Make sure that you read the important update at the end! It's
summer here, and it's been really hot, often 35-40ºC. We've got
tomatoes coming on and the freezer has filled up. The last thing
I want to do during this time of year is heat up the house with
more cooking inside, and I've been thinking for some time that
it make sense to take advantage of the hot weather. I've been
looking at how to make use of recycled materials to build a
solar cooker. You can find out about the basic principles here.
A point to note about my approach is that I am lazy and apply
the proverb 'don't do what you don't have to' - seeing what I
can get away with before trying to perfect the process. Or, if
you prefer, Principle 7: 'Design from patterns to details'. My
first attempt (last summer) was to use a small satellite dish to
reflect light to heat water in a billy (a parabolic cooker for
fast heating). I had a dish, and I had some white paint. What I
learnt from this experiment is that you need to use a more
reflective surface