Designers and manufacturers have taken varied approaches to creating solar cookers.

The most
commonly used have been solar box cookers and solar panel cookers. They work well for slow
cooking, are generally less expensive to buy than other styles, and are fairly easy for most people
to build themselves. Variations of these designs have typically been used to introduce solar cooking
in deforested developing countries starting in the 1950s. High-quality manufactured models are
available for purchase from vendors in many countries.
Parabolic solar cookers also have a long history of use, primarily in Europe and Asia. They cook at
higher temperatures and usually require more complicated fabrication. A number of models are
available from manufacturers. They can be used in series to create steam for institutional
kitchens feeding thousands of people per day.
Evacuated tube solar cookers are compact and can cook quite efficiently. Several models are
available commercially. Other variations of solar cookers are also included in the subcategories listed
below.

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Solar panel cooker designs

The CooKit is a very simple solar panel cooker.

Advantages

Inexpensive to build or buy, and typically can be collapsed for storage or transport

Slow cooking retains flavors and nutrients, and requires little, if any, reorientation to the sun

Disadvantages

Usually achieves temperatures to 110 - 140 C (230 - 284 F), and can not fry foods

Homemade units are difficult to weatherproof

Main article: Solar panel cooker designs

Solar box cooker designs

The "Minimum" Solar Box Cooker is a popular solar box cooker design that can be easily constructed using cardboard boxes.

Advantages

Some large enough to cook with multiple pots, also great for baking and slow cooking

Can be constructed with simple materials, with several high quality commercial designs also
available

Disadvantages

The box design may block light entering the cooking chamber unless the unit is tipped

Can not fry foods. Cooking temperature range is 135 - 200 C (275 - 392 F)
Main article: Solar box cooker designs

Parabolic solar cooker designs

The SolSource is an efficient parabolic solar cooker.

Advantages

Cooking times are similar to a traditional stovetop

High temperatures allow for food to be fried and grilled, typically 120 - 230 C (248 - 446 F)

Disadvantages

Requires periodic reorientation, often every fifteen minutes, which may be done with a
mechanical solar tracking apparatus
Generally more expensive than panel and box cookers, and require more storage space
Main article: Parabolic solar cooker designs

Evacuated tube solar cooker designs

The SLiCK SM70 is an example of an evacuated tube solar cooker.

Advantages

Usually compact, and can cook quite efficiently with relatively small reflectors

Contemporary designs have aesthetic appeal

Disadvantages

The cooking chamber requires careful handling to avoid thermal shock and breakage of the
glass tube
Glass technology somewhat limits the size of opening of the cooking chamber
Main article: Evacuated tube solar cooker designs

Solar trough cooker designs

A parabolic trough bread oven powers a solar bakery run by the Bethel Business and Community Development
Centre in Lesotho.

Advantages

The curved trough reflector is efficient at gathering and focusing sunlight along a straight
focal line

Works well with evacuated tube cooking chambers to create a compact package easy to
store
Disadvantages

The trough design does not focus sunlight onto a standard cook pot

Not particularly well-suited for home enthusiast construction

Main article: Solar trough cooker designs

Solar array cooker designs

The GoSol Solar Concentrator, a typical solar array cooker design.

Advantages

Mirrored reflectors are flat panels, not requiring the complex curved shape of parabolic
cookers, they can still reach temperatures typical of parabolic cookers

The metal frameworks to hold the mirrors can be assembled by craftspeople with basic
welding skills

Disadvantages

Due to the relatively large size and geometry of some designs, they typically need to be
reoriented by hand or by a mechanical tracking system

Can require more ground space than other solar cookers

Main article: Solar array cooker designs