There are tons of solar ovens out there including some DIY shoe box solar oven designs, but if you want to just buy one, do you know which ones are the best solar oven cookers?
We have built them and also tried many factory products. Out of all, the factory ones are well built, better in quality and saves you time.
Let's check them out:
Best Solar Oven Cookers
GoSun Solar Grill - Best Overall
Why Buy This One ? - Want to a solar cooker dedicated for home use? this is by far the best option that can feed lot of people and works without gas or electricity. It's a high quality product made with stainless steel frame, comes with soft touch rubber grips, temperature gauge and the best of all is that it works under clouds.
Easier & Faster - Make a big meal for up to 8 people in less than 20 - 30 mins with full sunlight (up to 550 degree F brake, steam and roast)
Make Anything - Cooks veggie, fish, beef, eggs... you name it i can cook it.
Works Under Clouds - No worry if the sky is cloudy, the cooker will still be able to cook but just slightly longer
No Additional Heat Source - No gas, no electricity to save money and reduce bulky weight that typically are associated with a grill
Sturdy Platform - Weighs 8 lbs for stability for outdoor cookout. There is wind? no problem, this thing won't fly away.
Sunflair Portable Solar Oven Deluxe - Best For Camping & Survival
Why Buy This One ? - Reducing weight for outdoor camping is important, and the Sunflair portable solar oven deluxe is small, compact and lightweight (1 lb) to go with your outdoor gears. Simply just unfold the cooker the size of a seat cushion for camping or survival needs.
Feeds Up To 8 People - Just like the GoSun Solar Grill recommended above with state of the art closed cell insulation that can cook pretty much everything (Only up to 285F)
Foldable - Fold and deploy like a thermal bag without any assembly. It doesn't take up weight or space and it's a must have for any campers and survival enthusiasts
Easy To Set up - Everything is included in the kit to start cooking without buying extra stuff. Cooks everything for emergency situations without fire or gas
Works In Cold Environment - Cooks from sun up to sun down for four-season environment below 40 degrees
GoSun Ultra Portable Solar Tube Stove - Best Overall For Outdoor Use
Why Buy This One ? - We can't recommend another one without mentioning GoSun products again. The GoSun Ultra Portable Solar Tube Stove works just like the Sunflair solar oven, but it's a breakthrough solar cooker that weighs only 2 lbs with better protection and comes with a kickstand for maximum sunlight angle and exposure.
Feeds Up To 2 People - Simple and lightweight for any 2 person outdoor hiking activities
Tube Style Stove - Packs food inside the tube and cook it no time (~20 - 30 mins) using its two parabolic reflectors. Also includes sectional trays to cook separate meal for another person
Boil Water Anywhere You Go - Need hot water for coffee and MRE? This thing's got your back with the ability to heat up to 550 F to get you hot water needed to cook dry freeze food and make coffee for energy
Stand Anywhere & Hold Position - Deploy the adjustable stand to maximize sunlight exposure to cook faster (built in
Built In Mount - Use GoPro universal action mounting accessories and mount it on any structure such as boat, bike, flag pole...etc
LiFuJunDong Focal Spot Solar Oven - Best For High Speed Cooking
Why Try This Solar Oven? - Everything we recommended above are good, but this one is very special looking for high speed cooking. It might not look the best, but it's the fastest parabolic focal spot solar cooker that can get up to 1800 degree F like an induction cooker.
7X The Cook Speed - Almost like a kitchen stove, this solar cooker reaches temperature 7X faster than a traditional gas grill. Thanks to the intense focal solar energy
Super Durable Stand - Over 36 lbs, super stable tripod, stove ring and solid steel construction from the top to the bottom to withstand wind.
Easy To Clean - Just need soapy water and a cloth to wipe away all the grease, then dry it off
Great For Backyard Use - No toxic smoke blowing in your face or into neighbor's backyard. Works during the day and under cloud as long as optimal sunlight presents.
Buyer's Guide - What To Look For
Size & Portability
Most people who use a solar cooker is for outdoor use, so a super lightweight and easy to carry product is what you should be looking for.
The GoSun portable solar cookers are our favorite product to recommend for hiking, camping and emergency without adding more weight to your existing loadout.
Simplicity & User Experience
Everyone loves things to be easy, and that holds true for a solar oven cooker. Most solar oven has sunlight zeroing meter to help the user to maximize sunlight positioning. Just put the food in and let it cook.
Cook Speed Breakdown
Speed matters when cooking if you're in a hurry, and to increase the solar cooker's efficiency, there are couple things you can do. Learn how to do that here.
Most solar cookers perform at its peak when maximum sunlight is available generally about 20 - 30 mins.
If it's cloudy, it can be as long as 90 - 100 mins.
In addition, different types of food requires different cooking time. We highly recommend getting a thermometer to periodically check the temperature while cooking to prevent overcooking and undercooking.
Common FAQ
Can A Solar Oven Work Under Shade?
A solar oven cooker works the best if there is maximum sunlight to cook the food fast without interruption. However, it will continue to work during cloudy sky but it requires longer cook time.
When sunlight isn't available at all, the cooker doesn't work.
Is Prepacked Dry Freezed Food Much Easier Than Using A Solar Oven Cooker?
In many ways having freeze dried food is much easier and much tasty than cooking from scratch using a solar oven cooker for outdoor activities.
However, you still need hot water to prepare the dry freeze food and you can use the GoSun Ultra Portable Solar Tube Stove to heat up the water if you don't carry a burner while backpacking.
