Baked chicken anyone?

[beavis]

Noticed one of my chickens has discovered the solar oven.

Good thing its a rainy, overcast day for her, otherwise it would have been slow-baked

 

[Collector]

They have to check everything out don't they. Did you make that oven.? How does it work? Are there more parts not in the pic? I have heard of them but never saw one. Interesting!!!

 

[hoodat]

looks like a volunteer to me.

 

[beavis]

They have to check everything out don't they. Did you make that oven.? How does it work? Are there more parts not in the pic? I have heard of them but never saw one. Interesting!!!

Yep I made it! I have made many of them with 5th and 6th graders out of aluminum foil and cardboard and then bake cookies in them. Those students remember those solar ovens forever.

For the one I made for home use, its out of 2x4's, plywood and aluminum foil. What you see in the picture is the entire oven. When I cook food in it, I'll either set in a black crockpot with a glass lid, or a metal cake pan with the food inside, surrounded by a reynolds turkey oven bag to further concentrate the heat.

I tried to improve on the cardboard design I make in classrooms which get up to 300 F, the one I build "better" out of wood gets up to about 250F.

Depending upon what I am cooking, I just set it in the oven, point it towards the sun and then move it slightly every hour to refocus it directly towards the sun.

 

[jojo54]

What have you baked/ cooked in that oven?

 

[hoodat]

I wonder what would happen if you used mirrors?

 

[beavis]

Baked chicken (without feathers) , ribs and cookies

 

[Collector]

I wonder what would happen if you used mirrors?

Maybe it would be a solar microwave LOL.

 

[journey11]

She was probably hoping you'd forgotten and left some cookies in there! Silly chicken.

They are all about their goodies. I had a bonfire at my house this evening and my rooster deliberately hopped over the fence to eat what was left on the kid's plates.

 

[simple life]

I love how you made that! I actually have that on my list of for homeschool projects but haven't found any plans for them yet.
I have a solar wax melter that I use for melting down beeswax and had wondered how it would do for cooking, except that it does not have as much headroom as yours does.
How long does it take for something to cook in your oven?