With a solar cooker, it is possible to heat water in a pan, cook dinner, or set fire to wood, etc.
When a parabolic surface reflects the sun's rays to a central focus point, the concentrated heat can reach high temperatures, even above 200C. For cooking, 82oC is necessary.
Güner Mutaf (METU Industrial Design) and Cemil Yamalı (METU Mechanical Engineering) investigated a range of solar cookers that can easily be used.