Does Canada have enough solar energy to
cook with?

Yes! Toronto has just slightly less solar insolation than Miami Florida, and solar cooking in practical when the sun shines. On a sunny summer day in Toronto, the sun radiates 1000 watts per square meter at the surface of the earth. In winter, the figure is closer to 400 watts.

According to Barbara Kerr (no relation) one of the innovators of solar cooking “the area of potentially effective solar box cooking reaches from lower Canada in the northern hemisphere almost to the tip of the South American continent in the southern hemisphere.”

Isn’t it too cold here?

No. Ambient air temperature actually makes little difference to our ability to use solar energy. In winter, sunlight falls on Canada at a more oblique (less direct) angle than in summer. A solar cooker will take longer to cook a smaller amount of food (in terms of weight) during winter, and will be usable for a shorter time than in summer, but can still be used effectively. Many die hard barbeque lovers barbeque in the dead of winter. So too should it be with your favourite solar cooker.

Can a solar cooker work without sunlight?

No. Sunlight is to a solar cooker what propane is to a gas barbeque. It’s fuel.

Why has there been little solar cooking in Canada up to now?

Solar cooking has helped many people in developing countries free themselves from dependence on firewood and charcoal for their cook fires. Living as we do in one of the world’s richest countries, Canadians have so far been able to enjoy cheap energy on demand, but that’s changing. Deforestation, the warming of the planet from the burning of fossil and wood fuels, as well as the depletion of our oil and gas make solar cooking a fun, sensible, cost effective and environmentally sustainable cooking option for millions of Canadians.

Who Should Buy a Solar Cooking Appliance?

Everybody should. A solar cooker can be an ecological replacement for the backyard barbeque, or the camper’s partial replacement for the butane or wood stove. Solar cookers are fun to use, and the best quality solar cookers are no more expensive than a mid-quality gas barbeque.

What can I cook?

You can cook anything using a solar cooker. Cooking temperatures in a solar box cooker can reach 400 degrees F. Parabolic solar barbeques can be used to deep fry French fries, grill meats or bake, as in a solar box cooker. These options allow any dish to be baked, broiled, boiled or roasted.

How does a solar cooker compare to a gas or charcoal barbeque?

A gas or charcoal barbeque burns either propane or wood to cook our food “on demand.” In contrast, a solar cooker burns no fuel, but rather uses free solar energy to cook our food. It must be used when the sun is shining.

A solar cooker is 100% more environmentally friendly than a gas or charcoal barbeque. It emits no greenhouse gasses or smoke into the atmosphere in its operation. A solar cooker uses less material. But a smoky flavour can be added to food in the solar cooker with liquid smoke sauce or wood chips.

The average life of a conventional gas or charcoal barbeque is 5 years. A solar cooker, properly maintained, will last 25 years or more