Discover a special kitchen that is both cheap and 'clean'

From the frigid mountain ranges of Europe to the humid forests of Central Asia or the arid regions of Africa, millions of people are cooking with special stoves.

CNN channel (USA) said that this miracle kitchen is called a solar cooker. Instead of using gas, electricity or firewood, solar cookers only use the mirror surface to focus sunlight on a small area, generate heat to cook food and do not generate any polluting emissions.

Solar cooker used in Madhya Pradesh, India.

Simple and economical

There are many types of solar cookers, from mirror box construction to rooftop systems and vacuum tube cooktops – more sophisticated appliances that work in cold climates. To make the most basic type, with just a few inexpensive and easy-to-find materials, anyone can create a safe and efficient solar cooker on their own.

The maximum temperature that this stove generates is about 93 degrees Celsius, enough to process sausages, bacon… The main ingredients needed are a few cardboard boxes, a mirror or metal plate that costs only few dollars.

Cardboard boxes need to be 30-38 cm long. In addition, foil, pans, insulation such as newspaper, foam, cling film, duct tape, and a kitchen thermometer are required. First, seal the bottom and edges. of the cardboard box, excluding the lid. Wrap the foam pieces in foil and insert them into the corners of the box.

Homemade solar cooker model from simple materials.

The foil has the effect of causing the heat from the sun to spread throughout the inside of the box, helping to heat it up effectively. Next, stick the foil on the lid of the cardboard box. The user will adjust the lid of the box to direct sunlight inside.

The cook will put food containers such as pans, metal plates . inside the cardboard box. Dark tools are preferable to light ones because they help retain heat longer. The next step is to cover the open space of the box with cling film. This transparent 'barrier' is quite important because it helps to bring sunlight into the box, and at the same time 'locks' so that heat does not escape.

Despite its simplicity, there is a drawback that it is not possible to use a solar cooker when it is dark. And of course, on a sunny day, food can cook quickly, but in bad weather, a solar cooker will need more time than a conventional stove or oven to reach a safe cooking temperature. whole food.

However, in cloudy conditions, the solar cooker can still be used to dry food for longer storage. According to the NGO SolarAid, in a dry and sunny climate, just one solar cooker can save a ton of wood per year. The conditions for this stove to be most effective are a hot sunny day and the sun is in an optimal position.

Contributing to environmental protection

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 2.6 billion people globally are cooking daily with wood, coal, animal waste, and kerosene, which emit a lot of smoke and cause air pollution. deforestation, soil erosion, desertification. In that context, a solar cooker can be a useful alternative.

According to the non-profit organization Solar Cookers International (SCI), there are currently 4 million solar cookers worldwide serving 14 million people. This means preventing 5.8 million tons of CO2 annually from escaping into the environment. Ms. Janak Palta McGilligan in Madhya Pradesh (India) is a member of the SCI Global Advisory Board.

Solar cooker in Kenya.

Living in a country where 81% of the rural population uses polluting ingredients to cook, Palta McGilligan finds people are at a disadvantage because wood in the wild is decreasing. Meanwhile, the fact that women cook in closed spaces also puts them and their families at risk from respiratory infections.

The use of polluting ingredients for cooking also accounts for over 50% of global black carbon emissions. Black carbon is one of the main contributors to climate change, after CO2, but it only exists in the atmosphere for a few days to a few weeks. In fact, burning biomass (materials derived from organisms and animals such as straw, wood, etc.) produces a lot of CO2 emissions.

Furthermore, the use of biomass contributes to deforestation in many rural areas. Mrs Palta McGilligan said: 'The Earth is at risk. In rural India, we can't grow trees fast enough to make up for the amount of wood used in cooking'.

She added: 'The people of the villages have a connection with the forest. They feel regret if the forest is lost and there are no trees. Solar thermal energy has helped ease their anxiety. Forests will be saved through the use of solar cookers'. Having around 300 sunny days a year, India has a sustainable opportunity in using solar thermal energy.