What’s one of the most important things when camping other than access to clean water? Having a reliable source of food, of course. When it comes to eating in the great outdoors, many campers and hikers either pack some cans and dry fruits or bring a gas cooking stove. How about embracing the idea of an eco-friendly cooking tool that you can take with you anywhere and that can be set up in under a minute?
That’s right. You can do that with the portable solar ovens that work by harnessing the sun’s energy. They are environmentally friendly companions that guarantee a lovely camping adventure.
Why Is It a Good Idea to Invest in a Solar Oven?
So, what is the benefit of a solar oven? First and foremost, solar ovens run entirely on solar power. That means there is no need to use cooking gas, electricity, wood, coal or kerosene. Furthermore, it can cook food in a relatively short time of about 20 minutes, helping the food preserve its nutritional value and promising an enriching experience for your taste buds. Most importantly, it helps preserve the planet’s well-being. Here’s an in-depth look at the benefits you can expect.
Greater Versatility in Cooking
The real question that a lot of people want to know the answer to is, “What can a solar oven do? Well, just about anything from baking and roasting to boiling and steaming. This is also one of the biggest advantages of solar cookers: the ability to prepare a wide range of dishes. This option is of immense help when outdoors.
It allows you to cook various meals for you and your companions for a fulfilling outdoor experience. From boiling water for coffee and other hot beverages, preparing boiled and scrambled eggs, roasting veggies, cooking pasta, rice and other grains, stews and soups, and even cooking meat such as chicken, fish, pork or beef.
Although the average cooking time of a solar oven for most pre-cooked foods is 20 minutes, when preparing some meat and other dishes or boiling water, it can take a longer time to be fully prepared.
You can even find ovens that can be tilted at different angles so you can position them in sunny spots for better efficacy.
Light-Weight and Portable
The lightweight construction of these portable cookers makes them convenient and easy to carry around for any adventure. They are purposefully designed as such to allow easy packing, folding and setting up. The average weight ranges from 1 to 3kg, which is an insignificant weight and enables light packing without adding excessive weight to your luggage.
Of course, the weight will highly depend on the size of the solar cooker, so you can find ovens that weigh more than 3 kg. These cooking companions are made from sturdy and durable materials, which makes them convenient for various outdoor terrains.
Cost-Effective in the Long Run
Although traditional camping stoves may be cheaper and seem like a good option at the beginning, they also require a lot of maintenance. This can cost you more in the long run than what you invested in the beginning.
With solar cookers, you may spend extra bucks when purchasing, but there are minimal ongoing costs. Since they run solely on solar energy, there are no other significant expenses. This will result in significant savings over time, and that’s what makes them worthy of investing your money.
Eco-Friendly
If you want to foster a more sustainable style of living, then this is the chance to get your hands on these eco-friendly cooking tools. We all know that everything that uses sunlight as an energy source is good for the well-being of our planet Earth.
By using renewable solar energy, we can significantly contribute to reducing the carbon footprint, which helps preserve the environment. Consider adopting this eco-friendly option to have a sustainable and enjoyable outdoor cooking experience.
Safety and Convenience
Since a solar cooker relies exclusively on solar energy, there is no risk of incidents involving fire. Solar cookers provide a safe environment, allowing some relaxation time without worrying about your and your kids’ safety.
Plus, they are pretty simple to use. Just place them in sunny spots or point them towards the sun to harness the solar energy. What’s more, most modern solar culinary tools can be positioned under shadows and still be able to run with no problem; some can even operate in cloudy and windy weather.
Consider Buying a Hybrid Solar Oven
Hybrid ovens combine two sources of energy: electric and solar. The advantage of these hybrid models is that you can use your car, boat or even PowerBank to power the oven when the weather conditions are not in your favour. The versatility of using sunlight and electric power is what makes these ovens super convenient for wherever you go.
The hybrid design ensures using the oven under various weather conditions. Whether it’s cloudy, windy, muggy or dusty, you’ll have steady access to a cooking tool at any time of the day.