My BOX TYPE SOLAR COOKER -- Part 1

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Today we will discuss about the "Domestic cooking with Solar Energy". Its really an interesting subject and the need of the hour in search of alternative source of energy. I bought a BOX TYPE SOLAR COOKER 2 days back and now onward I will be cooking with this BOX TYPE SOLAR COOKER.

Power generation is always a costly phenomenon. With the growing population, rise in average temperature of earth, the entire world has to think of an alternative without consuming fuels.

If we think a bit patiently and consider the mother nature, then we can find many resources in abundance and most importantly naturally available to us and whenever something is available naturally to us, has always the greatest potential. The entire world is running out of oil and is very very desperate to find alternate ways to generate power. The human society must come with an alternative to non-renewable resources. One of such option is SOLAR ENERGY.

There are various applications and uses of solar energy such as :-

(1) Use of solar energy for direct heating and lightening in homes or buildings.

(2) Solar panels can be used in houses and commercial office buildings.

(3) Solar energy can be used for cooking.

The best part of Solar Energy is that it is absolutely free, inexhaustible and available to all.

Today I will discuss about my BOX TYPE SOLAR COOKER. The cost of this SOLAR COOKER is 3500 INR ( approx ~ 55 usd ). It consists of :-
(1) A Box
(2) Reflector fitted lid
(3) Cooking Utensils

The cooking utensils are placed in closed insulated enclosure where they get heated upto 80 degree centigrade which is enough for proper cooking. Due to gradual cooking process, the essential vitamins are retained and the food is not damaged.

But for me, the most important part by using the solar cooker is that conventional energy is getting saved and I am getting more healthy and tasty food and I must say from the best of my experience that the taste of the food is far better than any conventional cooking.

Basic Principle

First absorbing the solar energy by dark surface and gaining heat for cooking, retaining the heat by means of transparent cover which allows the heat to enter in but not allowing the heat to escape. It also captures extra sunlight by means of extra refectory surface to enhance the cooking performance.

Its a simple square type box, light weight with four numbers of aluminum pot with cooking capacity for 5-6 persons. Cooking pots are coated with high thermal absorbing coating. Cooking tray at the bottom is made up of aluminum and powder coated.

The theory behind black colored surface coating is that a black colored surface absorbs more heat than a white colored surface. So the inner wall, pot and the bottom is painted black in order to absorb more heat. The box is covered with a thick transparent sheet of glass. The glass cover helps to enable the cooker to entrap the heat inside it. The mirror acts as the reflector and reflects more light into the box to enhance the cooking process.

This solar cooker is best known as unattended cooker. Because once the raw food is paced in those pots, and kept inside the box, then it does not need any further supervision, and simply after a predefined time, you have your food well cooked.

With this I urge the entire community and the human society to switch to SOLAR COOKING, this is very cheap, healthy and to the best of my experience very very tasty as well. When we have all these characteristics, then why not adopt it in our day to day life and set an example for others. In this way we not only save the mother earth but also for our next generation.

This is the first part and I am experimenting different kind of food with this solar cooker , and in the next part I will come up with another article with a variety of cooking food with this SOLAR COOKER.

Thank you.

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Follow : @sthitaprajna

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