10 Best Solar Ovens and Cookers & Their Reviews (Updated 2022)
If harnessing the sun’s energy intrigues you, solar cooking may be the way to go! Solar ovens and cookers put free, natural resources at your fingertips and allow you to enjoy a day of outside play without the hassle of lugging around a heavy grill.
You no longer need electricity, smoke, fire, or fuel to cook a fantastic meal. Juicy meat, tender veggies, and even delicious bread can be cooked in solar ovens. Just imagine the variety of foods you could enjoy while camping or on a picnic with friends.
Other than outdoor recreation, solar cooking can be beneficial in an emergency, military, educational, or city balcony applications. Many solar cookers require simple water clean up and are extremely portable for your convenience.
1. Giantex 1350W Electric BBQ Grill Non-stick w/ 4 Temperature Setting Outdoor Garden Patio Camping
This solar grill can reach temperatures of 550 degrees Fahrenheit (288 degrees Celsius) in direct sunlight. Even ultraviolet rays found on a partly cloudy day can heat its reflectors and will cook your food to perfection.
This grill can be used to saute, bake, roast, and steam. Food can be ready in as little as 20 minutes.
When cooking is finished, food can stay safely inside the tray to retain heat until ready to eat. It no longer requires the sun to stay ready to enjoy.
This grill comes with a handy case for ease of storage and portability. This solar grill can hold a volume of 27 ounces (0.8 L, fluid or food up to 2 pounds (0.9 kg). The overall size of this grill is 2.7” (7.0 cm) OD, 2.1” (5.4 cm) ID, 16” (41 cm) in length.
Pros & Benefits:
- High temperature cooking
- Cooking tube’s vacuum chamber keeps food hot while keeping cold temperatures out
- Portable and easily stored
2. Sunflair Solar Oven Starter Kit
The Sunflair Solar Oven Starter Kit is a great place to start when navigating the world of solar cooking. Its lightweight design makes it desirable for camping or tailgating.
The oven folds to the size of a stadium cushion and weighs 1.2 pounds. Temperatures of over 200 degrees Fahrenheit can be reached in order to bake, roast, or dry a wide variety of food items. The Sunflair Solar will float if it were to fall into the water. It will still work!!!
The starter kit includes 2 collapsible pots made of silicone, a solar thermometer for oven use, a heat conducting tray for baking, a dehydrating rack, and 1 carrying bag.
The included pots are dishwasher, microwave, and oven safe. Other pots may be used with this oven, as well. This product comes with a 30 day, money back guarantee and a 1 year warranty. The dimensions for this product are 2 x 15.5 x 19 inches.
The Sunflair Company believes in the environmental and health benefits of their product. They donate a portion of their proceeds to the promotion of green living awareness benefiting local and international causes.
Pros & Benefits:
- Great starter set for those looking to try their hand at solar cooking
- Small and lightweight
- Can be used for a variety of crafts, such as soap making, clay modeling, and candle making
3. Hiosun Portable Solar Cooker
The Hiosun Portable Solar Cooker is made of fine, culinary grade stainless steel, mirror aluminum, and has a beech wood handle. The tube is SGS certified glass and will collect and maintain heat up to 550 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sleek styling and self-contained handles make this cooker easy to store and move. While multiple units may be needed to cook for a crowd, this product is perfect for two people. Dimension: unfolded 17.72*13.78*15.75 inches, folded: 17.72*13.78*3.94 inches.
Pros & Benefits:
- High quality materials
- Serves food for 1-2 people
- Easy to store and transport
4. Sunflair Portable Solar Oven Deluxe with Complete Cookware, Dehydrating Racks and Thermometer
This product is so easy to use and clean that even a child will enjoy cooking with this product. Just be sure to allow the cooker to completely cool before cleaning! This unit utilizes a mirrored aluminum plate that reflects sunlight to the tube.
With its vacuum tube assembly, food stays hot while the exterior is safe to touch. This cooker can grill or roast food in 20 minutes under sunny sky conditions.
Pros & Benefits:
- Ease of use and cleaning
- Safe for adults and children
- Includes stand for elevating the cooker
5. Solcook All-Season Solar Cooker
Hailed as an “Amazon’s Choice” product, this cooker is a popular device. The Solcook “Camper” model is one of the few cookers we found that cooks food for a crowd.
Amazingly, even a whole turkey can be roasted in this over-sized cooker. While large, the cooker weighs in at only 4.75 lbs and is idea for RV and tailgating applications.
With its innovative hinge assembly, this cooker can expand and retract to the perfect size you will need for simple or substantial meals. Included with this model is sunlight.
This uncomplicated pin and block set up allow the user to focus the sun effortlessly to capture the proper energy needed. Check out the company’s website for recipes and cooking tips.
The dimensions for this product are 18.3 x 16.3 x 4.5 inches.
Pros & Benefits:
- Large enough for big pots and roasters
- Expands and retracts for small or large meals
- Utilizes sunlight to focus the sun’s energy
6. The Emergency Zone Suncore Portable Solar Cooker Oven
A favorite of preppers and emergency preparedness enthusiasts, this cooker has some great features.
The sundial, onboard thermometer, durable materials, and compact, portable design make is solar cooker a great value for those wanting to be prepared for any cooking situation.
Cooking with this oven is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Load the food into the inner, stainless steel tube, position the reflector panels, and wait for your meal to be cooked with only the energy of the sun.
The durable, 304 food grade stainless steel construction and built-in carrying case make this cooker portable and tough.
Dimensions: 29″x 13″x 4.5″ and a sturdy weight of 11 pounds.
Pros & Benefits:
- Built in sundial and thermometer
- High-quality food grade stainless steel
- Sides of the unit fold to create the self-contained carrying case
7. Sun Ovens International- All American Sun Oven
This American-made sun oven is made with rust-proof anodized aluminum reflectors that cook your food to the perfect temperature on sunny days. It can reach temperatures between 360 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Sun Ovens International company has been around for 28 years and has made innovative changes to their already popular product. The most notable change is a 20 percent larger cooking surface that allows for increased temperatures and speed of cooking.
Other changes include a sun alignment indicator, improved wind resistance, and a CD with recipes and emergency preparedness tips. The reflective flaps fold to create a compact package for ease of transport.
The dimensions for this product are 24 x 15.5 x 20.5 inches and it weighs in at 22 pounds.
Pros & Benefits:
- Able to reach high temps in full sun
- Includes a recipe CD
- Large cooking surface
8.
Do you love to make casseroles but think a conventional oven is the only way? Think again! The Solavore Sport Sun Oven is large enough to accommodate a 9 x 13 casserole dish and can cook meals with the ease of a slow cooker.
Place the cooker in full sun and allow Mother Nature to do the rest.
The outer case of this cooker is made of BPA free nylon plastic adding to its functionality and longevity. Made of anodized, polished aluminum, the reflectors are made to withstand rust and weather related damage.
The Sport is very portable with its collapsible reflector and weighs in at a mere 9 pounds. The dimensions for this product are 12 1/4″high, 27 1/4” long and 17” wide.
Pros & Benefits:
- Large enough to handle good-sized baking dishes
- Quality materials
- Collapsible for ease of storage
- Includes 2 (10 inch) granite ware pots and sleek carrying bag
9. GoSun Grill
The big brother of the GoSun sport, this grill can cook 4 times the amount of food. The large cooking tube makes is possible to cook for up to 8 people. Cool to the touch, the outer tube is perfect for use around children and crowds.
The inner tube keeps food hot for extended periods and can reach temperatures in excess of 400 degrees.
The GoSun Grill is portable but is not particularly lightweight. While it weighs in at 35 pounds, it’s made of substantial, durable materials created to stand the test of time.
Outside winter temperatures are not a worry for this cooker. If the sun is out, a beautifully cooked meal can be achieved.
Pros & Benefits:
- Can cook for groups up to eight in number
- Sturdy and high-quality materials
- Cooks in any weather temperature as long as the sun is present
10. LeJoy Garden- All Season Portable Solar Oven
This oven claims that it will replace your BBQ or regular grill, all without smoke, flame, electricity, or liquid fuels. It arrives pre-assembled and ready for use in minutes. The ability to steam, bake, grill, boil and roast are among its strengths.
Temperatures of up to 626 degrees Fahrenheit have been reached in full sun, making speedy cooking one of its major pros! Not a warm day? No problem!
Even in weather temperatures below freezing, this cooker can utilize the power of the sun to cook your meal to perfection.
Its sturdy construction makes this cooker safe for moderately windy conditions while weighing in at only 3.3 lbs. Also included is a durable carrying stuff sack that makes transport a breeze.
This cooker is great for feeding 2-3 people. Dimensions for the product are 26 x 7.6 x 7.5 inches.
Pros & Benefits:
- Speedy cooking in full sunlight
- High temperatures possible
- Lightweight and portable
Final Thoughts
Through the ages, the sun has been revered as a life-giving natural resource. It’s a resource we can count on when human electrical or fueled inventions fail us.
Solar cooking a common sense solution for emergency situations and resource preservation efforts. Developing countries have relied on solar cooking for years as the threat of deforestation is a constant concern.
Long term power outages need not be a cause for panic if one knows how to make the energy of the sun work for them. As the old saying goes, “Always be prepared.”
After the initial monetary investment, the cost of cooking with solar energy is zero! Who doesn’t love free?
With no impact on the environment, solar cooking is one easy way to help conserve resources for future generations. Due to its capability to reach high temperatures in full sun, a solar cooker can even sterilize water for consumption.
Where open flame is prohibited, solar cooking makes eating a delicious meal possible.
A day spent at the ball field or watching your favorite sports team is no longer limited to eating the unhealthy options often offered at the concession stand.
Enjoy hot, grilled meats and veggies and the peace of mind of knowing you are making a good choice for your body.
Many models are lightweight and portable adding to their amazing versatility. Most of the models presented here have 4.5- 5 star ratings on Amazon.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this list of the 10 best solar ovens and cookers and their reviews for 2022. See one that’s not on the list and should be? Let us know in the comments below.
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