solar cooker, adjusting the flaps on a panel cooker

[solarcookingnut]

LOL, you sound like me, making use of cookers and ovens 2 the very limit, lol. I will cook breads and cakes for freezing in several, cook dinner for that day, and cook a different casserole for the next day especially when I know rain is coming for a few days, that way, I will have my food lined up until the sun comes back out. One can really plan meals pretty good by freezing the cooked casseroles 2 pop into the micro when needed or solar oven to heat up.

Maybe you need to make vids too!

[achsofromm]

I love to solar cook. I often make more food than I need that day thinking the sunlight may not be so good the next day, but good enough to reheat. Of course there's always the microwave, but I feel good about not using that whenever possible.

Yes, I think we are kindred sun "worshipers".

I enjoy your videos and learn some things. For example, one shows and tells about boiling eggs, but using only a small amount of water. I do this a lot now.

[solarcookingnut]

LOL, my husband always calls me a sunworshipper, but he has no problems with pigging out on all the food, and its rare anything is leftover.

he brings home alot of eggs from friends and relatives who raise chickens, so I am constantly solarizing eggs for egg salads. Thats the nice thing about solar cooking, in many things, you simply don't need as much water like you would with other cooking. Glad you was able to learn something new. I still learn new things as I go.

[solarcookingnut]

Hi,

I studied them out, watching as I moved the flaps, and seen how they hit directly on the top of my pots I realized I was onto something, deviating from the original plan. You get reflection from all the panels on the sides of the pot, the bottom panel takes care of the front and bottom of the pan the top flaps directed down on top you have the whole vessel covered in sun rays. I've cooked w/2 pots on my taller ones. I start the first pot 4 1 hr, then put other on top.

thanx 4 comment

[achsofromm]

Yes. I do some similar things. I have a large mylar sun protector for a windshiel, that is flexible and taller than any of my cookers, so I drape it around or even above my panels and it works well. I also have several different sized stands I can place my pots on to get more sun. Right now I have 5 cookers going: a Global Sun Oven reheating potatoes and oats, 2 with steel cut oats for tomorrow, water for rinsing dishes and the last one with a big pot of lentils and rice. Great fun.

[achsofromm]

I do this as well, but not to brown something as much as just increase the temp. Even if the flaps aren't directly reflecting from the sun, I think these flaps that are either straight or acute, rather than obtuse, bounce the rays back onto the pot or another side flap, which could bounce around several times before reaching the pot, but it still helps increase the temp. The more flaps the better provided they don't interfer with direct sunlight or the side flaps, I think.

[solarcookingnut]

LOL, yep, I learned when I kept the flaps on, especially the bottom, it really made it more stable. One could make some flaps to glue on the bottom panels. Just lay something heavy like a stack of books on the parts that was glued on to keep it flat overnight as it dries. Its a great design, very simple, but the flaps increase its cooking and stability.

thanks for the comment.

[pandral22]

Thanks for sharing. I made the same cooker a few years ago and cut the flaps off, but wondered whether I should have. I also used a fairly small box. It's probably the most adjustable cooker but also more susceptible to the having the wind 'adjusting' it for you.

[netlethe]

Thank You ...