Someone forgot to tell the sun that it's summertime in Los Angeles. I had to wait two weeks for a hot, cloudless July day for my test run. You want to angle the dryer southwest and keep it away from buildings that cast big shadows. The idea is to get the best exposure you can.

Here's where I was come day's end. My sun catcher obviously worked, but not as fast as the original directions said it would. Maybe that's because of the steady breeze that blew all day. It's also possible the box needed a little more insulation along the sides but since the veggies were centrally placed, but I'm thinking “no.”  I put my hand over the top clasp and felt heat and moisture escaping, so the box was obviously doing its thing.

Day two: The food got a lot drier but not fully so. Truth to tell, drying food in a dehydrator or in your oven on the lowest setting would probably be more efficient for drying whole peppers and fruits. However, the outdoor version works extremely well with sliced foods. I found that out when I dried some mango in it the next day. Plus, your indoor oven won’t look this badass.

Mark Masker is a freelance journalist based out of Los Angeles. Ten years ago he fooled the motorcycle industry into thinking he could write and shoot photos. He's now trying that same trick with the culinary arts.

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