Ugh. I hate getting suckered into writing about marketing promotions for CPG companies, and yet, here I am wondering if this “hack” to turn a Pringles can into a solar cooker is real. Because I’m not made of stone, this seems kinda… cool?
Just in time for the Fourth of July, Pringles posted a video in a promoted tweet (ugh) showing how to transform its iconic cylindrical can into a sun-powered hot dog cooker. You cut a hole in the side, remove the chips, drill holes in either end of the can and place a skewered hot dog inside.
Place your Pringles cooker in direct sunlight on a day that’s at least 78 degrees, and after an unspecified amount of time (“ensure food is fully cooked” is all it says), voila! One sun-cooked hot dog in a Pringles can.
I live in the Pacific Northwest and today is, predictably, cloudy, so I can’t try it out right now, but the idea of it makes sense. It’s basically like a cardboard version of the GoSun solar grill, which uses parabolic mirrors to transform direct sunlight into enough heat to make a meal (even on a mountaintop).
So fine, Pringles, you win. I will go out and buy a can of your delicious chips to see if I can turn that can into a solar cooker when the sun comes out later this week. But if it works, I’ll be impressed and won’t feel suckered at all.
