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Solar Powered Pizza Oven

Solar Powered Pizza Oven

Time:45 min Difficulty:Hard  

Harness the power of the sun! Use renewable energy to cook up a tasty snack with your very own solar-powered pizza oven.

Here’s what you need:

  • An adult to help
  • A cardboard pizza box
  • A box knife or scissors
  • Plastic wrap
  • Aluminum foil
  • Clear tape
  • Black construction Paper
  • Newspaper

Step 1:

Carefully cut a flap into the lid of the pizza box. Leave about an inch-wide border around the left, right, and front side. This can be tricky, so ask an adult for help!

Step 2:

Wrap aluminum foil around the underside of the flap and tape it in place.

Step 3:

Open the box and tape two layers of plastic wrap to the underside of the lid.

Step 4:

Line the bottom of the box with black construction paper, then fold up a piece of newspaper and place it around the inside edges of the box.

Your solar oven is done! Try it out:

  • 1. Set your solar oven up in a sunny spot, between 11am and 3pm
  • 2. Put your food in an close the lid. TIP: use a pie tray for easy cleanup.
  • 3. Angle the flap so that the sunlight reflects off the foil and onto the plastic wrap-covered window. Use a ruler or a chopstick to hold the flap in place.
  • 4. When your food is done cooking, lift the lid and take it out using oven mitts. It might be hot!
  • 5. After it’s cooled down, take a bite and enjoy!

Here’s how it works:

Heat from the sun’s rays is reflected off the aliminum foil and trapped under the plastic wrap (like a greenhouse). The black paper absorbs the heat and helps the oven get hot enough to heat up your food.

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