GoSun Solar Oven Review: Why I’m Obsessed with My GoSun Fusion
The GoSun Solar Oven is the perfect accompaniment to tiny living. We love using this solar oven in both our campervan and on our sailboat.
I just love my GoSun solar oven. This lightweight and powerful oven is essential on our sailboat and campervan, especially during the heat of summer.
I’ve cooked such a huge variety of food in my GoSun Fusion, including lasagna, banana bread, sourdough bread, stuffed bell peppers, roasted vegetables and gnocchi. In fact, it was so hot in the Sea of Cortez on our sailboat that we exclusively used our GoSun solar oven instead of our gas stove, simply to keep heat out of the cabin.
Not only are solar ovens eco-friendly, but they also offer a revolutionary way to prepare food with ease and efficiency.
You might be wondering if a GoSun solar cooker is also right for you. And if so, what type should you get?
We recommend the GoSun Fusion, just due to its larger size for full dinners and bread, but the GoSun Sport or GoSun Go might be right up your alley if you’re looking to make mostly side dishes, desserts or snacks.
We hope to shed some light on this amazing solar oven and help you choose the right one for your needs.
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Table of Contents
How We Use the GoSun Solar Oven for Van Life and Sailboat Living
I’ve been using the GoSun Fusion for a couple years now and found it to be a necessity during hot weather in Mexico. Not only does it save on propane, but it also cuts way down on heat in the cabin.
This cylindrical oven uses a solar vacuum tube and a set of parabolic reflectors to capture and concentrate sunlight, which makes the internal temperature of the oven really hot. What’s great though, is that the outside of the oven stays cool, making it easy to move around and handle.
The GoSun Fusion, unlike other solar ovens, is considered a hybrid solar cooker. It can use both the sun and an electrical outlet to cook food. We haven’t tried the electric part of the oven, though, and heard from other sailors that the bottom of food burns when the GoSun Fusion is plugged in.
The GoSun solar ovens all have a stainless steel cooking tray which is where you place the food. When it’s time to cook, you just face the GoSun solar oven in the general direction of the sun. The oven has a handy “bull’s eye” feature on the glass cooking tube so you can see if the sun is properly aligned. Then, we rotate the solar oven throughout the day to make sure it remains in proper alignment. This only has to be done every couple hours, so the solar oven is fairly hands-off.
We’ve cooked food both on land outside our campervan and on the sailboat’s deck, at anchor and in motion, and it works every time.
The GoSun Fusion is user-friendly, easy to clean, and makes enough food for 2-3 people, which was great when we had a family member onboard our sailboat.
What I Love about the GoSun Fusion Solar Oven
Here are the positives of the GoSun Solar Oven:
Really Simple to Use
The GoSun Fusion, like all the other GoSun products, is insanely easy to use and clean. You can clean the stainless steel cooking tray with soap and running water, and I typically wipe out the glass tube with a rag and hot water.
Food Stays Hot
Sometimes, I’ve cooked food in the early afternoon so we have something delicious to eat for dinner. Even after my meal is finished cooking, I can close up the solar oven and food stays hot for HOURS. I think we have eaten food 3-4 hours after I closed the solar cooker, and the temperature was just right.
Feeds a Lot of People
I consistently used the GoSun Fusion to cook for three people on our sailboat in the Sea of Cortez. It easily fed us all with sometimes, leftovers to spare. Loaves of bread lasted us a couple days.
Works When There Are Clouds
You might think a solar oven works only on a sunny day, but you’d be wrong! The GoSun solar ovens all work even when there are clouds. There is still enough sunlight to pierce through those clouds and heat up your food. It just might take longer to cook, that’s all.
Environmentally-Friendly
It’s important to me to be as kind to the environment as I possibly can, and the GoSun solar cooker helps me do just that. I don’t have to use non-renewables such as propane or charcoal. There’s something magical about using the sun to cook your food!
What I Don’t Like about the Gosun Fusion Oven
While there are tons of benefits of the GoSun Fusion solar oven, there are also a couple things to keep in mind that we don’t like.
Bad Leg Design
I really don’t like the little legs GoSun put on the Fusion. I found that the legs, and rings that attach to the Fusion, constantly folded over and broke off under the Fusion’s weight. I’d have to reattach the legs almost every time I used the oven, which felt frustrating and unnecessary.
I ended up just removing the legs entirely and now prop the oven up using shoes, rags, rocks, or anything else that’s lying around nearby.
Uneven Cooking
Typically, the part of the tube pushest furthest into the solar oven cooks faster than the outside part of the tube. This has resulted in really hard bread on one end of the tube, and undercooked bread on the other. Sometimes we take half of the bread out early, and then continue cooking the other part of the bread (or food) until it’s finished.
Difficult to Brown Food
I tend to think of the GoSun Fusion as a slow cooker rather than a true oven. Real ovens try your food out so you have crispy potatoes and brussels sprouts. It’s VERY hard to get that crispy edge when using the GoSun Fusion. This would probably be easier with a smaller solar oven like a GoSun Sport or Go.
If you leave the oven cracked, you’re more likely to get a crispy edge, but even that was difficult for us.
Long Cooking Time
We have noticed that the GoSun Fusion takes longer to cook food than the GoSun Sport, which is the oven we first tried. It can take a couple of hours for food to be ready to eat, so we try to start our cooking in the early to mid-afternoon.
Our sourdough bread takes a couple hours, as does our banana bread.
Types of GoSun Solar Ovens
GoSun offers a variety of solar ovens depending on what size you need.
We’ve tried both the GoSun Sport and the GoSun Fusion, and prefer the Fusion simply due to its size. I like baking huge loaves of sourdough or banana bread that last us for a couple days. Plus, the Fusion cooks a full meal for up to three people.
When we used a smaller GoSun, it really only made enough for a side dish, snack or small dessert. It really depends on your cooking needs and how many people you are feeding
Here is a quick rundown of the types of GoSun Solar Ovens for sailboat living and van life.
- Weight 7 lbs
- Dimensions 24" x 16" x 12"
- Cook time 20 minutes
- Meals per load 2-3
- Max Temperature 550 ºF
- Capacity 39 oz
- Works under clouds Yes
- Works at night No
The GoSun Sport is the first solar oven we tried. It’s lightweight, easy to use and store, and cooks meals REALLY FAST due to the small tube size. The main benefit of this oven is how fast it is, and the downside is that it’s a bit small.
This GoSun oven is lightweight, compact, and perfect for taking on the go. The Sport reaches temperatures up to 550, allowing you to cook delicious meals while enjoying nature.
If you want to upgrade your GoSun Sport, you can grab the GoSun Sport Pro or Sport-E, which also connects to a power outlet so you can cook after the sun goes down.
- Weight 2 lbs
- Dimensions 14.17" x 7" x 3.37"
- Cook time 20-45 minutes
- Meals per load 1
- Max Temperature 550 ºF
- Capacity 13.5 oz
- Works under clouds Yes
- Works at night No
This GoSun Go is the very smallest of the GoSun solar ovens, and is best for a snack or small meal for just one person. You can also use this portable solar oven for boiling water for tea or coffee, or to rehydrate backpacking meals.
Due to its small size, this solar oven also cooks food really rapidly at temperatures up to 550.
The GoSun Go oven is great for backpacking, hiking, events and outdoor survival.
- Weight 14 lbs
- Dimensions 23" x 13" x 13"
- Cook time 60 minutes
- Meals per load 4-6
- Max Temperature 550 ºF
- Capacity 145 oz
- Works under clouds Yes
If you’re looking for an off-grid cooking solution that combines solar and electric power, the GoSun Fusion might be the right pick for you. This innovative solar oven can cook meals using either sunlight or electricity, which is especially useful when the weather conditions are not suitable for solar cooking.
However, we’ve heard from friends that the food burns when you use electricity with the GoSun Fusion
This is our solar oven of choice!
What You Can Cook in a GoSun Solar Oven
The possibilities are truly endless when you’re trying to think of what to cook in a solar oven. Just don’t expect foods to brown or crisp up like they do in a normal oven, which circulates hot, dry air. We’ve found that the steam tends to get trapped in the GoSun, even when you crack the tube for a little venting.
But really, pretty much anything you bake in a traditional oven can be made in a solar cooker!
Here are some of our favorite things to make in the GoSun Fusion:
- Banana bread and zucchini bread
- Sourdough bread
- Lasagna
- Stuffed bell peppers
- Apple Crisp
- Gnocchi with pasta sauce
- Roasted vegges, like potatoes, zucchini, onions, etc.
- Chickpea and veggie Mediterranean bake
My recommendation would be to just experiment and figure out which dishes you like best in the solar oven!
Which GoSun is Best for You?
Choosing the ideal sun oven for your needs can greatly enhance your outdoor cooking experience. Let’s explore some options and discover which model suits you best.
The GoSun Sport solar oven is an excellent option for single people or couples who enjoy camping, RVing, or simply cooking in a compact setting. This model efficiently cooks small meals, snacks, sides and desserts for two people and cooks food super fast!
For those who value portability, the GoSun Go solar oven is an ultra-portable stove that is perfect for backpacking, hiking, and other remote outdoor activities. This solar cooker folds up easily and fits in a backpack, making it an ideal camping companion. You can even use it to boil water to rehydrate your meals when backpacking deep in nature!
If you’re interested in cooking full meals for 2-3 people, or large loaves of bread and desserts, the GoSun Fusion solar oven could be right up your alley. We are just two people, and still, the GoSun Fusion is our top pick. Unfortunately, it does have a longer cooking time than other models.
Before you make your decision, consider factors such as your cooking needs, space requirements, and preferred activities. By selecting the GoSun solar oven that aligns with your lifestyle, you’ll be making an eco-friendly choice while enjoying delicious meals cooked by the sun’s energy.
GoSun Solar Oven Accessories
There are a variety of GoSun accessories if you’d like to try them out, although we haven’t used any yet.
One handy accessory is the Silicone Baking Pans. These baking pans make it easy to prepare delicious baked goods in your solar oven. Made from food-grade silicone, they are safe, easy to use, and clean. I really want to try these
Don’t forget about the Smart Thermometer. This app-enabled thermometer helps you monitor your cooking progress with precision. It takes the guesswork out of cooking and ensures that your food is cooked to perfection.
So, when you’re ready to cook with your GoSun solar oven, you can check out these cool add-ons!
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a solar oven work?
A solar oven works by converting sunlight into heat energy to cook food. It uses reflective materials, such as parabolic mirrors or reflectors, to focus and intensify the sun’s heat onto a cooking chamber or tray. The heat cooks the food gradually and evenly, allowing for a healthy and eco-friendly cooking method. However, we HAVE noticed that food appears steamed rather than baked when using a solar oven.
What is the maximum temperature of the GoSun oven?
The GoSun solar oven can reach a maximum temperature of 550°F (280°C), which is sufficient for baking, boiling, or steaming various foods. It does take a long time for the oven to get this hot, though, especially on cloudy days.
Are solar ovens efficient for cooking?
Yes, solar ovens are efficient for cooking, as they use renewable energy from the sun to heat and cook food. They can be used for a wide range of dishes, from slow-cooked stews to baked goods. Solar ovens also allow you to cook without producing any harmful emissions, making them an eco-friendly alternative to traditional cooking methods.
How to maintain and clean a GoSun solar oven
To maintain and clean your GoSun solar oven, simply follow these steps:
Allow the oven to cool down completely after each use to prevent burns.
Remove cooking trays and other removable components.
Wipe the interior and exterior surfaces with a damp cloth, using a mild soap if necessary. We like to use Dr. Bonners as its very eco-friendly when we’re camping or on our sailboat
Wash the cooking tray in the sink with soap and water
Dry the oven thoroughly before storing it to prevent mold or mildew.
By taking care of your solar oven and cleaning it regularly, you can enjoy the benefits of eco-friendly and efficient cooking for a long time.
Why We Recommend a GoSun Solar Oven for Nomads
A GoSun Solar Oven can be a game-changer for nomads who are always on the lookout for cost-effective and eco-friendly ways to cook food.
One of the main benefits for nomads is the portability of GoSun Solar Ovens. They’re compact and lightweight, making it easy for you to carry them during your travels. You can use the GoSun oven while camping, hiking, or even during a simple picnic at the nearest park.
Another advantage is the energy efficiency of the oven. As you rely on the sun’s energy to cook, there’s no need for you to use gas or electricity. This not only saves you money on fuel expenses, but also promotes an environmentally conscious lifestyle.
Using the GoSun Solar Oven is also a time saver. You can leave the oven to cook your food while you attend to other tasks or even go on a hike or paddleboard. This means there’s no need to constantly check on the progress of your meal, giving you more time to explore and have fun.
In summary, a GoSun Solar Oven provides you with an efficient, eco-friendly, and portable solution to cooking on the go. We love our GoSun Fusion and can’t imagine life without it!
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The GoSun Solar Oven is a Fantastic Way for Nomads to Cook while Traveling
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Portability
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Ease of Use
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Environmental Impact
Summary
GoSun offers several types of solar ovens, from the ultra-portable GoSun Go and the heavier-lifting GoSun Fusion. We use and love the GoSun Fusion to bake bread, desserts and make dinner on our sailboat and campervan.
Pros
- Creates delicious breads, meals and desserts with the power of the sun
- Keep heat out of an indoor kitchen during the warmer months
- Reduces propane or electricity usage
Cons
- Hard to get a crispy edge on food
- The GoSun Fusion’s legs are wobbly and break easily
- A little bulky to store
- Expensive
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