How To Make A Pizza Box Oven?

While you can put a pizza box in the oven to keep it warm at a low temperature, it is recommended you use a pizza stone or tin foil instead. A pizza box should never be used in the oven to totally heat pizza, as it can catch fire or release harmful chemicals into your food at higher temperatures.

How do you make a DIY pizza box?

Steps 1 Obtain a pizza box. Order a pizza and save the box, or just ask for one at the local pizzeria. 2 Line the bottom with black construction paper. You can also paint it black. 3 Line the top with aluminum foil. 4 Select the food you want to cook. 5 Wrap plastic wrap on top of the bottom and secure with tape. More items

What supplies do I need to make a pizza box oven?

Supplies for a Pizza Box Oven 1 Cardboard Pizza Box (some pizza restaurants will give or sell you one) 2 Black construction paper (the larger size works better) 3 Plastic wrap 4 Aluminum foil 5 Packing tape 6 Glue 7 Stick (such as a long ruler or paint stirring stick) 8 Knife

How to make a pizza box solar oven?

The pizza box solar ovens are quick and easy to make. This is a great STEM science project. Carefully use your knife to cut a square opening in the lid of the pizza box, staying within an inch or so of the border. Don’t cut the hinged side of the box—keep that side together, and fold back the flap.

Did You Know you can Cook in a pizza box oven?

But did you know that you can cook in a pizza box oven? All you need is a pizza box, a few basic supplies and the sun, and your Cub Scout can make some cool “solar” recipes, including English muffin pizzas and s’mores. Because the only heat source is the sun, this is a great cooking activity for younger kids.

How do you make a homemade sun oven?

1. Draw Lines. Draw lines on the pizza box to form a square on the lid.
2. Cut. Cut the pizza box along the drawn lines.
3. Install Foil. Install foil in the bottom of the pizza box and tape down the edges of the foil.
4. Glue. Glue down some black construction paper.
5. Insulate.
6. Wrap Lid.
7. Cut the Plate.
8. Prop the Lid.

How do you make a solar oven step by step?

1. Step 1: Create an insulation chamber, so that your inner box can nest inside the outer box.
2. Step 2: Construct a lid (with a flap) to fit over the top of the bigger box.
3. Step 3: Line the box with foil to reflect sunlight into your box, and insulate with newspaper in order to trap heat.
4. Step 4: Set up your oven.

What are the best materials to make a solar oven?

What You Need to Build a Solar Oven:

Cardboard pizza box (the kind delivered pizza comes in)

Box knife or scissors.

Aluminum foil.

Clear tape.

Plastic wrap (a heavy-duty or freezer zip lock bag will also work)

Black construction paper.

Newspapers.

Ruler or wooden spoon.

How does a pizza box solar oven work?

You will cut a flap out of the pizza box’s lid and line this flap with aluminum foil. This will reflect sunlight into the box. You’ll also seal the opening with plastic wrap. This plastic ‘window’ works like a greenhouse roof, allowing (direct and reflected) sunlight to pass into the box, while also retaining heat.

Is Cardboard safe in oven?

Long story short, the safest option is to avoid putting any cardboard in the oven. Even at your oven’s lowest temperature, there’s a chance of spontaneous combustion or fire from putting cardboard in the oven.

How long does it take to cook a pizza in a solar oven?

Be sure to set the solar oven out to start heating while the kids put their pizzas together. Then pop them into the hot solar oven to heat the sauce and melt the cheese. Our Solar Cooked Pizza baked for about 40 minutes in a Solavore Sport Solar Oven.

What is the best insulator for a solar oven?

Crumpled newspaper has insulated hundreds of successful solar box cookers and is the preferred insulation in many areas.

How do you make a solar panel out of household items?

1. Step 1: Cut your soda cans.
2. Step 2: Glue the soda cans together.
3. Step 3: Build your frame.
4. Step 4: Install the tubes.
5. Step 5: Test your diy solar panel.

How hot can a cardboard solar oven get?

Lightweight flat-pack materials like cardboard can assemble into an oven that harnesses sunlight for heat. This solar oven, designed by high school student Brandon Spellman, can reach temperatures above 200°F.

Can you make a solar oven without a pizza box?

You will need a potholder. Second, you must have a heat trap, something that can trap and hold the heat. This can be a tinfoil lined box with a glass cover, an upside down glass bowl, or a clear cooking bag.

Will cardboard keep heat out?

Put simply, yes it does. Cardboard has air pockets between two layers and this slows down the transfer of heat from one side to the other, and any warm air that gets into the air pocket can stay between these layers for a long period of time and maintain its temperature.

How do you put a pizza into the oven?

Step One: First,place the pizza stone in your cold oven.

Step Two: Next,preheat the oven to approximately 475 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step Three: Once the stone is nice and hot,take it out of the oven (I usually put it on the stove) and quickly build your pizza on top of

Step Four: After about 10 minutes,your pizza will be ready.

How to turn a pizza box into a solar oven?

flap and turn the box so the foil is facing the sun. The shadow of the flap should go straight back from the back of the box. Move the flap up and down and note how it reflects the sunlight. Use a dowel, ruler, or stick to prop up the flap so that it bounces the sunlight into the box. Wait about a half hour for the box to warm up in the sun.

Can you put pizza boxes in the oven to reheat?

— Yes, you can. As long the box fits inside, you can heat your pizza in the oven. But how safe is it? Well, if you don’t do it right, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. For example, if you set the temperature on your oven too high, the cardboard might actually catch on fire. Not only can heating pizza in an oven be dangerous, but it will also change the taste of your food.

How to Make a Pizza Box Solar Oven

Download Article Download Article Have you ever wanted to make sure you got an A+ on that assignment on heat energy? You can experiment with solar power, just by using an ordinary pizza box or any normal box with a flap.

Steps Download Article

1. 1Obtain a pizza box. Order a pizza and save the box, or just ask for one at the local pizzeria.
2. 2Line the bottom with black construction paper. You can also paint it black. The color black absorbs heat well. Advertisement
3. 3Line the top with aluminum foil. This reflects sunlight on to the food.
4. 4Select the food you want to cook. Don’t use raw meat. It might not cook all the way through. Try a slice of pizza or a hotdog. Put the food on a preferably dark colored plate. Put it in the bottom of the pizza box.
5. 5Wrap plastic wrap on top of the bottom and secure with tape. This makes it so no bugs land on your food.
6. 6Go outside and using string, fix the top side of the pizza box to reflect the most sunlight on the food.
7. 7Wait an hour or so. Solar ovens work slowly, so don’t do this on an empty stomach.
8. 8Pull the food out and test for being cooked. Make sure it isn’t raw.
9. 9If it is cooked, eat it. If not put it back in and check at 30-minute intervals.
10. 10To reuse, just put new plastic wrap on and occasionally change the black construction paper or recoat the paint. Advertisement

Add New Question
• Question What can I bake in the oven? Try s’mores. Do not put in uncooked meat.
• Question How do solar pizza boxes lose heat? Sometimes, there might be small cracks in the cardboard pizza box and heat escapes. Also, the flap on top does not always reflect the sunlight into the box.
• Question Are the hot dogs real? Not in the images obviously, but you could use real hot dogs if you built a pizza box solar oven yourself.
• Question Is it safe to touch the box while it’s cooking? No, it’s not safe to touch it. It could burn you.
• Question What temperature will my pizza box solar oven reach? It really depends on the temperature outside, but it’s about 347 °F or 230 °C.
• Question Why can’t I use this for uncooked meat? Since meat can be dangerous to consume if it doesn’t reach the proper temperatures, it’s best to avoid cooking it in this oven due to its unreliability.
• Question Can I use this inside? If you have direct sunshine streaming through, it might be possible. But few houses would have sufficient direct sunshine in the same place all day long for this to actually work.
• Question Can I cook food if it’s rainy outside? Probably not because it needs sun to work (solar) and the rain would make it cool down. Maybe if you had a heating lamp, (for chicks) you could put that over the solar oven under a porch or similar cover, then it could work.
• Question Does black spray paint work instead of black paper? Da genius Community Answer Black paper is ideal when making a solar oven because it has a greater property in being able to retain the heat for the oven. Black spray paint can be used but it may take longer for things to cook in the oven.
• Question Can I cook spam in the pizza box oven? Da genius Community Answer It is possible to cook spam in the pizza oven. It is ideal that you slice the spam so that it can cook more evenly and quicker, also it may take longer then other things to cook.

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How to Make a Fun and Easy Pizza Box Oven for Kids

1. Make a pizza box oven with your kids!
2. You can make s’mores without the campfire–all you need is sun.
3. The pizza box solar ovens are quick and easy to make.

This is a great STEM science project.When we think about outdoor cooking, most of us think about a grill or a campfire. But did you know that you can cook in a pizza box oven?

• One of the reasons I love this activity is because it is a fun science activity.
• It’s always great to find STEM projects that are easy and educational.
• This is a popular project–in fact, it’s been pinned to Pinterest over 3,000 times!
• All you need to build one is a pizza box, a few basic supplies and the sun, and your Cub Scout can make some cool “solar” recipes, including English muffin pizzas and s’mores.
• Because the only heat source is the sun, this is a great cooking activity for younger kids.
•  You don’t have to worry too much about them getting burned.

However, I would still supervise them especially when they take the food out of the oven because it will be hot.You’ll need a nice, sunny day for the project.Make sure the kids keep watch over their ovens while their food is cooking.The amount of time you need for the food to be heated will depend on a lot of factors.

Want something to eat before dessert?Use this solar hot dog cooker to make your main dish first!

Cub Scout Adventures Involving Cooking Outdoors

1. Cooking outdoors satisfies requirements for three Cub Scout adventures.
2. Bear Elective Adventure  Bear Picnic Basket Requirement 5:  With the help of an adult, select a recipe to prepare in the outdoors for your family or den.
3. Help to select the needed ingredients, perhaps from a garden, grocery store, or farmers’ market.

Cook and serve your planned meal.Clean up after the preparation and cooking.Webelos Required Adventure Cast Iron Chef Requirement 2: Prepare a balanced meal for your den or family.

• If possible, use one of these methods for preparation of part of the meal: camp stove, Dutch oven, box oven, solar oven, open campfire, or charcoal grill.
• Demonstrate an understanding of food safety practices while preparing the meal.
• Webelos and Arrow of Light Elective Adventure Castaway Requirement 1A:  On a campout or outdoor activity with your den or family, cook two different recipes that do not require pots and pans.

Supplies for a Pizza Box Oven

Here are the materials that you’ll need:
• Cardboard Pizza Box (some pizza restaurants will give or sell you one)
• Black construction paper (the larger size works better)
• Plastic wrap
• Aluminum foil
• Packing tape
• Glue
• Stick (such as a long ruler or paint stirring stick)
• Knife

Once you’ve got all of your materials together, it’s time to get started, so follow these simple instructions.

Steps to Make Your Solar Oven

1. Step 1:  Carefully use your knife to cut a square opening in the lid of the pizza box, staying within an inch or so of the border.
2. Don’t cut the hinged side of the box—keep that side together, and fold back the flap.
3. Step 2:  Cut the foil to the correct size so that it fits on the flap that you’ve folded back.

Using the glue, attach the foil to the flap, keeping the shiny side out and making sure the foil is smooth.Step 3:  Put another piece of foil in the bottom of the pizza box, with the shiny side up.Cover the foil with the construction paper.

• This is the “heating element.” Step 4:  Next, take the plastic wrap and stretch it over the open area (where the flap you cut used to be).
• Tape it well around the edges so that the wrap is sealed.
• Step 5:  You’re almost ready to cook!
• Now you simply decide what you’d like to make—anything from English muffin pizzas to s’mores—and put it on a small foil tray, on top of the black paper.
• Close the plastic lid, being sure the seal is as tight as you can get it, with the box tabs tucked in.
• Step 6:  Use the stick (i.e., long ruler or paint stirrer) to prop open the flap of your oven.

The sunlight will reflect on the foil, plastic, and your black paper, cooking your food.Step 7:  Check your food often by looking through the plastic wrap. Try not to open the lid too much because every time you do, heat escapes.Step 8:  When your food is done, open up the box and enjoy!

Tips for Making S’mores in Your Oven

• The chocolate melts much more quickly than the marshmallows!  After having chocolate syrup on our first batch of s’mores, we decided to put the marshmallows in first then add the chocolate a bit later.  
• The really big marshmallows take a long time to melt.  Try to find these “stacker marshmallows” or cut the big ones in half.

What will you make in your pizza box oven? Prep Time 10 minutes Active Time 15 minutes Total Time 25 minutes Difficulty Easy Estimated Cost $1

Tools

• Packing tape
• Glue
• Stick (such as a long ruler or paint stirring stick)
• Knife

Instructions

• Carefully use your knife to cut a square opening in the lid of the pizza box, staying within an inch or so of the border. Don’t cut the hinged side of the box—keep that side together, and fold back the flap.
• Cut the foil to the correct size so that it fits on the flap that you’ve folded back. Using the glue, attach the foil to the flap, keeping the shiny side out and making sure the foil is smooth.
• Put another piece of foil in the bottom of the pizza box, with the shiny side up. Cover the foil with the construction paper. This is the “heating element.”
• Next, take the plastic wrap and stretch it over the open area (where the flap you cut used to be). Tape it well around the edges so that the wrap is sealed.
• You’re almost ready to cook! Now you simply decide what you’d like to make—anything from English muffin pizzas to s’mores—and put it on a small foil tray, on top of the black paper. Close the plastic lid, being sure the seal is as tight as you can get it, with the box tabs tucked in.
• Use the stick (i.e., long ruler or paint stirrer) to prop open the flap of your oven. The sunlight will reflect on the foil, plastic, and your black paper, cooking your food.
• Check your food often by looking through the plastic wrap.  Try not to open the lid too much because every time you do, heat escapes.
• When your food is done, open up the box and enjoy! 

Notes

1. The chocolate melts much more quickly than the marshmallows!  After having chocolate syrup on our first batch of s’mores, we decided to put the marshmallows in first then add the chocolate a bit later.  
2. The really big marshmallows take a long time to melt.  Try to find these ″stacker marshmallows″ or cut the big ones in half.

Yours in Scouting,Sherry P.S.  Need more information about outdoor cooking?  Find it here!

Summary

20-30 minutes 45 minutes to 1 hour energy,solar power,sun,heat,cooking,recycling Teisha Rowland, PhD, Science Buddies

Introduction

1. Have you ever cooked something outside, like for a BBQ or while camping?
2. It can be a lot of fun to be outdoors and enjoy eating the fruits — or burgers — of your cooking labors.
3. Did you know that you can directly use solar power to cook food?

This can be done using a solar oven, which is a low-cost, ecologically-friendly technology that seems to have everything going for it.In this science activity, you will build your very own simple solar oven out of a pizza box to gather the sun’s rays and cook a tasty treat for you!This activity is not recommended for use as a science fair project.Good science fair projects have a stronger focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data.To find a science fair project that is just right for you, browse our library of over 1,200 Science Fair Project Ideas or use the Topic Selection Wizard to get a personalized project recommendation.

Materials

Prep Work

Instructions

What do you think the purpose of this foil is?

How do you think it will help cook your food?

How long does it take to cook the s’more in your solar oven? Does the oven get very warm?

What Happened?

1. In this activity, you built a simple box-type solar oven that should have been able to cook a s’more in sunny, warm conditions.
2. In some trials using this type of solar oven, at about 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit on a sunny afternoon it took about 30 to 35 minutes for the marshmallow to get warm enough to become soft and melt some of the chocolate, and make a tasty, solar-powered treat!
3. In ideal conditions, this solar oven can easily heat up to about 160 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Using full, direct sunlight is important for heating this solar oven.

Digging Deeper

1. Solar ovens use solar energy — light and heat emitted from the sun — to cook food, pasteurize water, or even sterilize instruments.
2. How does a solar oven work?
3. The simple answer is that it is designed to absorb more heat than it releases.

The solar oven you build in this activity is a relatively simple one made out of a pizza box, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and a sheet of black paper.You cut a flap out of the pizza box’s lid and line this flap with aluminum foil so that sunlight can be reflected off of the foil and into the box.You also seal the opening with plastic wrap to create a plastic ″window″ that works like a greenhouse roof, allowing (direct and reflected) sunlight to pass into the box, while also retaining heat.

• At the bottom of the box, you placed black paper to create a ″heat sink.″This heat sink works by absorbing direct and reflected sunlight to become warm so that it can then heat up food placed on top of it.

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For Further Exploration

• There are a lot of variables that you can try to tweak in your solar oven design to make it even better. Can you make your solar oven be more efficient by changing the angle of the reflector flap, using different materials to insulate the oven, or changing the shape or size of your oven?
• One way to quantify how efficient your solar oven is is to use a thermometer to measure the temperature inside of your solar oven over time. How hot can your solar oven get? How does this compare to a real oven?
• The weather outside can significantly affect how well a solar oven performs. How well does your solar oven cook on a warm day versus a very hot day? What about a sunny day versus an overcast day?
• In this activity you made a very simple box-type solar oven, but you could build another solar oven using a more efficient design to make your solar oven get even hotter! Do some research online to find other solar oven designs. How efficient can you make a solar oven be?

Project Ideas

Science Fair Project Idea Here is a project that uses direct solar power, gathering the sun’s rays for heating/sterilizing water or cooking. It is a low-cost technology that seems to have everything going for it. Does it work? Can you find ways to improve it? Find out with this project. Read more

Links

• Blog Post: Campground Science

Careers

1. Career Profile Does the idea of harvesting the enormous power of the sun interest you?
2. If you find this exciting, then you should think about installing solar photovoltaic panels on your house to collect free electricity from the sun.
3. But how energy efficient is your home already?

Can it get better?How many panels would your house need?What would the system look like?

• You can get the answers to these questions and more from your local solar energy systems engineer.
• These engineers help their residential and… Read more Career Profile Environmental engineers plan projects around their city or state—like municipal water systems, landfills, recycling centers, or sanitation facilities—that are essential to the health of the people who live there.
• Environmental engineers also work to minimize the impact of human developments, like new roads or dams, on environments and habitats, and they strive to improve the quality of our air, land, and water.
• Read more Career Profile Smog, car emissions, industry waste—unfortunately, pollution is a reality that humans have to deal with.
• However, we can all breathe a little easier with environmental engineering technicians on the job.
• These people test our water, air, and soil to help us find ways to lessen the impact of pollution.

Read more Career Profile Would you like knowing that what you do every day helps the environment and saves money?Well, that is what solar photovoltaic installers do.They outfit buildings and large solar energy farms with photovoltaic systems that convert free sunlight into clean and renewable energy.This is an exciting, emerging field that will enable you to combine a passion for the environment with mechanical and electrical skills.

Read more

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Introduction: How to Make a Pizza Box Solar Oven.

1. Hello, my name is Cassidy and for this project I decided to make a quick and simple pizza box solar oven.
2. In case you were wondering, a solar oven is a devise that uses the suns energy to heat up, cook, or bake all different types of unique foods and all sorts of fun stuff.
3. A solar oven can be used for all different types of things such as, cooking, baking, heating something up, boiling, frying, and even more!

The benefits of using a solar oven is that it does not use any type of fuel to get it going, like electricity or gas for example.Instead, a solar oven would use the sun’s rays for reflecting, that turns into heat energy to cook the food or anything that you are cooking without having to bother about the gas or electricity.Another benefit would be that a solar oven would be really easy to use, as long as you get the reflection of the sun, which is also very easy to get.

• Not to mention, the solar oven can get to about 500 degrees, maybe even more, if you set it up right, and it also heats up really fast.
• Also, a top condition solar oven is around $500, while a stove is around $1,500.
• Although a solar oven may seem great and all, before we start to build, we should look at the limitations first.
• Well, solar ovens can also be a pain especially when it comes to not living in the most hottest and sunniest place in the world.
• For example, say you live in a cold rainy place where not a lot of sun comes out, you don’t want to use a solar oven, it would just be a waste of money.
• Another limitation would be that since there is no cover and it gets really windy out, it could effect the cooking of the oven.

You would not want to be in the middle of cooking a chicken and the wind starts to pick up and the chicken will stop cooking.Lastly, what about in the winter, what if you want to go out and grill in the garage.There would be no chance of you getting anything cooked, unless it was really sunny and warm.Anyway, those are just a few things to think about before you start to cook, but today lets not focus on that and lets focus on building my solar oven.

A few things to know about this oven is that it gets up to 150-200 degrees and maybe even more if you set it up good.This is super easy to build and it is made out of household materials.This project might only take you 5 hours tops if you are really trying to hit the high rode.Know enough of that and lets start to build.

• Have fun!

Step 1: Materials.

The first step in this entire building process is to collect all of your materials needed. Some of the materials are optional, but don’t worry because all of these are just house hold materials.In this building process you will need.

1. One large pizza box.
2. A roll of heavy duty plastic wrap.
3. Any type of thermometer that you can put in your solar oven and measure the heat.
4. Clear scotch tape.
5. 1-3 pieces of any type of shiny reflective material, depending on the size of the box. (Mirror, aluminum foil)
6. 1-6 straws, depending the size of the box.
7. One ruler.
8. Scissors.
9. Hot glue or any type of heavy duty glue.
10. 5-8 pieces of BLACK construction paper, depending on the size of the box.

Optional-

1. Packet knife (Or use the scissors) to cut cardboard with.
2. One sharpie (Preferably black or a dark color) to make lines to cut.

Step 2: Measuring.

This step is to just make the top of the solar oven.Materials needed for this step:
• Ruler.
• Sharpie.
• Pocket knife.
• Pizza box.

1. 1.
2. Take the front of your pizza box and your ruler with your dark or black sharpie.
3. Measure out 1 inch from the front, where you open the box, and put down a small dot.

2.Take the 2 sides and do the same thing.Measure out 1 inch and put down a small dot.

• DO NOT DO IT TO THE BACK!3.
• Now, connect the 3 dots by making a square and if you are confused by this take a look at the 3rd picture.4.
• Then, take the two lines, that have not yet been connected and are on the sides of the box, and make the lines go all the way down, but make sure that they are both 1 inch from the back.
• MAKE SURE THEY ARE NOT TOUCHING THE BACK!5.
• Finally, cut where you have made the lines, with your pocket knife or what ever you are using to cut the cardboard with.NOTE: Take a look up at the pictures and see if you are with me so far.

Step 3: Bending the Box Back.

This step is to just bend the top so it will stay up.Materials needed for this step:
• Ruler.
• Pizza box.

1. 1.
2. Take a look at the back of the box where you have left 1 inch off.2.
3. Take your ruler and lay it on the part of the box, on the back, where you have not cut the box.3.

Now, hold down your ruler and take the top flap and bend the flap backwards.When you do that, you should see the top flap up with a little bit of room on the back.(About 1 inch)If you are having trouble keeping up, go ahead and take a look at the pictures.

• They will help.

Step 4: Putting on the Reflective Material.

This step is to put on the shiny material for the reflection.Materials needed for this step:
• Shiny material.
• Scissors.
• Glue.
• Sharpie. (To make sure measurements are right)
• Ruler.

1. Take the top flap of your solar oven (That you had just cut out) and take some of the shiny material that you are using for the oven to reflect. After, cut out the right size of the material that matches the flap and glue it on there. Now you have your reflective surface.NOTE: Try to get out any bumps or scratches on the reflective surface. You want it to be as smooth as possible.

Step 5: Putting on the Plastic Wrap.

This step is to add on the plastic wrap to keep the heat in.Materials needed for this step:
• Plastic wrap.
• Scissors.
• Clear scotch tape.

1. Put the top flap away from you for a minute and just focus on the base of the solar oven.
2. 1.
3. Take the base of the pizza box and the roll of plastic wrap with your scissors and scotch tape.

Then, take the plastic wrap and take a long strand.On the sides there should be one inch of plastic wrap hanging out there incase you need more.Cut the plastic wrap and tape it with your clear tape to the inside of the box.You do this by opening up your box and taping it to the inside.2.

• The next thing is to do the same thing you just did with the plastic wrap, but now tape it to the top of the base instead of inside.
• In the end you should have two sheets on top of each other of plastic wrap, one on the inside and one on the outside.
• The plastic wrap should be tight and you don’t really want to have to many wrinkles in it.
• I would say that this is the hardest part of the solar oven.

Step 6: Taping the Base Shut.

This step is to just trap the heat in the solar oven so that it will cook better.Materials needed for this step:
• Scissors.
• Clear scotch tape.

1. Take a piece of your scotch tape that is about the size of the little flap that opens the pizza box and stick it on there as shown in picture one. Then, just tape it down, but not to tight so that you can’t open the box again.

This process is just to make sure that the heat is really getting trapped in the oven because that is an important part of the cooking.NOTE: If you take a look at pictures two and three, it shows you what your solar oven should look like so far. If you have this all correct go ahead, but if you don’t you might want to re-look at a few of those steps again.

Step 7: Putting on the Reflective Surface Again.

This step is to just put on some extra shiny material for the interior of the oven so it will have a better time getting heat.Materials needed for this step:
• Glue.
• The shiny material.
• Scissors.
• Sharpie. (To make sure the measurements are right)
• Ruler.

1. Open up the box and get all of your materials ready.2. Measure out the shiny material and make sure there is enough for all four sides and the bottom. Then cut them out and glue them on.

Step 8: Putting on the Black Construction Paper.

This step is to put the black construction paper over the shiny material, you just added, to attract the sun better.Materials needed for this step:
• Black construction paper.
• Scissors.
• Sharpie. (To make sure the measurements are correct)
• Ruler.
• Glue.

1. Take the black construction paper and make sure that you have enough to cover all four sides and the bottom of the base. Then, when you have it all planned out, cut out the pieces and glue them over the shiny material that you had just put there.

Step 9: Add on the Stand.

This step is to add on the stand so that the top of the solar oven can stand up and can be adjusted to where the sun is at.Materials needed for this step:
• The straws.
• Scissors.
• The clear scotch tape.

1. 1.
2. First, you have to take all of the straws that you have decided to use and cut off the bendy end, if it has one.2.
3. Take 2-4 straws (Depending on how big your pizza box is) and connect them so each straw goes into the next one a little bit.

If you are confused this is shown in picture two.3.Then, take your other straw and cut off around an inch of it.

• Take the small inch straw and punch a hole into the middle going all the way through the straw.
• You can do this with your scissors.4.
• Take that straw that you just punched the hole into and tape it to the base of the solar oven in the front as shown in picture four.5.
• Do the same exact thing that you did in four and make another one inch straw that has the same hole in it and tape that to the top of the solar oven where there is the shiny material, right across the other one you had taped.6.
• Now, take the three straws that are put together and put one end in one hole and the other end in the other hole.
• 7 & 8: Finally, on each end the of the long straw fold it over and tape it so that the stand does not blow away from the wind.

This is shown in picture seven and eight.Know you have your stand that holds up the top.Also, depending on where the sun is you can adjust the stand by either making it smaller or larger.

Step 10: Your Done!

Yay! You have finished building the solar oven. Was that so hard? Now all you have to do is test it. Flip to the next slide (Or technically step) to show you how this solar oven works.

Step 11: Testing.

1. Before you start to test, pre-heat your oven in the sun for about 30-50 minutes.1.
2. If you take a look at picture one it will show you that I had started at 72 degrees Fahrenheit.2.
3. Place the thermometer inside the box by opening the bottom flap of the solar oven and placing it in.Make sure that the FLAP IS COMPLETELY closed so that the heat really stays in.3.

As you can see in picture three, the temperature has already increased to 126 degrees Fahrenheit in about a minute.4.Then there is the temperature again in picture four when in about 30 seconds the temperature has increased to 142 degrees Fahrenheit.5.Lastly, in picture five, you can see that the temperature has increased to 152 degrees Fahrenheit in about 1 minute.If I had kept the thermometer in there longer or pre-heated it longer, the temperature would have gotten higher.

Step 12: Conclusion.

1. Overall, this project was pretty solid.
2. There was surprisingly no bumps in the road along the way because it was a pretty easy project.My results came out pretty good, I made it up to 152 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. I did it on a pretty hot day, but it was also windy that day to.

I think I could have gotten a higher degrees point if it was not so windy and I left it in longer or pre-heated it longer.I got all of my information from this website -)so go and check them out!If this was helpful give it a thumbs up and leave a comment.If it was not please tell me what I should do better next time in the comments.

• Thanks!

1 Person Made This Project!

How To Make A Solar Oven With A Pizza Box Step By Step

Did you know that you can directly use solar power to cook food?that means that you don’t have to use gas or burn wood to cook your food, all you have to do to make a solar oven with some easy steps.the solar oven will offer you an easy and ecologically friendly way to cook your food.so you don’t have to worry about how to cook your food while you are having a good day with your family outdoor.all you have to do is to follow our easy guide which will lead you to know how to recycle an old pizza box to a solar oven with very easy steps which anyone can do.tools:
• large pizza box
• ruler
• black marker
• box cutter
• aluminum foil
• glue
• scissors
• clear plastic wrap
• tape
• black construction paper
• stick or plastic straw (optional)
• laser pointer(optional)

let’s specify step by step how to create it:

Step 1: Draw a square

Draw a square on the pizza-box lid with the ruler and black marker, leaving a 1-inch boundary from the box’s edge to each side of the square.

Step 2: Form the flap

Cut through three sides of the square you just created with the box cutter or utility knife, leaving the line at the back of the box attached. When the pizza-box lid is closed, fold the flap back so that it stands up.

Step 3: Cover the flap with foil

Use heavy-duty aluminum foil to cover the underside of the flap, which will reflect sunlight into the oven. Glue the foil to the flap, smooth out any creases, and trim any extra foil.

Step 4: Tape plastic sheet

With the scissors, cut two square pieces of clear plastic wrap, each 1 square inch larger than the flap opening. Open the pizza box, and tape one piece of plastic to the underside of the hole so that the plastic covers it

Step 5: Tape second plastic sheet

Close the lid, and tape the second plastic sheet over the top of the hole, creating a window that helps keep the sun’s heat in the box. Pull both sheets taut as you tape themTipMaintaining an airtight box is crucial in keeping the oven hot

Step 6: Layer the bottom with foil

Insulate your pizza box by gluing or taping a sheet of alumnium foil to the inner bottom.

Step 7: Cover with black paper

Cover the foil layer in the box with black construction paper sheets that have been glued in place. The black base of your oven will absorb light and create additional heat.

Step 8: Find the best angle

1. You’re ready to start cooking after you close the lid!
2. Place your solar oven outside in direct sunlight on a sunny day.
3. Adjust the foil flap to find the optimal ray-reflecting angle, then put it in place with a ruler, a stick, or a hard-plastic straw.Pro Tip: If you want to test the reflective angles of your oven before you head outside, shine a laser pointer onto the foil flap to simulate rays of sunlight

Step 9: Preheat

Preheat your oven by leaving it in direct sunlight for 30 minutes. The box’s temperature will reach about 200 degrees, so while you won’t be able to cook a roast, you can reheat cooked food, melt cheese or chocolate, or—if you have all day—prepare a veggie stew

Step 10: Cook

Place whatever you’re cooking in the center of the oven, on its own, or in a heat-safe container, so it’s immediately beneath the plastic-wrap window. Check on your meal every 15 to 30 minutes by closing the lid and propping the flap open.

Introduction: How to Make a Homemade Pizza Oven

1. This is a step by step guide on how to build a homemade pizza oven from scratch!
2. This is a great, relatively cheap project, that will keep you entertained all through the summer and surprisingly, even the winter!
3. I made it with Darren Lewis and Josh Bagshawe and it always ends up getting lit at every party and actually becomes quite the centre piece!

As you will discover, as well as making fantastic pizzas, this oven comes into its element when slow cooking large joints of meat!Lovely slow cooked shoulder of lamb, belly pork, beef ribs, pork ribs and even a whole pot of curry!Whatever joint you decide, wrapping it in layers of tin foil will protect it from the fire and keep it tender and succulent!

• Happy building!
• I look forward to seeing what you make!
• For further designs and projects please check out my website -am currently working on a new minimalist ballpoint pen and stylus, check it out at:or follow me on instagram @529studio

Step 1: What You Will Need

1. There are many different styles of pizza oven, ranging from small clay ovens to larger scale concrete ovens.
2. What you decide to build depends on a few factors including budget, location size constraints, time, what you wish to cook etc.
3. We decided to build this pizza oven on a wooden crate so we had the option of moving it if we needed to!

Although if you decide to do this, please remember that the construction will probably be about half a tonne so a pallet truck or fork lift will be required!A lot of people find a more permanent location for the oven and build a brick stand for it so the pizza oven is at waist level when stood infront of it.What you require:Sharp sand (general purpose sand usually containing small amounts of aggregate in the mix)Builders sand (finer sand that is good for detailed work)CementAggregateA bucket or pot for the chimney (Optional!)Spade for mixingTrowel for brick layingBricks (ideally heat resistant but not essential)Large cellophane sheetSome old pieces of wood / foam for shaping the archChipboard (if building on a pallet) – make sure it is for outdoor use otherwise it will warp!Wooden palletDrillWood ScrewsWood Saw The exact quantities depend on what size you decide to build.You can build this oven in stages so there is no need to know exact quantities when you initially start building.

• Lots of people say that heat resistant bricks should be used when building an oven.
• When heated to a high temperature, standard building bricks can expand and cause the oven to crack a little.
• We have had this oven extremely hot and have not had issues with cracking so a lot if down to personal preference!

Step 2: Creating the Base

1. When you have decided on a location for the pizza oven, lay the pallet down and make sure that it is horizontal.
2. The floor that it is laying on might not be flat so use some off-cuts of wood to wedge under the pallet to raise it up if needed.
3. After the pallet is sorted, use the wood saw to cut a section of chip-board that exactly fits the base of the pallet.

Cut some strips of chipboard that are about 50mm high to form a perimeter around the top of the pallet.make sure that there are no large gaps between the boards as this will form the seal to hold in the concrete!Mix the concrete in a 1:2:4 ratio (1 part cement, 2 parts sharp sand, 4 parts aggregate).

• Use the spade to put the concrete in the wooden mould.
• You can use a long wooden baton lengthways to ensure that the concrete is flat and has the best finish.
• This top layer will create the floor for the pizza oven so try and get it as smooth as you can.

Step 3: Arranging the Bricks / Planning Size

It is a good idea to roughly lay the bricks in the correct position before permanently fixing them in place. With the standard house brick I would advise chopping them in half so you can have more shape to your pizza oven. Arranging the bricks before ensures that you know roughly where the bricks are going to go and also roughly how many you are going to need.

Step 4: Creating the Arch

1. The arch is going to form the roof of the area where you access the inside of the oven.
2. Generally speaking the arch is about two-thirds the height of the whole oven.
3. We used foam to create a support but you could use layered cardboard or even off-cuts from the chip-board to create the curve on which the archway bricks rest.

This purely provides support whilst the archway bricks are drying.The advantage of having a curved archway rather than a flat one is that you can use the weight of the bricks resting on each other to provide support (almost wedging themselves in place).

Step 5: Cementing the Bricks in Place

1. The first step here is to cement the first (ground) layer of bricks in place using a fine mix of cement and fine sand (a ratio of about 1:3 would be fine).
2. At this stage I would also cement in place the arch.
3. Lay the cellophane sheet across the base layer and begin to fill with sand.

A sand mould of the inside of the oven is created so that the bricks can be supported on the sand whilst being cemented in place (prevents a collapse whilst the cement is wet!).The sand is wrapped in cellophane or plastic sheeting to prevent the sand from sticking to the inside of the oven where there may be some wet cement.Begin layering up the bricks working up the side of the cellophane sheeting.

• At this stage it is good to cement in place the chimney.
• Having the chimney slightly higher than the door ensures that the smoke travels out of the chimney as opposed to just coming out of the front of the oven.
• Don’t worry about the cement looking a bit messy.
• This will be sorted in the next step.

Step 6: Creating the Concrete Outer Layer

Mix some more concrete up as in step 2. Liberally spread it over the entire outside of the pizza oven. Not only does this make the pizza oven look better, it provides more insulation which will keep your oven hotter for longer!

Step 7: Removing the Supports and Sand

1. Once the concrete has dried (usually a couple of days), it is time to remove the supports for the archway.
2. This will then provide access to the bag of sand that currently still occupies the inside of the oven.
3. Carefully rip the side of the bag and begin digging out the sand.

Once the majority of the sand has been removed, the whole plastic sheeting can be pulled out bringing with it the remaining sand.

Step 8: Creating a Small Fire and Then Cooking Time!

1. A small fire should be created first to slowly dry the inside of the oven out.
2. By now it should be pretty much dry anyway but starting small ensures that no cracks begin to form from steam trying to escape!
3. After that it is time to cook!

Try a little pizza and get a feel as to how your oven behaves!Happy cooking and I wish you all the best!p.s if you get your oven hot enough you may even see some pretty flames escaping from the chimney!

Be the First to Share

Take your eco-consciousness to the next level with a solar oven.

1. You hit the farmer’s market every Saturday morning, rain or shine.
2. You buy in bulk.
3. You season your meals with fresh herbs from your windowsill or garden.

You compost your food waste.You minimize the meat on your plate, or even forego it completely.Congratulations—your ethical and informed choices not only keep you healthier, but reduce the carbon footprint of your food consumption, too.

• Now, how about an eco-friendly method to cook that food without wasting energy?
• Learn here how to make a solar oven.
• A solar oven costs nothing to operate, it requires not a trace of energy, and it’s always available.
• Each hour, the amount of sunlight that reaches us on Earth is enough to meet global energy needs for an entire year.
• We can harness its energy to power just about anything—our homes, our cars, and even our cooking.
• It’s easy to make your very own solar cooker, and the best part is that you probably have everything you need to build one lying around the house.

There are three solar oven designs—solar cookers, panel cookers, and parabolic solar cookers—and all rely on the same basic concepts of conduction, radiation, and convection.This tutorial is for a simple solar cooker, and it works the same way solar panels work on a larger scale—by collecting heat, which is then converted to energy.We’ll use cardboard, but you can substitute wood for a more durable alternative.It’s not nearly as quick as your kitchen oven, of course, but the box can reach temperatures of 200 degrees Fahrenheit, so think vegetables, grains, and desserts rather than a thick slab of steak.

This oven is meant for more of a fun, sunny day experiment for curious minds of all ages, especially for kids.Just set out your plate, go about your day, and come back later to some tasty, sun-cooked food.

What you’ll need to make a solar oven:

• Two large, shallow cardboard boxes. The larger (outer) box should be slightly taller than the inner box. The inner box should fit inside the outer box with a 1” or 2” space between the two when they’re nested. Make sure the inner box is taller than the dish you use for cooking.
• A loose piece of cardboard for constructing the lid. It should be six inches wider and longer than the outer box.
• Saran wrap (or Plexiglas) the width and length of your outer box
• Roll of aluminum foil
• Black paper (cut to the size of the inner box)
• Glue
• Duct tape
• Sharpie
• Newspaper sheets, crumpled up
• Scissors or a box cutter
• Wire hanger or stick

1. Step 1: Create an insulation chamber, so that your inner box can nest inside the outer box.
2. Turn your outer box upside down (with the flaps down), and center set the inner box on top.
3. Trace around the shape of the inner box.

Cut along those lines to make a window opening.You should now have a frame of 1-2” on all four sides.Step 2: Construct a lid (with a flap) to fit over the top of the bigger box.

• This flap will open, and that’s where you’ll set your plate of food to cook.
• Center your outer box on top of the loose cardboard piece and trace around all four sides of the big box.
• Now center the inner box inside of the lines you just drew, and trace around the inner box.
• Fashion your flap in the lid by cutting along only three sides (two short and one long) of the innermost lines.
• Now go back to the outer box that you just traced.
• Extend the lines from each corner of your larger traced box, drawing to each corner of the cardboard piece.

Cut along these lines, fold them down (creating a 3D lid), and tape up around the box.Step 3: Line the box with foil to reflect sunlight into your box, and insulate with newspaper in order to trap heat.Glue aluminum foil, shiny side out, to line all five sides of the inside of the outer box, as well as the inside and outside of the inner box.Finally, cover the underside of the flap with foil, too.

Fill the gap between the outer box and inner box with rolled-up newspaper sheets on all four sides, to the top.Duct tape a double layer of Saran Wrap (or Plexiglas) to the underside of the window.Secure black construction paper, which will absorb heat, to the bottom of the inside box.Step 4: Set up your oven.

• Make sure the foil-lined flap is reflecting light into the window, and reposition as necessary.
• Set your plate in the box, and prop the lid open with a stick or the wire hanger.
• If you’re heating liquids, stir often as with a regular stove.
• Step 5: Enjoy your scrumptious solar feast!

How to Build A Solar Oven

1. Wondering how you might be able to better use or recycle all those cardboard boxes?
2. Use the sun’s energy to heat up a tasty treat with this simple solar oven!
3. Have you ever heard the expression that it’s so hot out you could fry an egg on the sidewalk?

Have you ever wondered if it’s true?Find out with this easy, fun, and delicious solar oven science project that uses only household items and a pizza box – aka your very own DIY solar cooker.Plus, learn about absorption, insulation, and the sun’s energy.

• Want even more solar energy science?
• Check out these solar energy science projects.
• And for another edible science project that teaches about insulation, make Baked Alaska.

What You Need to Build a Solar Oven:

• Cardboard pizza box (the kind delivered pizza comes in)
• Box knife or scissors
• Aluminum foil
• Clear tape
• Plastic wrap (a heavy-duty or freezer zip lock bag will also work)
• Black construction paper
• Newspapers
• Ruler or wooden spoon
• Thermometer
• An adult to help with cutting

Recipe Ideas

• Solar Oven Recipes

DIY Solar Oven

1. Use a box knife or sharp scissors to cut a flap in the lid of the pizza box. Cut along three sides, leaving about an inch between the sides of the flap and the edges of the lid. Fold this flap out so that it stands up when the box lid is closed.  
2. Cover the inner side of the flap with aluminum foil so that it will reflect rays from the sun. To do this, tightly wrap foil around the flap, then tape it to the back, or outer side of the flap.
3. Use clear plastic wrap to create an airtight window for sunlight to enter the box. Do this by opening the box and taping a double layer of plastic wrap over the opening you made when you cut the flap in the lid. Leave about an inch of plastic overlap around the sides and tape each side down securely, sealing out air. If you use a plastic bag, cut out a square big enough to cover the opening and tape one layer over the opening.
4. Line the bottom of the box with black construction paper—black absorbs heat. The black surface is where your food will be set to cook. How much you need will depend on the size of the pizza box you’re using to make your solar oven.
5. To insulate your oven so it holds in more heat, roll up sheets of newspaper and place them on the bottom of the box. Tape them down so that they form a border around the cooking area. It may be helpful to also tape the rolls closed first. The newspaper rolls should make it so that the lid can still close, but there is a seal inside of the box, so air cannot escape.
6. The best hours to set up your solar oven are when the sun is high overhead—from 11 am to 3 pm. Take it outside to a sunny spot and adjust the flap until the most sunlight possible is reflecting off the aluminum foil and onto the plastic-covered window. Use a ruler to prop the flap at the right angle. You may want to angle the entire box by using a rolled-up towel.
7. You can make toast by buttering a slice of bread then letting the sun do the rest. Cooking a hot dog or making nachos with chips and cheese are also fun treats to make in your solar oven! It would also work great to heat up leftovers. So the paper at the bottom doesn’t get dirty, put what you would like to cook on a clear plastic or glass plate. A pie plate would work well. Place the thermometer inside your oven before you close it, so you can check the temperature.
8. To take food out of the oven, open up the lid of the pizza box, and using oven mitts or potholders, lift the glass dish out of the oven.

What Happened:

The heat from the sun is trapped inside of your pizza box solar oven, and it starts getting very hot. Ovens like this one are called collector boxes because they collect the sunlight inside. As it sits out in the sun, your oven eventually heats up enough to melt cheese, or cook food! How does it happen? Rays of light are coming to the earth at an angle. The foil reflects the ray and bounces it directly into the opening of the box. Once it has gone through the plastic wrap, it heats up the air that is trapped inside. The black paper absorbs the heat at the bottom of the oven, and the newspaper makes sure that the heat stays where it is, instead of escaping out the sides of the oven. Your solar oven can reach about 200° F on a sunny day and will take longer to heat things than a conventional oven. Although this method will take longer, it is very easy to use, and it is safe to leave alone while the energy from the sun cooks your food. We made a cheese roll-up by melting cheese on a corn tortilla. It took about 45 minutes for our cheese to melt and the tortilla to become soft. The internal temperature of our pizza box solar oven was 125° F. If you do not want to wait long to have a solar-cooked dish, try heating up something that has already been cooked, like leftovers, or a can of soup. Putting solid food in a glass dish and liquids in a heavy plastic zip lock bag works well. You can also pre-heat your oven by setting it in direct sun for up to an hour. Other recipes you may want to try are making baked potatoes, rice with vegetables, chocolate fondue, s’mores, and roasted apples with cinnamon and sugar. Even on partly cloudy days, there may be enough heat and light from the sun to slow cook a special dish. Here are a few tips for having success with your solar oven:
• Stir liquids (if you’re cooking something like fondue, rice, or soup) every 10 minutes. You can rotate solid food every 10-15 minutes as well, so it cooks evenly.
• Reposition your solar oven when needed, so that it faces direct sunlight. You should be checking periodically on your oven, to make sure it is in the sun.
• Make sure that the foil-covered flap is reflecting light into the pizza box, through the plastic-covered window.

To experiment further with solar cooking, make your own solar purifier with this science project! For more ready-to-go science projects, see Solar & Alternative Energy Kits.