SolSource Solar Stove is the brand name of a high temperature parabolic solar cooker made by One Earth Designs. SolSource is fully powered by solar energy and is a fuel-free alternative to cooking with charcoal, gas, or wood. SolSource heats up in seconds and can cook a meal in 10 minutes in direct sunlight. SolSource is a powerful and versatile solar cooker capable of grilling, searing, sautéing, steaming, boiling, baking, and frying. It is specifically designed to be easy to use and easy to clean.
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History
SolSource was developed as a solution to energy poverty among Tibetan nomads in the Himalayas who depend on it to perform on a daily basis in some of the harshest conditions found on Earth.
Today, SolSource is used in more than 60 countries on six continents. It has been featured on Top Chef and received numerous international awards for its innovative design.
Design
SolSource incorporates a number of design and engineering breakthroughs developed by One Earth Designs and its collaborators at MIT, Harvard, and the Norwegian Technical University including a novel user interface that protects cooks eyes from the sun, a streamlined adjustment system, and proprietary reflective materials that increase power and energy efficiency.
Just like in a regular kitchen, there are two different types of solar cookers: stoves and ovens. Solar stoves are optimized for high-temperature, rapid stove-top cooking. Solar ovens are optimized for lower-temperature, slower cooking methods. SolSource is a solar stove, optimized for high-temperatures, but you can still bake on SolSource using caste iron cookware.
Solar stoves and solar ovens can be used together to create a solar kitchen with the same range of cooking capabilities as can be found in a traditional kitchen. For this reason, some people are turning to solar cookers like SolSource to design beautiful solar-powered outdoor kitchens.
Market
SolSource Solar Stoves are available worldwide via One Earth Designs and its distribution partners. SolSource MSRP is $499. Humanitarian pricing is available through One Earth Designs non-profit branch, OneEarthDesigns.Org.
Functionality
SolSource works with many cooking styles. It is most optimized for grilling and sautéing, but can also be used for searing, steaming, boiling, baking, and frying.
SolSource reaches 750° F within minutes when set up properly in direct sunlight. BTU/in2 is comparable with high-end grills. Due to its high-temperatures, SolSource performs well as an outdoor grill.
SolSource operates as a solar concentrator. It collects and concentrates solar energy to a small area right beneath the pot, turning it into heat for cooking. SolSource’s proprietary reflectors are 92% energy efficient.
SolSource requires sunlight to work. You can use SolSource whenever you can see your shadow. You can still solar cook in cold weather and in partially cloudy conditions. SolSource works best in full and direct sunlight.