Solar cooking involves the use of a solar oven, which uses solar energy to cook, heat, or sterilize foods and drinks. A solar oven uses direct sunlight to heat foods. These devices may be simple and low-tech or very complex. Anywhere that gets direct sunlight is a potential place to use a solar cooker or solar oven.

Panel solar cookers use reflectors to collect a large area of sunlight and direct it towards a black cooking pot placed in a high-temperature oven bag. The pot is surrounded by a transparent cover which stops heat from escaping to the environment, providing a greenhouse effect.