Do you want to learn How to Make a Pizza Box Solar Oven? Did you know you can make a solar oven out of a standard pizza box? Solar ovens are fantastic because they use the energy of the sun to cook food. You’ll need some basic supplies and ingredients to make your own solar oven, but it’s so simple!
This post will show you how to make one so you can begin saving money right away!
What is a pizza box solar oven?
A solar oven is a type of cooker that gets its heat from the sun rather than an electrical source. The main reason you should use this is to save money on your energy bill. Eating food prepared in a solar oven costs next to nothing!
It works in a straightforward manner. But, before I tell you how it works, let me show you what one looks like.
This uses natural heat from the sun to cook almost anything in a matter of hours — ideal if you’re cooking for hundreds of people!
If this isn’t enough time for your cooking, simply place more cardboard between the aluminum foil and the glass during construction to insulate better and keep more heat inside!
This can be used to cook anything, but I’ve found that it works best with meat. Keep in mind that putting a lot of food inside the box will make it take longer — which is great if you’re making something for a party or other event where people will need to eat.
However, using your electric oven for single meals or light lunches is faster and easier.
That’s all right! It’s time to get started on our solar oven.
We’ll need a pizza box (large enough for a person to stand inside), an aluminum tray from a deep freeze, foil from your pantry drawer, an empty glass or cup, and a glass bottle to act as an air hole when it’s inside the box, and tape to hold everything together.
The first thing you should do is take the pizza box and empty it of everything inside. Please save all of these pieces; we’ll need them later! Next, cover the bottom with foil so that the aluminum tray can quickly sit on top of it.
After that, put one side in, but don’t cover the other sides yet — we still need room to put our food in to cook! You should then cut a door at the top through which someone can enter (if you make your solar oven large enough like mine). During construction, this is where you’ll put the aluminum foil and glass.
You can now cover the sides of your pizza box with aluminum foil once the lid has been removed. Make a space in the box for inserting your glass bottle — remember to do this on both sides!
You might think that if someone doesn’t open the tiny bottle right away, it will damage your oven and prevent it from cooking food, but this isn’t a problem because we put in our food before we start cooking; it!
Then, find three small strips of cardboard to use as braces to keep everything in place. Then, using any adhesive, tape them together so they don’t fall apart. These must be placed on top of the three sides that are not covered in aluminum foil.
Now that everything is in place, we can begin putting food inside! This includes whatever you want to cook, but make sure it all fits inside your solar oven! It may be a little small depending on the size of the pizza box…
Fill the bottle with water and place it in the hole you made earlier once everything is in place with enough space between items. The reason for this is that if there were no air holes at all, the pressure would build up inside your solar oven as it heated up from the sun.
This pressure has the potential to break your glass or cause other issues, so using an air hole instead will prevent this!
Now that our food is ready to be placed inside the solar oven, we must consider how long it will take to cook everything. You can get a rough estimate by looking at how high the sun is in the sky.
Assume you’re in the northern hemisphere, as I am (I live in Canada), and it’s around noon in the summer. In that case, my solar oven receives the most sunlight; however, during the winter, when I wake up early in the morning, around 8 a.m., my solar oven also receives sunlight.
The more sunlight you have during your cooking session, the faster you will get things done!
On average, if there isn’t much of a difference when I’m cooking, my solar oven takes about 4 hours to cook everything inside it. It only takes an hour or two if there is a lot of sunlight!
If you want more precise results, measure how much energy your solar oven can produce by inserting a thermometer near where the food would go. Be aware that intense heat will damage the information on your thermometer — this is fine because you won’t need the thermometer after using it!
However, if you were considering inventing something better than what we have here, you should stop right now because who knows what kind of safety precautions are in place with this thing…
You can calculate how much energy is required to heat food once you know how much energy is produced. However, energy must always be conserved, so if your solar oven requires 4000 joules of energy to complete a task, it will also require 4000 joules of energy to cook that task!
Solar ovens are wonderful because they can cook almost anything at any time of year, even when there isn’t much sunlight. All you need is enough sunlight to get started! I hope you enjoy cooking with solar power as much as I do!
How to Make a Pizza Box Solar Oven?
Here’s everything you need to know: 1 pizza box, 3 drinking glasses that fit into the box, two buttons (large enough to shove at each end of the drinking glasses), paper towels, tape (any adhesive will do), and a pin
First, put together your solar oven! First, ensure that your pizza box has two holes on opposite sides. The first hole should be large enough to fit your hands inside, while the second should be small enough to function as an air hole — remember to cut this out on both sides of the box!
Then, cover both holes with aluminum foil, leaving one corner free for later taping. After that, you might consider how long it will take your solar oven to cook everything inside. You can make an educated guess by looking at how high the sun is in the sky at any given time of day.
If the sun is up in the northern hemisphere around noon, this is a good time to cook with a solar oven!
Fill two glasses with water and place them next to each other inside your pizza box, so they fit snugly against one another.
Then, when you close our solar oven, place some paper towels on top of the glasses to keep them from breaking. After that, place an extra glass overtop on both cups and secure it on all four sides with aluminum foil or tape! Check that it fits snugly against one of the two inside glasses.
The final step is to incorporate a sun thermometer into your solar oven! I used a drinking glass, but you could also use an aluminum foil-covered drinking glass, a lens with a specific material over it, or any other device that detects the amount of sunlight energy.
Place this in the center of your solar oven so that when both ends are closed, it can measure how much energy is coming in from the outside world.
Finally, when everything is nice and dark inside our box after we close both ends with buttons… We’re all set to cook! If you want to cook faster than usual during the summer, wait around 4 hours if there aren’t many clouds — or
If you don’t need to cook your food that quickly, you can wait 8 hours to save energy.
Now that everything is nice and dark inside our box, let’s use our tape hinge to open one end! If you have a thermometer installed… Don’t worry, everything should be fine! Just don’t touch or breathe on it because these things will heat up quickly!
After you remove the buttons, slide open one end like a drawer to reveal your brand-new solar oven, which is currently cooking! Depending on how much sunlight surrounds us, it shouldn’t take long.
Remember that sunlight equals power, energy, and cooking… So, where were we? Oh, and remember not to touch or breathe on anything while your solar oven is running, as this will cause it to overheat quickly!
If you’re building a solar oven for yourself, close one end with the buttons and slide the other open to see if everything fits together nicely. If everything goes as planned, it should be fine, so get ready to cook!
What would you like to cook in your new pizza box solar oven? I’m thinking about baking cookies next time… However, there are far too many options, so good luck designing your solar oven!
Why use a solar oven over an electric stove or gas stove?
Cooking on an electric or gas stove is costly, especially if you live in the city or suburbs, where energy costs are higher. Solar ovens, on the other hand, can cook food using free sunlight (which always surrounds us).
It’s a better option than electric stoves because it saves money while also lowering your carbon footprint on our planet! You’re not wasting electricity by using a solar oven; instead, you’re converting sunlight into heat, which cooks everything inside your pizza box stove.
I hope this article showed you how to make a simple yet effective solar oven out of an old pizza box lying around your house! Please send me pictures of your food cooking inside your pizza box if you try this project so I can post them on my website!
Please see the How to Make a Pizza Box Solar Oven above.
Tips for using the solar oven
-If there is too much sunlight inside, the pizza box will overheat and crack under pressure; if there is insufficient sunlight, your food will not be cooked quickly enough! I’d recommend striking a balance between having enough sunlight but not so much that it burns the sides.
-Place your cooking item as close to where you can use a thermometer to measure the outside temperature as possible.
Remember that cooking usually begins around 2 p.m., but if you want it done faster or slower, use thicker or thinner glasses on top of your pizza box depending on how dark you need them to be for whatever ingredient you’re cooking first.
Because of the darkness of the pizza box, my solar oven performs admirably for slow and consistent heat all day. I like this project because it only requires a few things to work, so good luck if you decide to make your own solar oven!
Please see the How to Make a Pizza Box Solar Oven above.
Recipes for what you can cook in the sun!
Casseroles, apple pies, grilled meat, quiche, gratin dishes, omelets, and fried eggs are all options. To focus the sun’s rays on food placed below, use flexible plastic bags as a lid.
-Never touch anything inside the oven while it’s cooking to avoid burning yourself or your oven! Be patient, and everything will be worth it in the end… If not, repeat the process until you get it right!
This is a project for someone with free time, so be cautious during construction and remember: sunlight = power; energy; cooking… If you intend to build this solar oven soon, good luck!
Please see the How to Make a Pizza Box Solar Oven above.
FAQs about How to Make a Pizza Box Solar Oven
Can you cook pizza in a solar oven?
Sure, of course! Remember to preheat your oven before placing the pizza inside to ensure even cooking.
Remember that cooking usually begins around 2 p.m., so if you want it done faster or slower, place thicker or thinner glasses on top of your pizza box depending on how dark you need them to be for whatever ingredient you’re cooking first.
-I attempted to make a solar oven out of an old takeout container and… It didn’t even work?! Make one with a darker surface (like a black pizza box) and keep the sun’s rays as close as possible by using small pieces of glass for your lid; if that doesn’t work, try again until it does!
This is a project for someone with free time, so be cautious during construction and remember: sunlight = power; energy; cooking… If you intend to build this solar oven soon, good luck!
Please see the How to Make a Pizza Box Solar Oven above.
What temperature will the inside of my pizza box get to when used for solar heating?
When in full sun, the temperature inside your solar oven will be around 235 degrees Fahrenheit. The best analogy I can think of is electric stoves that typically cook at 350 degrees F, but with a solar oven — you’re cooking with free sunlight instead of electricity!
Oh, there’s one more thing! Never touch anything inside the pizza box while it’s cooking to avoid burning yourself or your pizza box! Be patient, and everything will be worth it in the end… If not, repeat the process until you get it right!
This is a project for someone with free time, so be cautious during construction and remember: sunlight = power; energy; cooking… If you intend to build this solar oven soon, good luck.
Please see the How to Make a Pizza Box Solar Oven above.
Can I use my pizza box with any food?
Yes, but keep your food as close to the center as possible, where the sun shines through the glass/plastic lids when using them. If the pizza box is exposed to too much sunlight, it will overheat and crack under pressure.
If there is insufficient sunlight, your food will not be cooked quickly enough! So strike a balance between getting enough sunlight and not overcooking your food. If not, repeat the process until you get it right!
This is a project for someone with free time, so be cautious during construction and remember: sunlight = power; energy; cooking… If you intend to build this solar oven soon, good luck!
Please see the How to Make a Pizza Box Solar Oven above.
What does plastic wrap do in a solar oven?
Plastic wrap helps to trap moisture, allowing your food to cook faster! If you don’t have plastic wrap, try reflecting more sunlight into the box to help speed up the cooking process. If not, repeat the process until you get it right!
This is a project for someone with free time, so be cautious during construction and remember: sunlight = power; energy; cooking… If you intend to build this solar oven soon, good luck!
Please see the How to Make a Pizza Box Solar Oven above.
Do solar ovens work in the winter?
They absolutely do! Simply drape a blanket or a thick, black garbage bag/shower cap over it as shown:
The only thing you have to be concerned about now is the snow on top of your box (which is why you use plastic wrap instead of glass; if not, try again until you get it right!
This is a project for someone with free time, so be cautious during construction and remember: sunlight = power; energy; cooking… If you intend to build this solar oven soon, good luck!)
Please see the How to Make a Pizza Box Solar Oven above.
How long does it take to cook more in a solar oven?
When exposed to direct sunlight, it takes 40 to 50 minutes. Add 20 minutes if your food is frozen, and 30 minutes if you want to bake something (like cookies) because they require a little more energy than regular cooking!
If not, repeat the process until you get it right! This is a project for someone with free time, so be cautious during construction and remember: sunlight = power; energy; cooking… If you intend to build this solar oven soon, good luck!
Please see the How to Make a Pizza Box Solar Oven above.
Where are solar ovens being used the most?
Africa! Because the sun shines brightly there all year, they require it. Oh, there’s one more thing! If not, repeat the process until you get it right!
This is a project for someone with free time, so be cautious during construction and remember: sunlight = power; energy; cooking… If you intend to build this solar oven soon, good luck!
Please see the How to Make a Pizza Box Solar Oven above.
Conclusion How to Make a Pizza Box Solar Oven
Solar ovens are extremely simple to construct. They can be used in any environment and for a variety of purposes, including cooking, deep-frying, and baking.
Just keep in mind that cooking anything that produces flames inside your box will cause it to catch fire. If you’re wondering if solar ovens work, take a look at the image above because they do!
We hope this article taught you How to Make a Pizza Box Solar Oven, which is great if you want to save electricity or help others in need by constructing one for them. If not, repeat the process until you get it right!
This is a project for someone with free time, so be cautious during construction and remember: sunlight = power; energy; cooking… If you intend to build this solar oven soon, good luck!
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