MakeHeat

Yes, you can make and sell these, with little trouble in Utah, where the sun shines a lot!

Bake while the sun shines / Solar ovens a hot seller in Utah market – Standard.NET – Standard-Examiner.

Here’s a few links to some solar cookers you can build, and if you can sell a cardboard box, aluminum foil and a piece of glass for $279, just think what you can sell if you throw in the pot, a “cooking ring” and bill them in six easy payments of $47 (plus shipping – and add on some “convenience fees”.  Why not? It works for the credit card companies!).

http://www.discoversolarenergy.com/DIY/cooking.htm - an exhaustive list.  If that’s been slashdotted, try

http://solarcooking.org/plans/

http://zedomax.com/blog/2007/04/20/diy-solar-hack-cool-collection-of-solar-cooker-howtos/

and don’t forget the “Solar Oven Death Match”! http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/08/diy_solar_oven.php

A $5 solar stove for rural poor, paid for by polluters | Crave – CNET.

If they could julienne the veggies, too…  Sun ovens are a great way to cook, provided the sun and clouds cooperate.  Many parts of the US can take advantage of this and save energy.  The downside is that it can be inconvenient – you can’t plan on the sun being out when you want it to be.  I’ve built a couple of these with varying results, what I really need is some better materials to build with, or buying one outright.

If you can trust your weathermanperson, you can create a whole lunch/dinner in these.  There are bake-offs, recipes and more online.  In case of a sudden downpour, you can always bring it inside and cook it the old fashioned way, too – with the microwave. 

Sun Powered Oven Bakes, Steams, Boils and Saves Money | Emaxhealth.

for the DIY’ers, see http://www.solarcooking.org/plans/

Something I have to take a stab at.  I don’t burn (many) of my dishes, but I’d probably end up forgetting it’s out there and the wilderness would invite itself to dinner.

“… Even if you burn everything you attempt to cook,you need to read this. First of all, don’t worry about burning your food while solar cooking (the oven’s temperature doesn’t get hot enough). More importantly, solar cooking is good for the environment, your wallet and helps some developing countries throughout the world.

“The idea of cooking with the sun has been around for a while,” said Kevin Porter, director of education resources at Solar Cookers International in Sacramento, a nonprofit organization founded in 1987 that promotes solar cooking through publications, online resources and international outreach programs. Simply put, solar cookers convert sunlight to heat. Kind of like burning dry leaves with a magnifying glass (OK, maybe that was just me). …”

The dish on solar cooking 01.29.09.