Solar cooking is successful where there is ample of sunshine and the climate is apt. We already know it’s an environment friendly method of cooking – simple, safe, convenient, no fuel consumption, no hot, smoky kitchens. Solar cookers perform at their optimum, where it gets direct sunlight. Clouds and poor weather will reduce its effectiveness.
They can be used in hotels, homes, hospitals, hostels, wherever.
Solar cooking preserves nutrients of food as its being cooked at moderate temperature in sunlight. When food is cooked at slow pace, all the water contamination is also taken care of. And people using solar cooking are free of waterborne illnesses to a large extent. It’s a cheap source of cooking because you don’t pay for the fuel b way of gas or electricity bill. Some foods take hours to cook for which solar cooker is very effective. Solar cooking is smoke free. Smoke leads to some dangerous health conditions.
With kids at home, solar cooker is safe. It is also an alternative for women who travel miles each day to collect fuel for cooking.
Solar cooking saves money, as once you pay for solar cooker, you pay for nothing else. Some offer convenience of portability s they can be moved from one place to the other. Solar cookers help health professionals too as these cookers can be used for disinfecting medical equipments. It steers user and his family clear of smoke and diseases arising out of smoke like childhood pneumonia etc.
Solar cookers these days are being used by families to pasteurize water and milk, which makes them safe to drink. Some solar cookers also offer Water Pasteurization Indicator (WAPI) which helps the user to know if water has any infection left or is it safe to drink.
Solar cooking reduces cutting of trees since it saves on wood as well other sources of fuel which makes this option very environment friendly.
Cooking done with biomass and petroleum pollute the air contributing to global warming. Solar cookers on the other hand are pollution-free, and, when more people start using it is bound to reverse the global warming phenomenon to a great extent.
Kitchens remain cool, and smoke free as solar cookers are installed outdoors. If you stay in an apartment you can install it in your balcony. They also help to cut down on household air conditioners and refrigerator bills during summer months.
Solar cooker if used as per direction is a safe and convenient option. It can cook all types of food items like meats, grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits.
Next time you see a solar cooker being sold, do give it a serious thought. Government also offers subsidies in them.
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