SUN OVENS International, Inc.
39W835 Midan Drive
Elburn, IL 60119 USA
Phone 630-208-7273
Toll Free 800-408 7919
Fax 630-208-7386
info@sunoven.com |
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FAQs
What can I cook in a GLOBAL SUN OVEN®?
Anything you can cook in a conventional electric or gas
oven can be cooked in a GLOBAL SUN OVEN®.
You can bake, boil and steam using any of your favorite
recipes.
What is the cooking temperature range?
The GLOBAL SUN OVEN®
will reach temperatures of 360 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
The oven will generally reach its maximum temperature
as it is being preheated. The temperature will drop when
food is placed in the chamber.
Will food prepared in a GLOBAL SUN OVEN®
taste the same as food prepared in my conventional oven?
The food tastes much better! Solar cooking allows many
of the natural flavors of food, which get baked out in
conventional ovens, to remain. The slow, even rise in
temperatures in a GLOBAL SUN OVEN®
gives the complex carbohydrates time to break down into
simple sugars allowing subtle natural flavors to emerge.
Sun baked foods stay moist, the natural internal juices
do not bake out, resulting in a superior, moist taste
and much less shrinkage.
How long does it take?
Cooking times are close to the same as those in a conventional
oven. Because the sun is often trying to run away and
hide behind clouds, cooking times can vary. At times it
may take a little longer. The factors that affect the
cooking time are: the quality of the sunlight at the time
you are cooking, the types and quantities of the food
being cooked, and how often the oven is being refocused.
Does a GLOBAL SUN OVEN®
require special pots and pans?
No, but dark, thin-walled pots with lids work best. Dark
pots change the light from the sun into heat energy. Lids
are important because they hold steam in the pot. If a
lid is not used the steam will dissipate much of the heat.
Shiny aluminum pots and pans cause light to be reflected
out thereby reducing the oven's temperature. Glass casserole
dishes with lids also work well. For baking cakes, breads,
cookies, and pies, dark cookie sheets and baking tins
work best.
Does food need to be stirred?
No. Stirring to prevent scorching is not required when
cooking in a GLOBAL SUN OVEN®
due to the fact that there are no hot spots. The temperature
of the food rises evenly. It is almost impossible to burn
food in a GLOBAL SUN OVEN®.
How difficult is it to focus a GLOBAL SUN OVEN®?
Focusing a GLOBAL SUN OVEN®
is very easy. All that is required is to watch the shadows
created by the oven. When the shadows are even on all
sides, the cooker is directly focused. The built-in leveling
leg on the back of the oven allows for easy tracking.
How often must a GLOBAL SUN OVEN®
be refocused?
The need to refocus depends a great deal on what you are
cooking, the time of day, and the temperature you wish
to maintain. A good rule of thumb is to plan to readjust
every 30 minutes to maintain maximum heat. At noon the
sun is high in the sky and moves quickly past the maximum
focus point, creating the need to refocus more often.
Later in the day you will not need to refocus as often.
The GLOBAL SUN OVEN®
is equipped with a built in Levelator, which keeps food
level and avoids spills while being refocused.
Many meals can be cooked without refocusing. GLOBAL
SUN OVEN® users often
will put their ovens outside, focused for the mid-day
sun, with their dinner in it when they leave for work
in the morning. As the sun moves overhead, the temperature
in the Global Sun Ovenâ chamber slowly rises to
a cooking level. As the sun passes, the food is kept warm
and when they return from work they have a warm, sun-cooked
dinner.
(Keep in mind food will not burn in a GLOBAL SUN
OVEN® and that the chamber
is extremely well insulated, allowing food to stay warm
for hours.)
With the GLOBAL SUN OVEN®
getting so hot, what is the risk of getting burned when
using it?
The only parts that get hot are the oven chamber, the
cooking pan, and the glass door. Proper care must be taken
to use hot pads when opening the door and removing food.
The entire exterior of the oven, including the reflectors,
remains safe to touch.
How long will a GLOBAL SUN OVEN®
last?
The estimated life of a GLOBAL SUN OVEN®is
20 + years. With proper care it should last a lifetime.
Do I need special recipes to cook in a GLOBAL SUN
OVEN®?
The GLOBAL SUN OVEN®
reaches temperatures comparable to that of conventional
ovens, therefore no special recipes are required. A good
rule of thumb is to add 10 to 15 minutes of cooking time
for each time the oven door is opened.
What are the dimensions of the GLOBAL SUN OVEN®?
The size of the GLOBAL SUN OVEN®
is 19'' x 19'' with an average depth of 11''. The total
weight is only 21 pounds.
Can I use a GLOBAL SUN OVEN®
in the winter?
Yes. The most important factor in using a GLOBAL
SUN OVEN®is the brightness
of the day, NOT the outside air temperature. Often, a
40-degree, clear, low-humidity day will allow food to
cook faster than a 100-degree day with high humidity.
The GLOBAL SUN OVEN®has
been used very successfully at the base camp of a Mt.
Everest expedition where the temperatures are often well
below zero. There are, however, more cooking hours available
in the summer than in the winter. In the early summer,
it is not unusual to cook from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, whereas
during the early winter, effective cooking is limited
to 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
How does it work?
The black surfaces on the inside of the oven captures
and transforms the sun's energy into a form that cannot
escape the oven chamber. When a GLOBAL SUN OVEN®
is focused in the sun, the interior of the oven is heated
by the sun's energy. Direct and reflected sunlight enters
the oven chamber through the glass door. It then turns
to heat energy when it is absorbed by the black inner-shell
and Levelator. This heat input causes the temperature
inside the oven to rise until the heat loss of the oven
is equal to the solar heat gain. The light energy absorbed
by dark pots and the oven's dark interior is converted
into longer wavelength heat energy. Most of this longer-wavelength
radiant energy can not pass back out through the glass,
ensuring more efficient cooking.
Are GLOBAL SUN OVEN®
used in countries outside of the United States?
Yes. Currently they are being used in 126 countries around
the world. In many of these countries, they purchase unassembled
GLOBAL SUN OVENS® and
complete the final assembly on location. This reduces
the overall cost of the ovens and shipping while creating
jobs locally. The demands of massive population growth,
and inefficient conversion of wood to charcoal, have outstripped
the third world's forests ability to regenerate. The ecological
effect of wood fuel is burdensome and has a far-reaching
negative global impact. These global trends will lead
to environmental destabilization leading to deforestation
and global warming. Science strongly supports the fact
that deforestation for agricultural and fuel use is changing
weather patterns, causing soil erosion, and depleting
plant and animal life. SUN OVENS®
offer a powerful solution to the effects of deforestation,
and can have an enormous positive impact on the everyday
life of millions of people in underdeveloped countries
by improving their nutrition, health, and quality of life.
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| © 2007 SUN OVENS International, Inc.
All Rights Reserved. |
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