countries, they purchase unassembled GLOBAL SUN OVENS� solar cooker and complete the final assembly on location. This reduces the overall cost of the ovens and shipping while creating jobs locally. The demands of massive population growth, and inefficient conversion of wood to charcoal, have outstripped the third world's forests ability to regenerate. The ecological effect of wood fuel is burdensome and has a far-reaching negative global impact. These global trends will lead to environmental destabilization leading to deforestation and global warming. Science strongly supports the fact that deforestation for agricultural and fuel use is changing weather patterns, causing soil erosion, and depleting plant and animal life. SUN OVENS� solar cooker offer a powerful solution to the effects of deforestation, and can have an enormous positive impact on the everyday life of millions of people in underdeveloped countries by improving their nutrition, health, and quality of life.

As populations increase and forests and fossil fuels disappear, the need for an alternative method of cooking around the world is intensifying. SUN OVENS International is committed to providing an alternative.

SUN OVENS International takes a different approach. We have taken a concept that has been around for centuries, and have combined it with more improved materials to make the most effective solar cooking devices in the world. The SUN OVEN� has been designed to overcome most of the cultural barriers that have restricted the widespread use of the sun for cooking.

The SUN OVEN is often compared with box cookers made out of aluminum foil and cardboard (homemade boxes of various sizes and shapes). While the energy conversion principles are the same, the materials utilized in manufacturing SUN OVENS� have been carefully researched to include the most efficient materials available. In order to capture the maximum amount of energy, achieve the highest possible temperature, and retain the greatest amount of heat, while minimizing the weight, the materials utilized have been selected based on efficiency and quality. SUN OVENS International is determined to disseminate solar appliances that truly meet people's needs rather than distributing perpetuating cookers that work only under the most ideal conditions.

The initial price of a GLOBAL SUN OVENS� is higher, but due to its long life, ability to cook on partly cloudy days and allowing food to stay warm for hours, the cost per meal is lower than any other solar cooking device.

Redefining Cooking

In the U.S.

The fast-paced American lifestyle has cultivated a fast food approach to cooking and eating; even if it means sacrificing nutrition, taste, health, and the environment. SUN OVENS International is endeavoring to make Americans aware of the enriching health lifestyle and environmental benefits of cooking with the sun.

Around the World

In the developing world, the high quality and features of the SUN OVEN� have overcome the cultural obstacles, which have caused other solar cooking projects to fail. The most often-cited reason for the failure of solar cooking projects is that most people in the developing world work while the sun is out and eat their main meal of the day after sundown. Food cooked in most solar cooking devices must be consumed immediately or it will become cold. The SUN OVEN� is very well insulted, which allows food cooked in the afternoon sun to stay warm until it is ready to be consumed later in the evening.

Another reason solar cooking has not been widely accepted is that most solar cookers require more time to cook than cooking over a wood fire. Women in developing countries are reluctant to start cooking many hours earlier than they are accustomed to accommodate a new cooking method. The SUN OVEN� has been designed to cook in the same amount of time as cooking over a traditional three stone wood fire. NGO's which have worked with SUN OVENS� have found they have had an easier time getting people to use them because the ovens work so well and maintain cooking temperatures significantly higher than other types of solar devices.

Unfortunately, to be able to make a solar appliance that women will use for the majority of their cooking involves cost. SUN OVENS International is working to overcome the cost by assembling the ovens in the country they will be used and by allowing women to pay for the ovens over time via small weekly installment payments using money they are currently spending to buy charcoal or other cooking fuels.

SUN OVENS International manufactures two types of solar ovens that are widely respected around the world. Since their introduction in 1986, these ovens have cooked millions of meals, baked countless loaves of bread and saved millions of tons of wood.

Diverse peoples use SUN OVENS� around the world for many and varied reasons. SUN OVENS� have been adopted by everyone�

From governments in developing countries looking for solutions to deforestation - to North American families looking for a way to bake without heating up their kitchens.

From women in the rain forests of Africa who can't find wood to cook with - to deer hunters in North America who love moist venison.

From Americans concerned with power disruptions and increasing fuel costs - to Pakistani women who cannot afford the high cost of fuel to make their dinner.

From ice fishermen in Minnesota baking their catch on a frozen lake - to desert dwellers in Kuwait baking lamb.

From RV enthusiasts looking for fresh moist roasts - to environmentalists trying to preserve the planet for future generations.

From micro-bakeries in Honduras making bread and pastries - to an orphanage in Uganda feeding hundreds daily.

The one thing they all have in common is that they have all discovered� solar energy is the least polluting and most inexhaustible of all known energy sources and it is free.

SUN OVENS� are the foremost and most effective solar cooking devices available anywhere in the world.

History of the SUN OVEN�

SUN OVENS� were developed in 1986 by Tom Burns, a retired restaurateur from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who was very active with Rotary International. From his experience in operating restaurants he knew a great deal about cooking and from his international travel he became aware of the ever-growing problem of deforestation. Tom took a concept that has been around for centuries and engineered into it more recently developed materials to produce the world�s most effective solar cooking devices. With the help of the Sandia National Laboratories the oven was refined.

From 1986 to 1997 SUN OVENS� were made and marketed by Burns Milwaukee, Inc. Thousands of portable models have been shipped to more than 126 countries around the globe. SUN OVENS� have helped feed refugees in relocation camps, natives in remote Third World villages, workers at field sites, climbers on the slopes of Mount Everest, and soldiers during the Persian Gulf War.

In 1998 SUN OVENS International, Inc. was formed and the manufacturing was moved from Milwaukee to Elburn, IL (40 miles west of Chicago). SUN OVENS International, Inc. has expanded the use of the ovens by making them more widely available in the U.S. and around the world. Assemble plants to make GLOBAL SUN OVENS� have been established in a number of developing countries to reduce the cost of the ovens and shipping to the people that need them the most. While thousands of ovens have been sent around the world, there are still more than 2 billion people who cook with wood and charcoal and as populations increase so will the need for SUN OVENS�.

World's Finest Global Sun Oven Solar Cooker