Experiement Conclusion

At 12:30, I had to move the cooker out of the shade, and onto a bucket. I tipped it back slightly to capture more sunlight.

I put 2 cups of tap water out, again at 85F in the same configuration as the distilled water.

At 12:55, the water temp had climbed to 150F.

I didn't check this again for 45 minutes, and the water was up to 200F. I repositioned the cooker, to face the sun better.

At 2pm, the water was boiling.

Pros of this cooker:

I am pleased with this cooker, and its cooking capabilities.

It is definitely more 'permanent' than my cardboard panel cooker, and much easier to store.

The steel bowls are light weight and relatively inexpensive. The two bowls cost $10 each, and I will need a new reflector soon, so for about the price of a CooKit, I have a cooker that will last for years, instead of one season.

Finally, the bowls can be used for other things.

If you don't have a resturant supply store in your town, check my links for online stores where you can purchases these mixing bowls.

Cons of this cooker:

The interior of the cooking bowl will need a lot of protection to prevent scratches marring the surface.

I will need to experiment more to perfect the focusing of this cooker to maximize the solar capturing and heating potential. I may need to raise the pots higher for instance.

With a panel cooker, all the research has been done; you just set up the cooker and face it towards the sun.