The cooker being promoted by an NGO; Solar Cooker International, USA in various parts of the world is made up of cardboard material having reflecting foil pasted on its inner portion. The outer body is laminated to protect it from sudden rain and to make it more durable. The cooker is of foldable type and when folded can be easily kept in a small bag for carrying it to any place. The weight of the cooker is less than half kg. The cooker is used with a black painted aluminum vessel to be housed in a polythene bag while cooking food. To cook food with this cooker, it is unfolded as shown in figure and is placed in the sun in such a way that the sun rays reflected from the foil fall on the cooking pot placed at the centre of the cooker. The cooking pot after having filled with food ingredients is in-housed in a polythene bag whose mouth is closed tightly with the help of a rubber band so that the heat tapped inside the bag does not escape out. Two flower clips and two small bricks are used to keep the cooker fixed in a position as shown in the figure. Since the cooker is of light weight, this arrangement helps in withstanding it from the high winds.
Salient features
The cooker is light weight, foldable and thus easy to carry anywhere. It can cook one item for 2 to 3 people in about two hours depending on the intensity of solar radiation. Two items can also be cooked at a time by keeping two vessels one above the other in polythene bag in case the solar radiation is very high. The cooker will work efficiently in high insolation areas, especially in southern, central and western parts of the country. In other parts also, it should work efficiently when good sunshine is available
Potential users
The cooker could be useful for rural people living below poverty line and also for the farmers and labourers who are away at work during lunch time. It could be more useful for warming of food as well as preparation of soft cook items like rice, pulao, khichri, vegetables and some dals.
Cost & payback
The cost of the cooker is around Rs. 100/- which does not include the cost of cooking pot. The cooking pot ( blackened from top & sides ) could either be arranged locally or procured along with the cooker by paying extra cost. The total cost of the cooker including the pot & transportation may therefore be around Rs. 225/- The cooker can pay back the cost in a couple of month if used regularly.
Limitations
It is made of cardboard material It may therefore not last for many years if used regularly. It needs to be protected from rains and water. It also cannot be used for frying purpose and preparing chapattis like box solar cooker. The polythene bag used with the cooker may also have to be changed frequently if it spoils fast.
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