Purpose To cook food that requires an oven Description A large, strong cardboard box, covered in aluminium foil, with an oven shelf Materials & Tools Materials: A large strong cardboard box An oven shelf that either just fits completely within the cardboard box, or fits widthwise, but is too long lengthwise Aluminium Foil & magic tape Four long metal tent pegs A disposable barbecue and two bricks Tools: Strong scissors Notes There are many different methods of making a cardboard oven. Here I consider one main method, with slightly different methods of supporting the oven shelf. Furthermore, there are various different ways of providing a heat source for this oven. The one suggested here is a disposable barbecue. Method Cut the four flaps from one end of the cardboard box. Weave these together to be a similar size to the hole from which it came. Cover completely with aluminium foil. Put aside for now; this will form the lid of the oven. Fold the other four end flaps inwards. Completely cover the box with aluminium foil, wound round in several separate lengths through the hole. The magic tape may be used to secure the aluminium foil on the outside of the box. As well as forming a heat-reflecting surface, this is so that the cardboard is protected from the heat of the oven. The next step depends on the size of the oven shelf relative to the box. Consider the box with the cut-off flaps at the top, so that the oven has sides, but neither top nor bottom. The shelf need to be supported about halfway up the height of the box. If the oven shelf is longer than the box, make two slots, one in each end, so that the shelf may be slotted through the two ends. If the oven shelf is not longer than the box, then it must be supported at both ends. This may be done by using the four tent pegs. Each tent peg needs to be pushed through two adjacent sides to form a triangle in the corner, and have as much of the tent peg as practical inside the box. The distance from each corner to each hole should be about the same, and not greater then 2/3 length of the tent peg. The shelf should now rest on these four supports If the cardbox box is really strong, then it may be possible to rest the oven shelf on the four turned-in flaps. Use Set the disposable barbecue up on a suitable surface which will not be damaged by the heat (or doesn't matter that it gets damaged by the heat). Put one brick at either end (or side) of the barbecue, and stand the bottom of the oven on these bricks. When the food to be cooked has been put on the oven shelf, put the lid on to keep the heat within the oven. |