Solar Cooker - Cookit

The CooKit is available from Solar Cookers International, a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that spreads solar cooking awareness and skills worldwide, particularly in areas with plentiful sunshine and diminishing sources of cooking fuel. SCI has enabled 30,000 families in Africa to cook with the sun's energy, freeing women and children from the burdens of gathering wood and carrying it for miles.

Overview
Instructions
Additional Information
Comments

Description

Solar cooking one meal a day, three times a week has been proven to reduce fuelwood consumption and related smoke by one third. The CooKit saves more than four times its value in fuelwood each year. CooKits complement other cooking methods needed at night and on cloudy days. With careful use and storage, a CooKit can be used for two years, reducing fuelwood consumption by two tonnes. Also, many foods can cook for several hours without overcooking, which allow food to be placed in the cooker early in the day and left until mealtime without needing to be stirred or monitored.

Website

http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/CooKit

Materials needed

Corrugated cardboard (carton board) — 0.9x1.2 meters (3x4 feet)
Aluminum foil — 0.3x3 meters (1x10 feet), cut into strips as needed

Tools/machines needed

Glue (nontoxic, water-based, diluted 1:1 with water)
Pencil, pen or other marking device
Large ruler or other straight edge
Paintbrush (the foam type work well)
Utility knife or similar cutting device

Download the instruction manual

1

Draw cut and fold the cardboard as indicated by the lines.
2

With a blunt edge, such as a spoon handle, score the fold lines. Make straight folds by folding against a firm straight edge.
3

Using a paintbrush, spread the glue/water mixture on the dull side of aluminum foil and press the glued sheets of aluminum foil tightly and smoothly like wallpaper onto one entire side of the CooKit. A few wrinkles won’t hurt.

4

Put food in a pot with a tight fitting lid. Enclose pot in a clear, transparent plastic bag and tie to prevent air from escaping. The bag should be loose enough that a small, insulating layer of air exists around the pot.
5

Orient the CooKit so that it will be facing the sun for as much as the cooking time as possible. Once oriented, it doesn’t need to be moved again during three to four hours of cooking. Food cooks fastest when the shadow created by the cooker is directly behind it.
6

Adjust the front flap. Raise or lower the front flap so there is a small shadow, no more than half its width, under it. The flap should be angled higher when the sun is high and lower when the sun is low. You want the front flap to reflect the sun, not block it.

7

Set the bag-enclosed pot on the flat part of the CooKit. On windy days, large stones or bricks can be placed on each side of the flat part of the CooKit that extends beyond the side reflective panels, as well as under the front panel.
8

Cook food! You may leave food for several hours without it being burned. Still when removing the pot, use pot holders - pots get VERY hot. To prevent steam burns, open the bag away from you when removing the pot, and slide pot lid toward you when opening pot.

Some DIY technologies require specialized materials or special training. If your organization is interested in this technology, you are what we call a ‘technology seeker’, and funding for materials or training for this DIY technology may be available through Kopernik.

Technology seekers interested in becoming part of Kopernik can do so by filling out the registration and proposal form downloadable here. Once the registration form is submitted, Kopernik will review the application and conduct due diligence to determine whether the organization meets the requirements of Kopernik. For more information click here.


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