Editing Solar cooker (section)

{{Short description|Device that uses solar energy to heat food}}
[[File:Parabolic Solar Cooker.jpg|thumb|Parabolic Solar Cooker]]

A '''solar cooker''' is a device which uses the energy of direct sunlight to heat, cook or [[pasteurize]] drink and other food materials. Many solar cookers currently in use are relatively inexpensive, [[low-tech]] devices, although some are as powerful or as expensive as traditional stoves,<ref>{{cite web|title=Solar Cookers: Varieties and Styles|url=http://www.solarcooker-at-cantinawest.com/solarcookers-types.html|publisher=CantinaWest|access-date=4 June 2014|archive-date=16 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216034415/http://www.solarcooker-at-cantinawest.com/solarcookers-types.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and advanced, large scale solar cookers can cook for hundreds of people.<ref>{{cite web|title=World's Largest 38500-meal Solar Kitchen in India|url=http://inhabitat.com/world%E2%80%99s-largest-solar-kitchen-in-india-can-cook-upto-38500-meals-per-day/|publisher=inhabitat|access-date=4 June 2014|archive-date=30 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330022720/https://inhabitat.com/world%E2%80%99s-largest-solar-kitchen-in-india-can-cook-upto-38500-meals-per-day/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Because these cookers use no fuel and cost nothing to operate, many nonprofit organizations are promoting their use worldwide in order to help reduce fuel costs and air pollution, and to help slow down [[deforestation]] and [[desertification]].