Important Parts of Solar Cooker

The important parts of a hot box solar cooker include the outer box, inner cooking box or tray, the double glass lid, thermal insulator, mirror and cooking containers.

1. Outer Box: The outer box of a solar cooker is generally made of G.I. or aluminum sheet or fibre reinforced plastic.
    
2. Inner Cooking Box (Tray) : This is made from aluminum sheet. The inner cooking box is slightly smaller than the outer box. It is coated with black paint so as to easily absorb solar radiation and transfer the heat to the cooking pots.
    
3. Double Glass Lid: A double glass lid covers the inner box or tray. This cover is slightly larger than the inner box. The two glass sheets are fixed in an aluminum frame with a spacing of 2 centimeters between the two glasses. This space contains air which insulates and prevents heat escaping from inside. A rubber strip is affixed on the edges of the frame to prevent any heat leakage.
    
4. Thermal Insulator: The space between the outer box and inner tray including bottom of the tray is packed with insulating material such as glass wool pads to reduce heat losses from the cooker. This insulating material should be free from volatile materials.
    
5. Mirror: Mirror is used in a solar cooker to increase the radiation input on the absorbing space and is fixed on the inner side of the main cover of the box. Sunlight falling on the mirror gets reflected from it and enters into the tray through the double glass lid. This radiation is in addition to the radiation entering the box directly and helps to quicken the cooking process by raising the inside temperature of the cooker.
    
6. Containers: The cooking containers (with cover) are generally made of aluminum or stainless steel. These pots are also painted black on the outer surface so that they also absorb solar radiation directly.

What can be cooked in a Solar Cooker?

We can cook a large number of items, like pulses, rice, kheer, khichri, vegetables, cereals, etc. which are needed for our daily meals, in a solar cooker. Some special dishes like Muthia, Handva, Patra, Idli, Dhokia, Lapsi, Dudhpak, Pulao and soups can also be cooked. To add to the list, we can bake bread, biscuits, cake and nankhatai, etc. The non-vegetarian items like fish, chicken, meat curry, shami kababs, etc., which are boiled or roasted can also be prepared in a solar cooker. The time taken to cook will depend upon the type ;of the food, time of the day and solar intensity. However, the time taken to cook some of the dishes in a solar cooker is as follows : Rice (45 minutes to one hour), vegetables(about one to two hours), black gram and Rajma (about two hours), and cake(one hour).