Global Sun Oven - Product Review

I’ve always been a proponent of making your own solar oven, and I still think that you should know the basics of making one in the event of an emergency.

However, I have recently discovered that there are some real advantages to buying a commercially-made solar oven, and wanted to pass along some information along to you guys.

Solar ovens that you make yourself typically get into the 200 degree range, maybe a bit more. This is usually fine for cooking, but it will just take longer (up to four hours or so). Not usually an issue, but can be a problem if one or more things occur:

1. The day is only partly sunny with intermittent cloud cover.

2. The days are getting shorter (in the winter).

3. You have several items to cook and you need to cook in batches.

You get the idea.

So I was looking into some alternatives to a homemade solar cooker and found one that looked promising - The Global Sun Oven. (More info -click here: Global Sun Oven - Solar Cooker  )

There were other alternatives, but I wanted something that would last a long time, and other products I saw seemed to have a shorter life (according to customer reviews). I found a lot of other things that impressed me.

It gets as hot as a conventional oven.

This was one of the two biggest factors for me. If I was going to invest in a solar oven, I wanted to make sure it got hotter than something I could make myself. (Yes, I have seen people who say they can make ovens that get in the 300+ degree range, but I haven’t been able to do it myself.) The fact that this oven could get into the 300+ degree range (and possibly reach 400 degrees under ideal conditions) was a big selling point for me. It means that I can cut my cooking time by almost half, in some cases. That could also mean making more than one meal in it (such as lunch and dinner) OR being able to make large batches of food (such as stews, soups, etc.) and then stocking my freezer.

Because this oven gets as hot as a conventional one, make sure you follow some safety guidelines, such as always using oven mitts when removing food and supervising children when they are around the oven.


The panels to help focus the sun's rays into the main part of the oven are also a factor in why it gets so hot - very nicely done.

One quick note - make sure you follow the manufacturer’s directions before the first use. You need to let it heat up (empty) and then clean the inside well before using it the first time. (Like most conventional ovens and cookware suggest.)

It heats up quickly.

Because of the design and the way it seals, this oven heats much more quickly than a solar oven I can make. This also helps cut down on my cooking time, in combination with Reason #1.

One thing you will need to be mindful of is that the food will need to be covered. If you don’t cover the food while it is in the solar oven, the top window will fog up and this will decrease the effectiveness of the oven.

If you do not have a dish with a lid, you can use the oven bags that are used for baking turkeys.

It’s durable.

This product can be expected to work well for years, as opposed to one you make yourself, which needs to be replaced every few months (at least). It’s also of heavier weight than one you make yourself, which is another plus - it’s less likely to blow over.

There is a platform for food.

This is essential so that there is enough air circulation to cook food properly. Having the platform makes the air get up under the food, as well as around it. (Just make sure to balance the food properly - the platform does move. This is a good thing, so that you can position the food for the best cooking position, but just realize that you need to balance it.)

Better safety

The higher temps meant that I could cook meats and other temperature-sensitive foods on days when I otherwise might be leery of doing so. The Global Sun Oven helped me cut my costs because I could use solar cooking more often.

Overall, this is a great oven - hotter temps than one I can make, quicker to heat up, platform for positioning food and for air circulation, and it’s durable.


For more information, including pricing, please click here:  Global Sun Oven - Solar Cooker