On this week’s edition of Top Chef, the contestants were challenged to cook using the sun. This was something they had never attempted before. The event took place in the Palm Springs desert. All the chefs used either the Solsource or the GoSun solar stoves. All the chefs were quite impressed by the unique designs of these stoves. One of the contestants described it as “Saber light action”. This was because of how futuristic it looked.
A well-known advocate for solar technology for the poor was the guest Judge. Chef Jose Andres delivered solar-powered stoves to the nation of Haiti after the devastating earthquake. The stoves allowed people without access to normal cooking fuel to eat warm meals.
This technology would help save many lives all over the world. Each year, more than four million casualties are as a result using smoky biomass fuel to cook. The people who are at risk most are the women and small children who die from inhaling the toxic smoke. Globally, three billion people are still relying on biomass to generate heat for cooking. However, this issue also affects the environment; each year smoky stoves release a billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
As of now, the Global Alliance is on a massive drive to encourage the use of Clean Cookstoves. These are stoves that emit less smoke into the atmosphere. The organization works to ensure that people without access to efficient energy sources. However, such organizations also tend to ignore the potential that solar stoves hold. Instead, they use designs that still emit some smoke. However, the Top Chef event may help bolster awareness on solar stoves. Besides being noticed by huge NGOs working in impoverished areas of the world. People who like cooking in their backyards could also adopt the stoves for a more eco-friendly cooking option.
Both the designs have a lot of potential in regions of the world that enjoy huge amounts of sunshine. The GoSun Company is quite upbeat about supplying its stoves globally. It is a viable option that could save both lives and the environment.
During the challenge, one contestant blew a GoSun stove, as she was adding water into the vacuum tube. However, this was a minor setback and the rest of the contestants were quite impressed by what was possible. It should be noted that it was the first time they were even hearing of such a technology. However, they still managed to prepare some impressive dishes.
The contestants managed to prepare gourmet dishes, which would normally a lot of equipment and temperature control in just less than half an hour. The contestants prepared meals such as steak, couscous, cornbread, halibut and others. The winner was quite impressed that he had managed to prepare something using only the sun.
However, the event was simply more than just a win for him. It was a win for the use of greener technologies. The man behind the push for the use of solar stoves managed to get a $10,000 donation for his organization. Chef Andre’s nonprofit organization is known as World Central Kitchen.
To see the GoSun Stove in action, take a look at this video, or watch it below.
Solar stoves are just one way that solar power is becoming more and more mainstream. You can now buy solar panels anywhere such as from Talco Electronics for your RV, home, and now there are even a number of options when it comes to solar powered cooking. What will we see next?