Peanut Roasting With a Solar Cooker

by N K Srinivasan
(Bangalore, India)

Hi Nathan Parry,
I had written a short article on " Peanut Roasting with a picture frame solar cooker" earlier in your website.
Thanks for publishing it and you had commented favorably on my small effort to use solar energy.
Here I am attaching a photo image on that cooker which was modified considerably in the last few months. I have simplified the insulation;
the insulation is now as follows:
I create an air gap below the aluminum tray which carries peanuts by placing four small plastic studs of height of 10 mm. The studs sit on an aluminum foil, pasted on a cardboard sheet; this panel helps to reflect back any heat radiation back to the bottom of the tray. This panel is supported by a layer of newspaper and some newspaper shreds.
I use only one cardboard box ,with reflective aluminum foil on the sides.
A picture frame 9in x 12in is the glazing as before.I load the tray with about 100 gms of peanuts or other nuts such as cashew and almonds.
I have used a "Good Cook" oven thermometer to measure the temperature. The maximum recorded so far is 275 F 135 C in Dec 2010, at Bangalore ,India , ( latitude 13 deg N.)


Regards,
N K Srinivasan



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Thank you again N K, for keeping us updated with regards to your efforts and the progress with your solar peanut roaster.
I am very glad you are having success with it and I am especially glad that you are willing to share your accomplishments with us and our site visitors.
May you have continued success and be able to help others with this great knowledge and skill.

P.S.
Your English is very good; well written.

Nathan
Admin.