>>1434065I make & use solar cookers (old pic). I don't recommend using the parabolic ones like in your image. They are a bear to use correctly and can result in rather unpleasant experiences involving hands & eyes. They are the most powerful by weight. The SK-14 parabolic cooker is the most powerful commercial one you can get. It can cook a meal for 10-15 people in only 2-3 hours. Power is all about square area of reflector space & alignment with the sun. I don't like Fresnel lenses for cooking. They are good for broiling though. I can recommend solar box ovens. They can be small and collapsible while reaching standard oven temperatures. Small ones are good for small meals for 1-2 people. You just need to make one with a good design. Solar box ovens with tons of power and high temps are heavier and bulkier than everything else. It is a balance between panel space and insulation. With better insulation the thermal build up will be more efficient and the unit will be lighter (aerogel-based insulation) or heavier (cardboard/paper as insulation.)
There's also insulation cookers or haybox cookers. Basically, you heat up a liquid-based recipe like stew, soup, curry, gumbo, rice, etc then bring it to a boil. The instant it comes to a boil you can take it off the heat and put it into a bunch of insulation. The residual heat in the food will continue to cook. I can say from experience that an insulation cooker is the absolute best way to cook rice to perfection without burning or scorching. You can even cook using this method with a thermos bottle. Just leave room for some expansion and open carefully. a long narrow spoon is required to get rice out of a thermos bottle. The Thermos company actually makes a line of insulation cookers, but they are no more good than a couple bags of styrofoam beads stacked around your cooking pot.
If you use a solar cooker and couple it with an insulation cooker, you can maximize your cooking output and be able to cook more in less time.
