Making Your Own Solar Cooker
Tools and Materials
• Corrugated cardboard (large fl at sheets • Shredded paper (for insulation)
from appliance boxes work best) • Cardboard box (with fl aps, approximately
• Duct tape 25 cm by 35 cm by 16 cm deep)
• Black tempera paint, powdered • Plastic spoon
• White glue • Utility knife
• Plastic container, approximately 500 ml • Meter stick or metric tape measure
• Oven thermometer • Felt tip marker
• Aluminum foil (45.7 cm by 7.6 m roll) • Sunglasses
• 1 Large aluminum foil cake tin • Paint brush, 3- to 5 cm wide
(15 cm by 30 cm by 8 cm deep) • Oven mitts
• 1 large (turkey- sized) transparent oven bag

A. Prepare the Refl ective Panels
Organize your workspace. You will need a large
tabletop to work on. It is very helpful to have a sink
nearby for cleaning up. Arrange your materials and
tools so you can get to them conveniently.
1. Using a meter stick and felt pen, draw the
outlines of the refl ector segments on your cardboard.
Use the measurements on the blueprint template.
2. Using the utility knife, carefully cut out the
4 cardboard segments. Use a ruler or straight-edge
to help guide your cuts. CAUTION: Utility knives
can be dangerous. Extend the blade only as far as
necessary to cut through the cardboard. Use some
scrap cardboard or wood under the material you are
cutting to avoid damaging the tabletop.
3. Remove the top from the white glue bottle and
pour approximately 100 ml ( about 1/3 cup) into the
plastic container. Add 4 tablespoons of water to the
glue and stir thoroughly. This will make the glue
thinner and easier to spread evenly.
4. Carefully unroll enough aluminum to completely
cover one section. Keep the foil as smooth and fl at as
possible. Wrinkles and creases in the foil will reduce
the effi ciency of the refl ector. If the cardboard is
wider than the foil, use two pieces of foil and plan to
join them near the middle.
5. Using the paint brushpaintbrush, apply a thin
layer of white glue over the entire surface of the
cardboard. Be sure to spread the glue right to the
edge of the cardboard. Use the fl at edge of a piece
of scrap cardboard as a squeegee to spread the glue
out evenly.

6. Before the glue dries, place the foil on
the cardboard shiny side up, and smooth it
down over the entire surface. Try to press out
any wrinkles, bubbles, or creases in the foil. If
your foil gets badly wrinkled during the gluing
process, tear it off and try again with fresh glue.

7. Using the utility knife, trim the foil so that it is
fl ush with the edge of the cardboard all around. Set
the panel aside to dry.
8. Repeat steps 3 through 5 for the remaining
sections.
9. Rinse the paint brush thoroughly under the tap to
remove any glue. The glue-water mixture can be used
in Part D below, so put a lid on the container to keep
the glue from drying out.

B. Join the Panels
1. Cut 8 pieces of duct tape 60 cm long and set
them aside (stick them to the edge of the table for
easy retrieval).
2. Arrange the segments as shown in the photo
below, foil side down, wide sections alternating
with narrow ones. The narrow end of each
should point toward you.

3. Carefully position the fi rst two panels, keeping
a 2 mm space between them. Position one of your
60- cm strips of duct tape over the joint between
the panels. Press it onto the joint, being sure it
sticks securely to both panels over its full length.

4. Join the third and fourth panels as in step 3
above.

5. Carefully fl ip the joined panels over on the table.
This may require two people. Reinforce the joint
between each panel using another strip of duct tape.
6. Stand your refl ector up (foil side in), bringing
the edges of the outer two panels together. Have your
partner hold the refl ector in position while you add
the last piece of duct tape.

7. Finish the last joint inside the refl ector by
applying the remaining piece of duct tape.
C. Add the Insulated Box
1. Using duct tape, fasten the cardboard box
securely to the bottom of the refl ector by its fl aps.
Be sure the box is centered. Add a few strips of duct
tape to the corners to make the assembly more rigid.

2. Shred some newspaper by tearing it
lengthwise into thin strips. You can also use
paper from a mechanical paper shredder. Stuff
shredded paper into the gaps between the box and
the refl ector. Leave a little of the paper on the
bottom of the box

D. Prepare the Baking Chamber
1. In the plastic container, use your plastic spoon
to mix 2 teaspoons of black tempera paint with one
teaspoon of white glue, and two teaspoons of water
(you can substitute glue and water from Part A above
if you had any left over).
2. Using the brush, apply the black paint evenly
over the inside of an aluminum foil loaf tin. Set this
aside to dry. It may be necessary to apply two coats
of the paint to ensure full coverage of the aluminum.

3. Press the baking chamber tightly into the bottom
of the refl ector.
4. Outside, and with your sunglasses on, arrange
your cooker so that the cooking chamber is fully
illuminated by the sun. The diagram below shows
you how to orient the refl ector to get the most heat
from the sun. You will need to prop the refl ector up
on some books, bricks, or other objects to keep it at
the right angle.

E. Test and Prepare the Solar Oven for Use
The solar oven is now ready to be tested. If the glue
and paint are all dry and it is a sunny day, you can
warm up your oven in preparation for its fi rst cooking
job.
1. Place the oven thermometer inside the painted
baking tin.
2. Slip the baking tin into the transparent plastic
oven bag by placing the tin inside the oven plastic
oven bag. Arrange the bag so that the plastic
forms a smooth, unwrinkled window over the baking
chamber.