Solar oven cardboard box

This is how to make a solar oven using a tempered glass picture frame (or simply a regular glass one), some newspapers, a roll of aluminum foil, duct tape, two cardboard boxes and a bit of white glue.

Are you tired from the old oven at home, which seems to be consuming incredible amounts of electricity? If yes, then you will definitely enjoy the following tutorial.

1. Prepare the frame and the boxes

When you select the solar oven cardboard boxes, make sure that one of them is of the same size as the glass frame, while the other one is 2-3 inches larger. Cut a hole into the large one, so that it can fit the smaller one inside. The space between the two boxes fill with the crumpled newspapers. Once this is all done, and the small box is fitted inside the big one, tape them up using the duct tape.

2. Line the inside of the solar oven

Take the aluminum foil and using the white glue line the inside of your future solar oven. It is a good idea if you extend the foil out of the box and over the top, and also reverse the door so that the tape is on the outside.

3. Place the reflectors

To make the reflectors cut out pieces of cardboard and glue some aluminum foil onto them (the shiny side of the foil should be facing down). After the glue is dry, trim the foil and tape the edges with the duct tape.

4. Test your solar oven

Put the oven at a 60 degrees angle, so that the sun is focused on the pan. If you have to adjust the light beam you can make a few holes.

5. Start “Solar Cooking”

If you would like to have a bit more control over the temperature of the newly-made solar oven, you can make a hole at the back of the oven and insert a thermometer.

• Small White cardboard boxes
• Minecraft cardboard box
• Coloured cardboard boxes
• Silver cardboard boxes