Product Description

We love the look on friends faces when we present fresh bread and other home-baked treats while camping. So will you when you take our lightweight solar oven on your next trip. It concentrates the renewable heat of the sun to effortlessly (and deliciously!) roast meats, steam vegetables, bake breads and cookies, and prepare rice, soups and stews. Ideal for backyard use, camping, boating and picnicking. Requires only minimal sun aiming to cook most foods in two to four hours. Our complete kit includes two pots, solar reflector (for an increase in temperature on cold or cloudy days), oven thermometer, water pasteurization indicator and recipe book.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #587446 in Kitchen & Housewares
• Brand: Gaiam

Customer Reviews

works well, not well insulated
I purchased one of these several years ago through SCI (Solar Cookers International) for considerably less. Yes, it is possible to google the info to build your own out of cardboard, etc. (the SCI website archive offers several). No, this is not difficult for many; however, for others (particularly those of us with carpal tunnel and/or arthritis), it is darned near impossible to build our own. Yes, the price on Amazon seems high; the folks that fabricate these ovens (SOS, Solar Oven Society, when I bought mine) use the proceeds to underwrite efforts to supply them to people in emerging countries, along with the education/familiarization to sustain their use. Having said that:

The cooker is light and portable. I found that my cooker easily reached temperatures of 250 F and above without the reflector during spring through fall in northern California (hotter in summer). With the reflector, temperatures in the high 300 degrees F were achieved. The lack of insulation, unfortunately, means that it loses heat somewhat quickly in overcast and/or windy conditions. To combat this, one could contrive one's own insulation, or use a 'haybox' (which is what I choose to do--think a cooler with extra insulation that you line/surround/cover the pot with before closing the cooler--the food will continue to cook). A nice feature: the cooker is shaped so that the cooker can still be effective even when the sun is further in the south (as in seasons other than summer) simply by laying the cooker on its side (which then effectively becomes the bottom).

So far, my Sport has lasted for about five years, although it is definitely showing wear and tear, particularly on the cover. All in all though, having the ability to roast a chicken and assorted vegetables, make a really killer pot of slow-cooked beans (that one neighbor said was the best he'd ever eaten), make fresh tomato sauce and more all without spending any money for energy or fuel, not to mention without heating my house up (any further) during days with temperatures in the 102-112 degrees is utterly priceless. No watched pots, no burned food; heck, I can even cook in my garden while I'm gardening--and I do--talk about fresh food! Yum. I deduct one star for its lack of insulation.

How much does this cost?
While this item should work exactly as described at $229, the same product can be built out of a couple of cardboard boxes, aluminum foil and a piece of glass for under $10. With 0.27 seconds worth of a Google search, you can find detailed instructions on building a solar oven. I give this product 1 star because it works, but take away 4 stars because it is horribly overpriced.