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A simple solar oven can be built for less than $20.00 since it can be made out of cardboard and other items you can find laying around. To build your own solar oven, you will need several cardboard boxes of various sizes, a good bottle of glue (a paste stick will not work), a roll of heavy-duty 18 inch wide aluminum foil and a piece of glass (can also be Plexiglas).

You will also need a can of flat black paint, 3/8 inch wide elastic band (get from a sewing or crafts store), a small black tin, a bit of cotton cloth as well as some string.

You must first find 2 perfectly square boxes, one for the inside and the other, which will be 2 to 3 inches larger in all directions, for the outside box. You will then need 4 pieces of 3 foot long cardboard that is as wide as your outside box. using these longer pieces of cardboard you will need to cut a foot of each to help you position the inner box so that is perfectly centered in the outer box but sits only an inch lower.

Now you will use the remainder of the long pieces of cardboard to tuck in between the inner and outer box so as to create an insulated layer. when finish insulating your oven, you will then need to cut the glass (or Plexiglas) so that it matches the inside dimensions of the outer box and can fit snugly on the top of the inner box.

Once this is completed, you may now paint the inside of your solar oven a flat black color.

Now it is time for your reflectors, which is why I asked you to use a perfectly square box since it is easier. You will need to glue your aluminum foil to the inside of the outer boxes flaps in order to reflect the sun's light into the box, as well as cutting some of your left over pieces of cardboard so that your solar oven's reflectors sit at a 67 degree angle.

Using the cotton string, you will put holes in each corner of the flap so that you can run the string under the oven to the opposite flap which will not only put pressure on you 67 degree guides, but also keep them at the right angle in higher winds.

Once you have finished this, you are almost done with building your solar oven.

You will need to take that black colored tin and place it in the box on one of the boxes sides (this is why the insulation is important, as you will be cooking with the box on its side), place the food you wish to cook in the tin and point your solar oven directly at the sun.

Because of the high temperatures, you will probably notice some smoke being released from your oven, but that is just normal as the paint and glue may still be curing. If you used Plexiglas, it may also start to melt in which case it was probably a generic copy of Plexiglas and you will need to replace it with glass or another form of Lexan supplement.

Wait for the glass to cool and remove your food and enjoy.

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Tom Harkins writes about solar homes and other alternative energy subjects that will have a huge affect on our daily lives in the near future.