GoSun Solar Grill is a solar-powered oven that can cook at night

After just a few days spent on Kickstarter, the team behind the GoSun Solar Grill has already achieved its funding goal of $140,000, and they still have more than a month’s worth of time to spare. 

It’s nothing earth shattering, but what sets GoSun apart is the fact that it can hold on to enough charge to cook on a cloudy day, or even at night. It works by using sunlight to charge a thermal battery which, in turn, exudes heat to cook food in a glass vacuum tube.

One of the more convenient draws about the GoSun grill is the fact that it can be used just about anywhere — it weighs only 20 pounds, making it easy to carry around in a knapsack, and does not require an additional fuel source to be carried along with it.

Some factors affect cooking times, like weather and the type of food being cooked, so it can range anywhere from ten minutes to two hours. 

The inspiration for GoSun came after a trip to Guatemala, during which the team said they struggled to find ways to make cooking outdoors easier during the rainy season. Diving into some of the ingenuity behind their solution, the thermal battery they developed is based on a phase-changing thermal wax located inside a polymer coated aluminum case. It’s designed with enough capacity to cook a meal for eight people without any additional assistance (e.g. fuel). When fully charged with heat, there’s roughly 300 watt-hours of energy. A bit more technically, if heat energy and electrical energy were the same, that much energy would be enough to power approximately 55 iPhones.

Following a year’s worth of tests, which saw the team start out using sand, they arrived at their current concept, which is a battery that can absorb a lot of heat and release it slowly. In fact, the release of the heat is so controlled, the GoSun Grill can cook food at an even 300 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit over a period of time long enough to fully cook a meal. 

Minor side note: the team added that putting food inside a vacuum tube also helps the food retain its moisture; it also helps keep the heat in. 

To learn more, check out the GoSun Solar Grill Kickstarter page, where a $349 investment on Kickstarter secures an individual a GoSun grill; add an extra $100 to get the battery.