ABSTRACT
Solar cooking ovens consist of a well-insulated oven body, capable of holding larger volumes of food in several cooking utensils. The insulated oven prevents the loss of heat from pots or pans to a considerable degree. The ‘division of labour’ between cooking range and oven has been established during centuries of natural evolution and it is to be expected that solar cooking devices will be used in the same way. The major advantage of the solar cooking oven is that it requires practically no attention. The oven body consists of a well-insulated semi-cylindrical form, made of sheet aluminium, sheet steel, galvanized iron, or basket-work. The oven was operated out-of-doors after sunset, heating it with a measured amount of electrical energy. The temperature within the oven was measured until temperature equilibrium was obtained. The aim of the cooking tests was to determine the cooking capacity of the oven, selecting primarily staple foods of tropical countries.
