How to Choose the Best Solar Oven for Your Tiny House

If you click and purchase with one of our links, we earn a commission. Thanks.

Considering buying a solar oven for your tiny house? You should keep a few things in mind instead of buying the first model you see. This guide covers every aspect of buying a solar oven so that you can pick the best for your house.

Moving to a tiny house means you need to downsize everything significantly. From furniture to the kitchen equipment, you have to pick everything according to the size of your house.

Moreover, cooking without electricity may become the biggest challenge. And that's where a solar oven comes in handy. It frees you from cooking on a grid and ensures that you can continue making delicious meals even after downsizing on everything.

Solar oven working mechanism

Before exploring the factors that you need to remember before buying a solar oven, you should know how it works. As you can understand from the name, a solar oven absorbs heat from the sun, converts it into heat energy, and helps you cook food. This makes them an ideal option for small homes and camping purposes.

Solar ovens use a shiny reflector panel that directs sunlight into a black insulated box. This insulated box absorbs the rays and converts them into heat energy. The heat remains trapped in the chamber within a sealed glass lid. It has 100% insulation to reduce heat loss. The insulated box provides an appropriate amount of heat when you want to cook something.

Pros and cons of buying a solar oven

Cooking using solar energy is a work of art. You need to develop the skill to ensure that you don't undercook or overcook your food while using a solar oven. Many people would suggest using a crockpot instead of a solar oven, but that's even tougher. You can still use a slow cooker on a solar oven to cook everything, but that's not always possible with a crockpot. In fact, you need to choose your days to cook because the sun may not provide the same intensity of rays every day.

Timing is crucial when it comes to cooking in a solar oven. You always need to keep an eye on the weather. The only downside of cooking in a solar oven is you won't find the optimal weather condition every day. Overcast conditions are the enemy of solar ovens. Sometimes, you may need to cook in advance if you get a forecast of overcast conditions.

While cooking in a solar oven involves trial and error initially, you may be able to nail the combination after a few days. The challenging part about cooking in a solar oven is you can't set it to a specific temperature and expect it to maintain a steady temperature for as long as you cook. You may have to wait for a few days to fire up the solar oven if it rains continuously over the week. Additionally, you also need to check your food's internal temperature frequently whenever you cook, as the outside may seem well cooked, but the inside may tell you a different story.

Solar oven advantages

• Cooking becomes easy once you figure out how to cook in this type of oven.
• You won't have to pay any electric bill as it doesn't rely on electrical grids.
• It is an ideal solution for those living in tiny houses or going on camping trips.
• You save the environment as solar ovens reduce your carbon footprint.

Solar oven disadvantages

• You need to learn your way to cooking in a solar oven.
• It is not always convenient as the weather may not be sunny every day.

Factors to consider while buying a solar oven

Before you start looking for various solar oven models, here are a few factors that you should keep in mind.

Price

Always compare the prices of different models before buying. Some models go by their brand names. You may find ovens with similar features as high-priced models at a much lower price. Most people think that the costlier the device, the longer it will run. That's not always true. You should compare the prices along with their features before buying an oven. Price often doesn't provide the whole picture. Therefore, compare a few models based on their prices and then go by their features one by one.

Storage size

The size of the oven is crucial, considering you will use it in a tiny house. Keep the size of your kitchen in mind before comparing different models. The ideal size of a solar oven for your tiny home should be similar to a roasting pan. You can buy a smaller model if you can't afford that much space. But remember, smaller ovens will take longer to cook. Also, you can't cook too many items in a small oven as the insulated box will not be able to accommodate a significant amount of heat.

Ease of use

It is best to see a few solar oven cooking tutorials before finally purchasing the oven. This should give you an idea of how to use the oven and eliminate the trial and error process. You have to keep in mind the setup time, cooking time, and processing time. Most ovens come with detailed instructions on how to use them at their optimal conditions. Try to follow the instructions carefully. That may reduce the wastage of undercooked food initially. Avoid ovens that have complicated instructions or have a complicated cooking process.

Capacity

The capacity and oven size go hand in hand. Different oven manufacturers mention the amount of food you can cook in one sitting. You can calculate the amount of food you can cook accordingly. For example, the instructions may mention whether you can cook an entire chicken or not. Depending on the information, you can decide how much chicken to cook for one or two persons. That should also give you an idea about the time it will take to prepare a dish.

Durability

This is a no-brainer. You wouldn't want to invest in a solar oven that needs frequent repairs. Always check the warranty of the oven and its reviews. It's wise to invest a little more money on an oven that stands the test of time than on one that offers various features without providing a reasonable warranty period.

Most online stores provide ratings according to customer reviews. Don't forget to compare these ratings. Customers are ruthless if they are not happy with a product. They highlight the pros and cons of buying the oven and provide share their experience about its durability.

Heat potential and cooking speed

The heat potential is what will allow you to cook the food. Some ovens run hotter than others. In some cases, you may find that the most expensive oven doesn't heat up as fast as some of its counterparts. Therefore, it's essential to compare the heat potential of different models before buying an oven. Otherwise, you may notice that the outside of your food is ready to eat but not the inside.

You need to keep the same thing in mind while comparing the cooking speed. The faster the oven cooks, the better it is for you, as you can combat the weather conditions easily. Check the different intensity levels that the ovens allow for cooking. The higher the cooking speed, the faster you can cook.

Portability

If you are looking to move from your current house to another tiny house, you should consider the portability of the oven also. This means you need to compare the weight, size, storage convenience, and availability of the carrying case. Buy one that ticks all these boxes.

Solar oven accessories

In addition to choosing the best solar oven for your tiny home, you will also require a few accessories that help in cooking. Here are some of the accessories that you should consider buying:

• Food probe thermometer – This is a crucial device that helps check the inside temperature of your food. It eliminates the risks of making undercooked dishes. You can check the temperature of the meat while cooking in a solar oven. It only costs a few bucks, so you won't have to worry about its price.
• Pots with lids – You wouldn't want the heat from the oven to escape easily. And that's why purchasing pots with lids are a good idea. They capture the heat inside the pot and allow the food to cook quickly.
• Carrying case – Some solar ovens don't come with carrying cases, even if they have incredible features. Fortunately, you can buy one separately, but make sure you keep the size of your oven in mind. A sturdy case will make it easier to move your oven if you shift to a new house.

This guide covers all the factors that you need to remember before buying a solar oven for your tiny house. Don't forget to compare at least four or five models before buying one.