Disclosure:  Consideration was received for the review and publishing of this article. After reading the article, I thought this expiriment looked like fun! Please be sure and let me know if any of you create a solar oven! I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Ohio has had some odd weather this past year. It started with a fairly mild winter, then a suddenly hot spring, and the first few weeks of summer have had alternating 90-degree weather with temperatures in the 70s and frequent thunderstorms.

All of these temperature fluctuations have made it difficult to effectively manage and track our energy costs because we have to constantly adjust the temperature in our homes.

However, it is possible to lower your costs by comparing rates at sites like www.OhioGasCompanies and there are still some other small things we can do in our homes to help.

When the weather is hot and sunny, one way to save on the cost of cooking is to cook outside on a charcoal grill. Cooking outside will also keep you from overheating your house. Another option is to build a solar oven. Not only will a solar oven reduce your fuel usage, it’s also a great activity to show your kids the awesome power of the sun.

So, the next time you are out making summer crayon melts, you can also make a solar stove for more sunshine fun.

Things you’ll Need

• One large cardboard box
• Another cardboard box 2-3 inches smaller
• Aluminum Foil
• Newspaper
• Black Construction Paper
• Large piece of Cardboard (approximately 2 inches wider than the large box)
• Heavy-duty Stapler
• Food-Safe, heat-safe glue
• Two metal baking dishes
• Cake Mix
• Building the Oven

Line the inside of the small box with aluminum foil. Fold the foil over the edges of the box so that the end of the foil is outside the box and secure it with glue. The foil will provide a reflective surface to concentrate the sun’s rays. You might have to use several sheets, and layer them, to ensure you cover the entire inside of the box.

Put a layer of black construction paper inside the smaller box. The construction paper will absorb the heat, so make sure you cover the entire bottom of the box. Use several sheets, and layer them, if you need to.

Crumple the newspaper into balls and place them in the bottom of the larger box. Make sure you line the entire bottom of the box.

Put the smaller box inside the larger box, on top of the crumpled newspaper. There should be 2 – 3 inches of empty space between the outside of the smaller box, and the inside of the larger box.

Crumple more newspaper and pack it in the spaces between the larger and smaller box. The newspaper will provide insulation to hold in the heat.

Cover one side of the large sheet of cardboard with aluminum foil. Use a non-toxic tape to help secure the foil to the sheet. This sheet will act as a reflector to direct the sun’s rays into the box.

Staple the reflector to the outside of the large box and tilt the reflector forward, slightly. The reflector must be at an angle to both catch the sun’s rays and direct them into the box.

You now have a functional solar oven.

To Use Your Solar Oven

Place the oven in a sunny spot in your yard. Your best bet is to pick a spot that gets direct sunlight for at least four hours.

Prepare the cake mix per the manufacturer’s instructions and pour the batter into one of the metal baking tins.

Use a pair of oven mitts to put the cake tin inside the solar oven. Use the other tin to cover the cake tin like a dome. This will help seal in the heat, and keep bugs out.

Let the cake bake, and check it every 30 minutes for doneness. Depending on the amount of sunlight, it could take an hour or more for the cake to finish.