GoSun's line of solar-powered ovens has been feeding campers and outdoorsy people for several summers, but there's one big problem to cooking with the power of the Sun – half the time it's gone. To extend the cookouts to all hours, the company has now whipped up the GoSun Fusion, which adds an electric heating element to the device.
The general principle behind GoSun's solar ovens stays the same here, with two sets of parabolic reflectors that focus the Sun's rays onto a tube in the middle. This tube is vacuum insulated in borosilicate glass, trapping the heat inside to cook meat, veggies or whatever else you stick in there. The GoSun tech is designed to soak up the rays even on cool or cloudy days.
Since the first GoSun Stove in 2013, the company expanded the line with the bigger GoSun Grill, a more portable version called the GoSun Go and a hot dog-focused model called the Solar Dogger. But this new model seems to be the most notable update yet.
The GoSun Fusion is described as a hybrid solar/electric oven. You can still cook with the Sun of course, but the new integrated electric heating element beneath the cook tray means you don't have to chase the last fading rays of sunlight for a hot dinner. GoSun says the Fusion is able to cook just as quickly as a conventional oven, but is five times more energy efficient.
It can be powered by anything that can provide 150 W at 12 V, like a car battery, but to keep the rig as off-grid as possible, GoSun also has optional equipment that will do the job. There's a powerbank boasting a beefy 45,000 mAh capacity and 15 V output, and that can be topped up with a folding, 20-W solar panel.
That added functionality means the GoSun Fusion is a bit bulkier than previous models, but it's still fairly portable in the grand scheme of things. It measures 22.9 x 8.4 x 8.4 in (58.2 x 21.3 x 21.3 cm) when closed, and weighs 10 lb (4.5 kg). On the plus side, the bigger 3.2-L (0.8 gal) cook tray apparently has enough room for five full meals.
GoSun is an old hat at crowdfunding by now, with its latest Kickstarter campaign smashing its goal two and a half times over, with 50 days still remaining. Early Bird pledges start at US$299 for the GoSun Fusion, while higher pledges add the powerbank and solar panels. If all goes to plan, the device is due to ship in April next year.
Check it out in action in the video below.
Source: GoSun
