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Some Solar Ovens are easier to set up as they don't have reflectors -
but then they don't get as hot. Parabolic cookers are extremely difficult
to move & require precise adjustment - but the Global Sun Oven is
EASY!
Basically you set up the SUN OVEN solar
oven and
put your meal inside (sounds simple enough!)
To set it up you unfold the reflectors and point the unit towards
the sun.
If you want a meal to cook while your at work & come home to a hot
meal - you simply adjust the unit for afternoon sun (point unit towards
where the sun will be when you want the food to cook).
If you cook a meal that takes a long time (ie a large roast) you may
need to re-adjust the SUN OVEN to keep facing the sun over time. This will depend on the time of
day, the temperature you need to maintain and your location. For
maximum heat (ie 400 degrees F) you may need to re-focus every 30min, but
less in the morning or afternoon.
A slow-cooked meal often doesn't require re-adjusting.
The adjustment can be a real pain with many of the Solar Ovens you
can make or buy. If you don't adjust quick enough you loose all your heat
& the meal can take a long time to cook - or worse spoil. In the
SUN OVEN however, the high quality
insulation means that if you are late re-adjusting - the food is still hot
& often cooking so the time of cooking is reduced & the food has
less chance of spoiling.
Great results are easy - and more enjoyable!
The GLOBAL SUN
OVEN is so easy to use a child can
operate it!
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Carrying the
GLOBAL SUN OVEN |
Opening the reflectors |
Adjusting the leg
for the sun |
Putting food in the
oven |
Removing the cooked
food |
FAQs
What can I cook in a GLOBAL SUN OVEN?
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 will reach temperatures
of 360 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The oven will generally reach its
maximum temperature as it is being pre-heated. 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 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?
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 be refocused?
The need
to re-focus 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 re-adjust 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 re-focus more often. Later in the day you will not need to
re-focus 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
re-focusing. 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? 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 is 20 + years. With proper care it
should last a lifetime.
Do I need special recipes to cook in a
GLOBAL SUN OVEN?
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 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 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 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 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 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
under-developed countries by improving their nutrition, health, and
quality of life.
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