Solar Hot Dog

Going green? Now you're cookin'

2009-04-26T04:35:00.000-07:00

April 25, 2009

See a shoe box, pick it up.

And all this day - this magnificent sun-drenched day - you'll have . . . well, you'll have a way to make going to the beach or the park even more special.

As part of an Earth Week celebration at Molloy College in Rockville Centre, I learned how to transform the lowly shoe box into a simple solar cooker.

We divided up into teams. And in short order, my partner, Nicole DePeiza, a 19-year-old sophomore and nursing major, was cutting V-shaped slots into the box, while I ripped pieces of aluminum foil.

It didn't take much to make the tiny cooker, just the box, scissors, foil, two straws and a file folder. There was a problem, however.

On that day, the sky was slamming raindrops to the ground - which killed plans for going outside and using our baby cooker to roast (or would that be solar-wave?) marshmallows and hot dogs.

Not to worry.

A few days later, the sun came out. And it's going to stay out, with forecasters predicting temperatures in the 80s today.

What better time to pass along my newfound skill to my husband, who, with almost lightning speed, managed to turn a box that had once contained our son's brand-new, size 14 running shoes into a slightly larger version of cooker.

With climate change and the economy - and the fast-growing green jobs sector - the first aggressively sunny days of the year were perfect for trying to live, rather than just celebrate, the spirit of Earth Day.

But first, our humble shoe-box cooker had to pass its first test.

I was quick to volunteer as "cook," which meant sitting on the patio as the shoe box caught a few midmorning rays.

Fifteen minutes passed.

And the two dogs nestled in the curved portion of the cooker were looking hot, but not cooked.

That's when we willingly surrendered to Plan B:

Drive the shoe box to a nearby beach, where sun was served straight, rather than dappled through overhanging tree branches.

Once there, it didn't take long for the dogs to start sweating. And then - slowly, very slowly - they really began to cook. Forty minutes later, the shoe box smelled of hot dog cart, and our first-ever, solar-powered lunch was ready.

I reported our success to Ray Ann Havasy, director of the Center for Science Teaching and Learning in Rockville Centre, who had taught the class at Molloy. Two weeks ago, the college announced The Sustainability Institute, a first for the region. One goal is to teach residents the how, why and benefits of going "green."

"We use the shoe-box solar cookers as a fun learning tool," Havasy said.

But, she notes, they can be used as real cookers, too. "Try a boot box," she suggested. "You can make a simple cooker as big or as small as you want."

And she reassured me that under the hot summer sun, hot dogs usually cook in about 20 minutes. (As compared with 40 minutes in the spring and two hours in the winter.)

Gary Minnick, president of Go Solar Inc., a solar home, pool and water heating business in Riverhead, often takes his top-of-the-line solar oven to business exhibitions. He doesn't sell cookers, but uses his own cooker to show customers what the sun can do: bake a cake in under 40 minutes.

"I make cakes all day long," Minnick said.

Robert Meinke, of Greener Country in Jericho, sells everything from solar-powered backpacks to rolling compost bins. But he doesn't sell solar-powered ovens or cookers. The retail ones are larger and more complicated to operate than a shoe box.

"I looked at some at a trade show but haven't seen anything that's really easy to use," he said.

Besides, he said jokingly, "On Long Island, I just don't see solar cookers taking the place of barbecue grills anytime soon."

He's right, because a grill cooks more food, and faster.

But Havasy's right, too: A shoe box can put plentiful sun to good use.

Let the sun shine in.

Hot dog carts hurt by public's efforts to save

2009-04-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

BY Elizabeth Hays
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Tuesday, April 21st 2009, 4:00 AM
Ward for News

Food vendor cart on the courthouse plaza at the intersection of Montague and Court Streets.

It’s a dog-eat-dog world for Brooklyn’s top hot dog sellers these days.

The sinking economy has taken a big bite out of the borough’s top-grossing hot dog carts — which are now struggling to lure enough customers to pay their sky-high rents.

Vendor Timothaos Ayad, who pays the borough’s top-dog price of $48,000 a year in rent to the city to set up his cart outside Brooklyn Supreme Court, said business is down nearly 50% since August.

“I hope I will break even,” said Ayad, 46, a father of three, who has had the pricey contract for more than two years.

Ayad, who peddles $1.75 hot dogs and $5 gyros to the throngs of court workers, jurors and others passing through the bustling downtown Brooklyn spot, said he has been hurt by the fact that so many people now bring their lunches from home as a way to save money.

“In the morning, I see everybody coming by with their bag of lunch,” he said, adding he has decided to throw in the towel and not bid on the spot when it is up again at the end of the year.

“The job is too tiring and the economy is bad, so it’s not worth it anymore,” he said, adding he has to finish out his contract or lose his hefty deposit.

Outside Ayad’s cart, mom Jenny Guerra, 35, wouldn’t let her son Houston, 10, stop for a $1.75 pretzel because the family is tightening its belt after her husband’s retail employer stopped giving bonuses.

“My husband is packing his lunch and I’m packing snacks for the kids,” said Guerra, who tried to offer Houston crackers instead.

“I feel bad he still has to pay the same rent,” she said of Ayad. “But not bad enough,” she added.
In Prospect Park, where some of the next-biggest rents are located, times are also tough.

Tarek Elhashash, who pays $27,000 to operate a cart at the busy Ninth St. entrance in Park Slope, and another $20,250 to work the Ninth St. ballfields, is bracing for an even worse summer than last year.

“It’s hurting us very much,” said Elhashash, 32, whose business last year was already down 30% from the year before.

“The same customer who used to come to me and spend $10 on two hot dogs and two drinks and an ice cream, now they get one ice cream and they split it.”

Elhashash said he has also been hurt by brown-baggers.

“Now, people come to the park with their cooler and their own stuff,” he said. “Everybody is trying to save money.”

Still, Elhashash said there could be a silver lining to the bad economy, if streams of people cancel vacations this summer and instead head to the park for fun.

“I hope so,” he said. “Maybe then, it’ll be a good year.”

2009-04-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

2009-04-17T17:32:00.000-07:00

SOLAR COOKED WHITE FISH IN TOMATO SAUCE.

(Regular oven 375 for about 30 minutes if day clouds over)

Solar oven timing depends on outside temperature, oven temperature and cloud cover, You can cook when there is some cloud cover but it will be slower. May take an hour, or up to two hours or so. Check every half hour for flakiness.

INGREDIENTS

2 fish steaks 12 ounces each (halibut, sole or ...)

1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper 2 large tomatoes peeled and chopped

OR 1 small(14 oz can) of stewed tomatoes,drained. Save juice.

1 tbsp lemon juice 1 clove garlic crushed or 1/8 tsp powdered garlic

1 medium onion chopped 1 green pepper chopped 1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 tsp dried mint 1/4 cup sherry (opt) 4 slices lemon 3 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 tsp salt.

DIRECTIONS

Grease with a little butter a shallow baking dish large enough to hold fish in a single layer

Put fish steaks in dish and sprinkle with salt, pepper and lemon juice

Mix garlic, onion.tomatoes, parsley, tomato paste, sherry and mint in a bowl.

Pour over fish and add reserved liquid if necessary to barely cover fish. Lay lemon slices on fish. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake in solar oven until fish is flaky.

Serves 6 seniors or 4 young adults !

2009-04-16T14:09:00.001-07:00

Solar Hot Dog Cooker

This project is for older students or for younger students with adult supervision.

A reflective hot dog cooker can be built from a cardboard box, tin foil, and posterboard. Sunlight hits the reflective surface and focuses on the hot dog held in the center. Students can work in pairs or individually if there are enough materials.

Select a long narrow box; the longer the box the more heat collection is possible. Choose a focal length between 5" and 10" and design a parabolic curve as seen in the picture. One template could be used for all the cookers. Trace the curve on the open end of the box so that it is centered and straight.
Cut out the curve with a utility knife. Stress the importance of being exact. Measure and cut a piece of posterboard that will fix flush against the opening to the box. Attach this with tape beginning at the center and working toward to edges.
Cover the curve with white glue and apply aluminum foil shiny side out. Start in the middle and smooth toward the edges. Try not to wrinkle or fold the foil; you want it as smooth as possible.
Use two scraps of cardboard taped to each side as supports. Using the sun or a projector light, test the focal point. There should be a bright spot where light is concentrated; mark this spot and punch a hole for the skewer. Use a section of a coat hanger from which the paint has been removed for a skewer.
Enjoy your hot dog!

2009-04-15T07:04:00.000-07:00

( note: This is a previous article from thegoodhuman.com )A little cardboard box won a solar oven contest recently and thegoodhuman.com made this solar oven for $1.50. You could probably make one with stuff in your house right now. I think I’m going to make one too. Follow thegoodhuman on twitter, I do. So, on Friday you might remember I mentioned the Kyoto Box, which just won a $75,000 prize ideas to fight global warming. Well, it looked simple enough to build, which was the point, so I built one myself in a few hours this weekend. While I picked up an old window from a friend to try to use the glass, it was just too big - so I headed to the Habitat ReStore to pick up some used plexiglass. Cost? $1.50. A few other materials I needed included:

- 2 cardboard boxes, 1 bigger than the other. The smaller one is the cooker, and the outside one acts as insulation.
- Utility knife to cut the boxes down a little bit
- Black spray paint
- Aluminum Foil
- Leftover packing materials of any kind for insulation
- Glue
- Duct टेप

That’s it. Since I already had everything except the plexiglass, the entire project only cost $1.50. But did it work? I will tell you after I show you a few pictures of the project:

I would say that is a success, considering the fact that it was only 52 degrees and very cloudy. And now it’s been snowing for days, so no more testing. Next time it’s very sunny I will attempt to do some cooking, and I will report back. I highly recommend you give this project a try, as it’s kind of fun to see something you build work so well!

2009-04-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

Man Cooks up Five Dollar Solar Oven for $75,000 Prize

2009-04-13T06:12:00.000-07:00

Inventor Jon Bohmer won $75,000 with his invention of a $5 solar-powered oven that can boil water and bake bread. This is great news for some three billion people who rely on cutting down trees for firewood. "In the West, we cook with electricity, so it's easy to ignore this problem," he said. "But half the world's population is still living in a stone age. The only way for them to cook is to make a fire."

In addition to saving trees and human bodies ("I don't want to see another 80-year-old woman carrying 20 kilos of firewood on her back," Bohmer said), the cardboard oven, dubbed the Kyoto Box, costs little to make. It requires just two cardboard boxes and a sheet of acrylic. Since cardboard factories already exist, production is imminent. A factory in Nairobi, Kenya can produce about 2.5 million boxes a month.

The design is cheap, simple, and ingenious. One cardboard box is painted black and fits inside the second cardboard box covered in silver foil. A sheet of acrylic is placed over the boxes, letting in sunrays and trapping them. The rays generate enough heat to cook, bake, and boil.

Being able to boil water reliably is especially important in those areas of the world without access to clean water sources. Millions of children die from drinking unsanitary water and millions more are sickened.

The Norwegian-born, Kenya-based Bohmer won despite some 300 other entries that included a machine that turns organic material into charcoal, wheel covers that reduce a truck's drag, and a livestock feed supplement that reduces livestock's methane emission by 15 percent.

Solar Hot Dog

2009-04-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

Title:

Solar hot dog cooker

Document Type and Number:

United States Patent 5054467

Abstract:

The present invention relates to solar hot dog cookers. A dark M-W cross sectioned cylindrical hot dog holder holds at least two hot dogs. The hot dogs are placed on the holder and covered by a dark, solar energy absorbing flat plate. The combination is placed on a plastic base having raised edges to prevent spilling of grease. The base is covered with a top generally transparent to solar energy waves and placed in the sun. Depending on solar intensity, about twenty minutes are usually sufficient to cook the hot dogs. The cooker may then be reused. The cooker also works when solar energy is not at a maximum, such as certain cloudy days, evenings, cold days, etc.
1. A solar hot dog cooker, comprising:

a rugged flat base having closed and slightly raised edges and fabricated from a heat generally non conductive material generally impervious to hot dog grease in air at temperatures generated in solar cooking;

a dark, rugged solar energy absorbing generally cylindrical cross sectioned hot dog holder wherein the cylinder has a length substantially greater than its width and a non circular cross section resembling a capital M changed in that the v which forms the center two lines of the capital M is replaced by a small w shape defining two adjacent v shaped cross section grooves capable of holding meat such as hot dogs to be cooked, so that the symmetrical cross section has a long outer edge member coupled at an angle of about 90 degrees to a center member coupled at an angle of about 90 degrees to the center member of the opposite side thereby forming two adjacent v shapes along the top of the generally M shaped cross section capable of holding at least two hot dogs and fabricated from a heat conducting material relatively impervious chemically to hot dog grease in air at solar cooking temperatures, which is oriented during use with both M and W upright and is placed during use in the rugged flat base, and holds at least two hot dogs;

a generally planar, dark, solar energy absorbing impervious to hot dog grease at temperatures generated in solar cooking, hot dog cover fabricated from rugged, heat conductive material and of length and width less than that of the hot dog holder, but large enough to cover cooking hot dogs on the hot dog holder; and

a rugged, cap fitting relatively air tight and coupled to the base, the cap being generally transparent to major solar energy bearing radiation frequencies, the cap being fabricated from a generally non heat conductive material impervious to hot dog grease at solar cooking temperatures.

Description:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to solar meat cookers.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Solar cookers date to prehistoric times. This art has obtained new life with the US energy situation since 1973. In addition, people now have more ecology consciousness and are more receptive to ecologically sound devices and more likely to pay for them.

Ideally, such cookers should be inexpensive, relatively quick, handy and safe to use, rugged, easy to clean, small and easy to store, simple to use, and possessed of the other advantages sought in similar beach and picnic type cooking devices. They should also be capable of cooking when the sun is not bright or is slightly clouded over.

Applicant knows of no such device for cooking hot dogs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A solar hot dog cooker is presented. The solar hot dog cooker comprises a rugged flat base having closed and slightly raised edges to enable the base to retain grease, and fabricated from a heat generally non conductive material generally impervious to hot dog grease in air at temperatures generated in solar cooking.

The solar hot dog cooker also includes a dark, rugged solar energy absorbing generally cylindrical M-W cross sectioned hot dog holder capable of holding at least two hot dogs and fabricated from a heat conducting material relatively impervious chemically to hot dog grease in air at solar cooking temperatures, which is oriented during use with both M and W upright and is placed during use in the rugged flat base, and holds at least two hot dogs. By M-W cross section is meant that the holder has non vertical angled sides coupled to each other by a series of at least two V's. Two V's would hold two hot dogs, and each additional V would hold an additional hot dog if the V's were about as long as a hot dog. While the term hot dog is used, it is obvious that other foods could also be cooked in the solar hot dog cooker. If the V's were longer, they could hold additional hot dogs to fill the length, ie, if twice as long two hot dogs, etc. By cylindrical is meant that the cross section describes substantially the entire length of the solar hot dog holder. In operation, the solar hot dog cooker hot dog holder is placed inside the base, and selected hot dogs to be cooked are placed in the V's also known as V slots.

The solar hot dog cooker also includes a generally planar, dark, solar energy absorbing, impervious to hot dog grease at temperatures generated in solar cooking, hot dog cover fabricated from rugged, heat conductive material and of length and width less than that of the hot dog holder, but large enough to cover cooking hot dogs on the hot dog holder. The cover is placed over the hot dogs to be cooked to increase solar radiation absorbed by the hot dogs and reduce drying during cooking.

The solar hot dog cooker also includes a rugged, cap fitting relatively air tight either inside or around and over the outside of the base during cooking. The cap is generally transparent to major solar energy bearing radiation frequencies, the cap is fabricated from a generally non heat conductive material impervious to hot dog grease at solar cooking temperatures. The purpose of the cap is to retain heat and juices while permitting nearly all solar radiation to pass through to the hot dogs.

The solar cooker cooks fastest when solar radiation received is at a maximum, but also can cook hot dogs when substantial but less solar radiation is received, such as on cloudy and partly cloudy days, and mornings after sun rise and evenings before sun set. When less solar radiation is received, cooking takes relatively longer. At maximum solar radiation, the solar hot dog cooker can cook two hot dogs in about ten minutes. The solar hot dog cooker can, of course cook other meats and foods such as hamburgers, thin chicken, vegetables, and any other foods that can be wrapped in aluminum foil. The foil use is good practice in that it keeps the solar hot dog cooker clean, and cleaning in a beach, camping out, or picnic setting is usually inconvenient.

DRAWING DESCRIPTION

Reference should be made at this time to the following detailed description which should be read in conjunction with the following drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a 3/4 view of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a view of a hot dog.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A solar hot dog cooker 10 is presented. The solar hot dog cooker 10 comprises a rugged flat base 12 having closed and slightly raised edges 14 to enable the base 12 to retain liquid grease, and fabricated from a heat generally non conductive material generally impervious to hot dog grease in air at temperatures generated in solar cooking.

The solar hot dog cooker 10 also includes a dark, rugged solar energy absorbing generally cylindrical M-W cross sectioned hot dog holder 16 capable of holding at least two hot dogs 20 and fabricated from a heat conducting material relatively impervious chemically to hot dog grease in air at solar cooking temperatures, which is oriented during use with both M 27 and W 25 upright and is placed during use in the rugged flat base 12, and holds at least two hot dogs 20. By M-W cross section 18 is meant that the holder 16 has two, in the best design non vertical angled sides 26 (although the sides 26 could be vertical) coupled to each other by a series of at least two V's 28. Two V's 28 would hold two hot dogs 20, and each additional V 28 would hold an additional hot dog 20 if the V's 28 were about as long as a hot dog 20. While the term hot dog 20 is used, it is obvious that other foods could also be cooked in the solar hot dog cooker 10. If the V's 28 were longer, they could hold additional hot dogs 20 to fill the length, ie, if twice as long, two hot dogs 20 or equivalent amount of other food, etc. By cylindrical is meant that the cross section 18 describes substantially the entire length of the solar hot dog holder 16. In operation, the solar hot dog cooker 10 hot dog holder 16 is placed Inside the base 12, and selected hot dogs 20 or other foods to be cooked to be cooked are placed in the V's also known as V slots.

The solar hot dog cooker 10 also includes a generally planar, dark, solar energy absorbing, impervious to hot dog grease at temperatures generated in solar cooking, hot dog cover 30 fabricated from dark, solar energy absorbing, rugged, heat conductive material and of length and width less than that of the hot dog holder 16, but large enough to cover cooking hot dogs 20 or other cooking food on the hot dog holder 16. Impervious as used herein means it is not ordinarily damaged during use. The cover 30 is placed over the hot dogs 20 to be cooked to increase solar radiation absorbed by the hot dogs 20 and reduce drying during cooking.

The solar hot dog cooker 10 also includes a rugged cap 40 removably fitting relatively air tight, that is coupled around and over the outside 32 of the base during cooking. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2, the cap 40 may be slightly smaller than the edge 32 and may fit inside the base 12 outside edge 32. The cap 40 is generally transparent to major solar energy bearing radiation frequencies, the cap 40 is fabricated from a generally non heat conductive material impervious to hot dog grease at solar cooking temperatures. The purpose of the cap 40 is to retain heat and juices while permitting nearly all solar radiation to pass through to the hot dogs 20.

The solar cooker 10 cooks fastest when solar radiation received is at a maximum, but also can cook hot dogs 20 when substantial but less solar radiation is received, such as on cloudy and partly cloudy days, and mornings after sun rise and evenings before sun set. When less solar radiation is received, cooking takes relatively longer. At maximum solar radiation, the solar hot dog cooker 10 can cook two hot dogs 20 in about ten minutes. The solar hot dog cooker 10 can, of course cook other meats and foods such as hamburgers, thin chicken, vegetables, and other foods that can be wrapped in aluminum foil 42. The foil 42 use illustrated in FIG. 5 is good practice in that it keeps the solar hot dog cooker 10 clean, and cleaning in a beach, camping out, or picnic setting is usually inconvenient.

A particular example of the invention has been disclosed herein. Other examples will be obvious to those skilled in the art. The invention is limited only by the following claims.

Box cooker

The Box cooker is used mainly for solar cooking demonstrations at this level. However, depending on the ability of the students they should be able to help with the construction if the pieces are pre-cut.

Materials

file storage box, or other box approx. 12" x 15" x 10"
foil backed foam insulation board, approx. ½ sheet per oven
plexiglass, pre-cut to 12" x 15"
aluminum duct tape, 20 feet
black construction paper, 12" x 15"
aluminum foil, 18" x 21"
scissors
wooden dowel, stick or pencil
Cooking Tips and Recipes

Procedure

Cut insulation material. Each oven requires:
- (1 piece) 12" x 15"
- (2 pieces) 12" x 9 ½ "
- (2 pieces) 15" x 9 ½ "
Put a piece of insulation inside the box on the bottom
Put pieces of insulation around all the walls of the inside of the box
Tape all seams: bottom, sides, and around the inside top of the box
Cover the inside of the box lid with foil for a reflector
Cover the inside bottom of the oven with black construction paper
Place the glazing on the top of the oven
Attach the box lid by one long edge to the oven with an aluminum tape ‘hinge’. The rod or stick is used to adjust the tilt of this lid to capture more sunlight.

Pringles™ Can Hot Dog Cooker

Grades 3 - 5 (Adult assistance helpful):
Depending on the skill level of the student, it may be helpful to cut the slit in the can for them. At this level, students may also have difficulty holding the cooker still during the cooking process, therefore it might be easier to find a location where the cookers can be set down with the opening at the proper angle to let in the sunlight.

Materials

Pringles can
wooden skewer, 14"
transparency film
tape

Procedure

Cut opening in Pringles cans (see diagram).
Bend the flaps open on the can. These will serve as reflectors to collect more of the solar radiation into the cooker.
Cut the transparency film to fit over the opening and tape in place. This will serve as glazing to let the sun’s energy in but not let the heat out.
Make small holes in the center of the metal end of the can and in the plastic lid
The hot dog is suspended in the middle on the skewer. (Cooker can also be used for kabobs). To do this, remove the plastic lid, put the hot dog on the skewer, slide the skewer into the can poking the end of the skewer out through the hole in the metal end, and then thread the hole of the plastic lid onto the other end of the skewer and push it up to seal the can. The hot dog should be suspended in the center of the can.
Take the cookers out into the sun. Make sure that the cooker is facing directly towards the sun so that the sun is shining/reflected directly onto the hot dog.
Check the cooker frequently and adjust their position to match the path of the sun
In a bright sunny day with minimal breeze, the hot dogs will be ready to eat in 30 - 45 minutes.

Panel Cooker

Materials

cardboard box with a height greater than its width
scissors
aluminum foil
glue
Cooking Tips and Recipes

Procedure

Cut the flaps off of the top of the box
Cut the box down the seams of one of the sides and back across the bottom.
Glue one of the flaps to the bottom of the panel that was the bottom of the box. This will provide added insulation for the cooking pot.
Glue aluminum foil to the side of all the panels that used to be the inside of the box.
For cooking, place the back panel (ABCD) facing towards the sun. The cooking pot or cooking bag is placed on the bottom panel (CDHG). Angle the two sides to reflect sunlight onto the cooking pot or bag. The front flap (EFGH) can be propped up slightly to give additional reflection.