Solar-powered gadgets are normally at the mercy of the sun’s availability, but that’s not quite the case with a new portable stove. Meet the GoSun Go, a portable solar stove that doesn’t actually require the sun to be shining at the time of cooking. Instead, thanks to GoSun’s patented solar-cooking technology, this device absorbs power across a broad spectrum of solar radiation, including ultraviolet light. That means that even on a cloudy day, the portable grill can take in power and set you up for success in a makeshift kitchen.
Meant to be accessible to just about anyone, the GoSun Go is priced at $79 for early bird backers of its Kickstarter campaign. The GoSun team is no stranger to the crowdfunding platform — it depended on Kickstarter for the launch of two previous products. However, we should point out that its 2015 campaign ran into significant issues. Despite promising to ship its solar grills out to Kickstarter backers in September 2015, it did not begin shipping to backers until December 2016. Thankfully, all deliveries of that particular grill have now been made — the last international backers got their GoSun Grills in March 2017.
It certainly seems like a neat gadget to have. Promising to cook meals in minutes and boil liquids with ease, the GoSun Go is meant to go anywhere you’d like — whether that’s your backyard, a campsite, or a boat.
“Our goal was to make a stove portable enough to take anywhere, with the power to boil water, at a price point that anyone could give GoSun a try,” said Patrick Sherwin, GoSun founder of the company’s latest model. The grill is said to be capable of cooking-surface temperatures up to 550 degree Fahrenheit, all while keeping its exterior cool to the touch. You can cook food in a 13.5-ounce tray, which fits two fish fillets or about six hot dogs at the same time. If you stand the GoSun Go up vertically, the company says it will bring 14 ounces of water to a boil in 40 minutes (which isn’t particularly quick, but remember, you’re cooking on solar power in the great outdoors).
The GoSun Go is expected to be ready for shipment by April 2018. But given its track record, you may want to tack a little more time onto that estimate.
Update: Added confirmation that the GoSun Grill completed shipments in March 2017.
