Solar Oven S’mores

Let's Try It

1. 

   On the outside of the lid of the pizza box, measure and draw a square that’s about 2′′ (5 cm) from the four edges of the box. Cut along the front and two sides of the square using a box cutter or scissors. Don’t cut along the hinge side but you may need to score the cardboard slightly along the hinge side. The square becomes a flap that lifts up on the hinge side in place of the lid.

2. 

   Measure and cut a piece of aluminum foil large enough to line the entire bottom and two sides of the pizza box. Be sure to use the foil with the shiny side out. You may need to join two narrower pieces to do this. Fold them together along an edge and press the seam between them flat and tight against the table.

3. 

   Apply glue to the bottom and two sides of the box and lay the foil piece on it. Smooth and press the foil onto the glue.

4. 

   Measure and cut a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the inside surface of the flap you cut into the lid in Step 1. Cover this inside surface with glue then smooth and press the foil onto it shiny side out.

5. 

   Measure and cut a piece of black construction paper that’s 1-2′′ (2-5 cm) smaller along each edge than the bottom of the pizza box. You may need to use more than one piece of paper if the box was for a large pizza.

6. 

   Center the black paper on the foil bottom of the box. Hold it in place using the clear, wide packing tape around the edges of the paper. Tape it directly to the foil.

7. 

   Grab both page protectors and carefully pull the thin sheets apart along the short, bottom edge of each sheet. Lay out both rectangles and tape two long edges together to make a single large piece of plastic.

8. 

   Tape your plastic creation to the inside of the box lid so it’s smooth and tight. DON’T tape it to the flap you cut out; tape it inside the lid. The flap should still move freely and the plastic should cover the flap’s opening from underneath the lid.

9. 

   Use the sharp end of the skewer to poke two small dents about 2” (5 cm) apart into one side of the lid. Make them about .5” (1 cm) from the flap and about halfway along the flap. Don’t poke all the way through. You’ll use these dents as a way to prop the flap open during cooking. See Step 12.

10. 

    Wrap a 5” (13 cm) piece of sticky tape around the skewer near its flat end. Do it in such a way that the tape crosses itself on the stick. The skewer and tape make the letter “T”. This will be the “kickstand” you use to prop open the flap.

11. 

    Use the sticky tape on the skewer to attach the skewer to the side of flap that has the dents in the lid you made in Step 9. The pointy end of the skewer goes toward the hinge of the flap. The top half of the tape goes over the flap and the bottom half goes under the flap.

    You’re almost ready to cook! Open the lid and load your oven with a few s’mores. For this recipe, use one graham cracker as a “pan” to hold the chocolate and the marshmallow. Put on the top cracker when you’re ready to eat it up. Keep the s’mores kind of spread out on the black paper in your oven.

    Before you close it up for cooking, you might want to tape a thermometer near the black paper inside the box. Put it in a spot that you can see through the plastic liner so you can keep track of the temperature inside your solar oven.

12. 

    When you’re ready, go out into the midday sunshine, set up in a spot that will have full sun for a long time, and open the flap. Adjust the flap to reflect as much heat as possible into the oven. You’ll have to leave it for a while but check on it every so often so you can keep it pointed toward the oven in the sky. Your treats will be ready soon!