Cob Fireplace walls/solar ovens

[Rog]

> Rog, the cooktop idea sounds good, like an old fashion wood stove,
> it seems like an indoor version of an outdor earth oven like Kiko Denzer
> designs. ( he has a booklet called Build your own earth oven)

Yeah, like that merged with the standard 'cooker', but with a combination
of earth walls and the standard cast iron.


>  Have you also considered a solar wall oven..built in to sun-facing wall
> for cooking? This is like a solar box cooker, but made permanent into the
> wall of a home, and allows cooking indoors using the sun.

Yes, I have considered it.  I very much like the idea in so far as that
there's nothing as free as the sun -- the price is definately right.  I'm
thinking of building one into my cottage for when the next summer comes
around.
However, in the shorter term, I'll be running a more-or-less 24 hour
slow-combustion fire so it makes sense to use that for cooking also.  I'm
also going to coil copper pipe inside the flue and get my hot water thus.


> I am working with the woman who invented this design, which has been
built
> into strawbale walls, but not cob yet, and we are interested to see if
this
> is an idea people would use. She has written a booklet on how to build
one,
> and it looks easy enough. I am starting mine for use in somewhat sunny
> Humboldt County this summer.

Yeah, I'm curious.  I've heard about solar ovens and am totally open to
modifying my cottage to accommodate passive solar designs, so I'll check
out your page for sure.

Cheers, Rog.