The step-by-step procedure for building homemade solar cookers is not as complicated as most people think. Quite the contrary, as long as you have the materials needed and the installation procedure, you will have your own solar cooker in no time.
But first, you must know the types of solar cookers, since in this case, you will learn how to make a parabolic homemade solar cooker. Using as main materials a blanket and an inflator, as you read, that’s all you need to build your homemade cooking device.
How to cook with the energy of the sun?
Cooking with the help of solar energy can be a great challenge that anyone who is interested in sustainability and caring for the environment should try. The truth is that there are several ways to do it: one of these is to make homemade solar cookers that are very simple and require few materials.
Although a slightly more complex model can also be built, such as a homemade solar cooker in a parabolic shape.
In this design, the parabolic mirrors are an excellent option for cooking food, because their shape allows them to attract and concentrate the sun’s rays. Which is perfect, since this type of solar cooker can reach very high temperatures in a short time.
Here you can learn everything you need about how to make a homemade parabolic solar cooker. Also, at the end of the article you can watch the video to verify that this type of solar cooker works. And best of all, they can heat up very quickly despite being solar powered.
What are the materials you need to make homemade solar cookers?
Although parabolic solar cookers can be a bit more complex than other types, it is curious what materials are needed to build it. In this case, this homemade solar cooker is made with a thermal blanket for camping, and a bicycle pump.
If you still have no idea how a parabolic mirror can be made from a bicycle pump, then read on!
All the materials you need to build the homemade solar cooker are the following:
- A thermal blanket.
- A bicycle pump.
- Fiberglass.
- A very large wooden frame or materials used to build it.
- Fibrofacil or some similar material.
- A round shaped mold the size you want the kitchen to have.
- Tools.
- silicone glue
What is the step by step to build the homemade solar cooker?
Once you have all the materials required for the preparation of this type of homemade solar cooker, it is time to know the step by step. But before, it is essential that you take into account some things that will be of vital importance.
To build the parabolic mirror that this homemade solar cooker is needed, what you must do is inflate or fill with air, a reflective thermal blanket. Of the same ones that serve to reflect the heat of the body in a camp.
In addition, it is important to apply compressed air to achieve a smooth parabolic mirror, which is much more effective than those that are fractionated. Therefore, thermal blankets are excellent for this purpose, since they are specifically made to reflect heat.
Now, if you already have in mind what you just read, then let’s go step by step to build a homemade solar cooker.
1. To begin with, it is very important to build or get a large wooden frame. This will serve to ensure that the thermal blanket will always remain taut once you fill it with air.
2. Next, make a circle of the size you want in a square of fiber easy or a similar material. You will have to drill it right in the center, and in addition, you must sand the entire area around the contour of said circle, since it will serve as a guide later (if you have doubts, follow the steps in the video that we will show you at the end).
3. Then, you have to firmly hold the blanket while it is taut on the wooden frame and immediately rest it on the previously marked circle. But first you must apply a little glue on the outline of the fibroeasy circle.
Make sure the reflective part is pointing down, just above the fiber-easy circle. In addition, it must be important that it is supported on some preferably hollow surface (it is not recommended to use a normal table), since you have to apply compressed air from below.
4. By means of the inflator, apply air from the bottom, the objective is to inflate the blanket until it is equal to the one shown in the photograph.
5. Next, apply a layer of liquid fiberglass to the surface of the dish. You must be careful, because the weight will lower the air, therefore, you will have to inflate a little more.
6. It is necessary that you repeat this last step until you manage to apply at least three layers of fiberglass. To make this procedure faster, you can use a hair dryer to speed things up a bit.
7. Once it is completely dry, you can remove your mirror from the wooden frame and assemble your homemade solar cooker with it.
To proceed with the installation, you can follow the scheme that we show you below:
You can also tweak the placement of the mirror a bit, and even the rest of the parts, until you find the one that works best for you.
If you still have doubts about the procedure for building this homemade solar cooker, you can watch the following video. But you must be careful to avoid getting confused, since in one part they apply synthetic foam. However, they then make the decision to apply fiberglass, because it is a better option.
What is the importance of home solar cookers?
Home solar cookers are very important for both people and the environment. And it is that this type of kitchen does not represent any risk to health, in addition, by not producing fire or using fuel, it prevents fires from occurring.
In the same way, solar cookers do not need electricity to work, so they do not require additional expenses. In addition, its maintenance is even easier compared to conventional kitchens. As if that were not enough, using them is very easy and what is better, they can be transported anywhere without any problem.
In the case of parabolic or concentration solar cookers, they are one of the most used, as are solar ovens. Regarding the first, a reflective dish attracts, captures and redirects the sun’s rays towards a focus. This place is where the containers that will be used to cook food are placed, whether they are pots or pans.
If the solar energy obtained is sufficient, then you can prepare almost anything in a very short time. In fact, there are solar cookers capable of boiling a liter of water in just 10 minutes, which is really incredible.
However, the use of gloves and safety glasses is recommended to prevent burns. Although there are currently countries that do not use solar cookers to cook food, there are other places where this type of cooker is essential. For example, in India there are large canteens that use up to 84 reflectors to prepare food, which allows to feed about 18 thousand people every day.
But cooking is not the only thing solar cookers are used for, many are used specifically for pasteurizing water. As well as the sterilization of medical implements and the elimination of certain parasites.
Using a home solar cooker in the preparation of food that is consumed daily brings many benefits. The cooking process is completely natural, since its main source of heat comes from the sun. This allows the preparations to maintain their nutritional level intact, since they are cooked slowly.
In terms of environmental preservation, solar cookers are of vital importance for the care of the environment. It must be remembered that they do not need electricity or fossil fuels, which means that they do not cause fires and also protect health. Because they do not produce smoke, people will be free from respiratory diseases.
As we explain in the article, solar cookers can be made at home with very few materials. They can also be purchased through stores, although if you choose this option you may have to pay a relatively high price depending on the brand of kitchen.
Even so, solar cookers are essential for those remote populations that do not have access to energy resources. So this type of kitchen not only allows them to cook their food, they can also boil water and thus prevent diseases.
Sources: Ecoinventos, Ecoloxistas en Acción.