Caoimhan wrote:This is a sun oven, but not a SUN OVEN.
While building your own on the cheap is fine, you just need to remember that you get what you pay for.
The one that Matt's company is selling appears to be rugged, durable, and easy to use (self-leveling rack, 9 position leveling leg), easy to pack and carry, etc...
I don't begrudge $200 for a well-made unit that will last 20 years. I could spend $200 on a gas grill that might last me 5 years.
The "Global Sun Oven" is indeed the best. Obviously, I'm biased but it was something I had concluded long before I thought of selling them myself. There are other solar cookers, some quite good that cost less ($150 or so) but the GSO is the "cadillac" of solar cookers.
There are foldable ones made out of cardboard and aluminum foil for $25. They will get the trick done if money is really tight. I'm going to be selling those at some point because I realize many people simply don't have $200 no matter how good a product might be. But this is one of those (rare) products where if you do have the money, it actually is worth it.
In my mind the GS0's 20 plus year expected lifetime is the item' major selling point. That's what sold me on it, I thought to myself "yeah $200 is a bit pricey but f--k, if the sucker's gonna last 20 years or longer, I'd gladly pay it." (I also had a friend who had one and told me they were great.) I don't know why the company that makes them (Sun oven International) doesn't make the item's lifetime a bigger part of their promotional literature. To me that's a really big deal. My guess is the type of person who is interested in a sun oven would also get excited by the fact it's built to last.
Anyways, if I sell enough of these, I'm getting me a solar powered yurt in the woods. Link 5 or 6 of those suckers together and I'll have the infrastructure necessary for my apocalyptic religous cult . . . I mean post-oil "multicultural eco community."
(note: the news page of the site will be updated about twice a week and I'll be adding solar lanterns and those "kill-a-watt" devices shortly.)
If anybody wants to start a thread about "green business" or peak oil related business I'll be glad to share what I've learned most of which has been through trial and error (also known as "fucking things up" along the way.)
Best,
Matt