We made solar cookers in science class, here is the design of mine.

Design: Solar Box Cooker

Materials: Pizza Box, Cotton Balls, Tape, Stick, Black Paper, Tin Foil, Plastic Wrap

Sources: Davanni’s, My House, Staples

The solar cooker concentrates light by directing the beam from the lid of the pizza box through the plastic wrap and is then absorbed by the pot. The black paper lining the inside of the box then will absorb any extra light and will make the box hotter. The light won’t hit the pot in many places. This solar cooker will work best in summer when light is more direct and it is warmer. The lid should be at around a 45% angle with the base of the cooker. This will be more effective in the afternoon because of the angle of the sun.

The solar cooker will be lined with black paper on the inside and that will absorb heat and make the solar cooker hotter. The heat will be trapped inside of a pizza box that has a clear plastic wrap window that will let heat in and trap it inside. The plastic wrap lets heat in but not back out.
The solar cooker is insulated around the edges with cotton balls so that it won’t let heat out of the box. The cotton layers will fill in the little cracks in the box and provide another layer of protection from heat loss.