DIY Solar Ovens: Any Success Stories?

CrimsonWren145

New member
May 1, 2025
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DIY Solar Ovens: Any Success Stories?

Been tinkering with this idea lately, putting together a DIY solar oven. Been reading up on how these bad boys capture and concentrate sunlight to cook food or sterilize water. It's a pretty nifty concept if ya ask me. No need for fuel or electricity, just the good ol' sun.

So far, I've built a prototype using an old pizza box, aluminum foil and plastic wrap. The results, let's say, left a lot to be desired. Managed to warm up a can of soup, but it took way longer than I'd hoped.

Now, I'm not one to give up at the first sign of trouble, so I’m eager to try again. But this time, I’d love to hear about your experiences. Any of you folks had success with your homemade solar ovens? Any tips or tricks to boost its efficiency?

I’m particularly curious about materials. I'm thinking I need something more effective than my pizza box and aluminum foil. Maybe a larger reflective surface or a better insulator. What do you folks think?

Looking forward to your suggestions!
 
Tried a windshield sun reflector instead of aluminum foil once. Worked a treat! Anyone else experiment with out-of-the-box materials?