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Invention – The Kyoto Box solar Oven
April 10, 2009
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The Kyoto Box solar Oven is an invention that so simple, and so inexpensive, yet it could have a huge impact:
The basic problem that this simple invention is trying to solve has to do with cooking fuel. In the developing world, the process of gathering cooking fuel takes a lot of time. Usually the fuel is wood or dung. Cooking over a smoky fire also creates a lot of health problems (from inhaling the smoke). And in overpopulated areas, cutting wood can cause deforestation (as described here).
The Kyoto Box solar oven addresses all three problems by eliminating the fuel and the smoke. It is claimed that the oven can boil 10 liters of water in two to three hours, and boiling or near-boiling water can cook beans, rice, grains and meat. Because cardboard is a fairly good insulator, the Kyoto Box solar oven can also act as an insulated place to keep food warm once the cooking is done. The simplicity of this invention is its genius.
More info:
- Inventor turns cardboard boxes into eco-friendly oven
- Solar Cooker Heats Up $75K Climate Change Contest
See also: DIY – make your own mini wood stoves
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Comments
9 Responses to “Invention – The Kyoto Box solar Oven”
Ray Wells says: A quick Google Shopping search turns up oven thermometers for as little as $1.88. Hopefully that wouldn’t put the base price up too high. I would think that large-scale production would allow the producer to get the thermometers for under $1.00 each.
It has been my experience with another solar oven that an oven thermometer inside can be difficult to read, because of condensation on the top of the oven.
Fred says: Spare me.
Thanks for the nice writeup, Brian. The Kyoto Box is a combination of de Sausseurs “hot box” from 1767 and modern manufacturing (cardboard, from ca. 1880!). However, the production version is made from recycled polypropylene and will last much longer. PP only consists of carbon and hydrogen and is completely benign.
Yes we will include a thermometer, and it can be made for a lot less than a buck – we just use thermographic plastic indicators (like the babyspoons that change color when the food is too hot). We will have three indicators – one for reaching pasteurization (68C), one for food cooking (85C) and one for seeing when the food is still too hot for being infected by bacteria (45C). Each has its own color, so it will be easy to see through the glass. As the sun sets, you can close down the lids and keep the food warm until everybody comes home from work.
We are also working on some add-ons for cooling and desalination.
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[...] of scientific/political theory and business acumen to make its debut … The Kyoto Box is a combination of de Sausseurs “hot box” from 1767 and modern manufacturing (cardboard, from ca. 1880!). [...]
Faith says: I think that this invention is an AWESOME idea. We are constructing a few of these at school and then we are shipping them to a school in Tanzania.
This is a great invention. I have an electric rice cooker and a crock pot at home. Both of these work the same way. However, thanks to modern technology, the temperature of the food does not drop below 140 degrees F. This is important to keep bacteria from growing on the food. For example, rice kept at room temperature for too long can become unhealthy due to bacillus cereus.
It would be an added bonus to attach some kind of thermometer to the box to show the cook whether the food is being cooked above 140 degree F or not. This might also raise the price.