Advanced materials, innovations, and strategic arrangement mechanisms for solar cooking technologies

Solar cooking technology is sustainable alternative to conventional cooking method, addressing global challenges related to energy poverty, environmental impact, and health hazards from biomass and conventional fuel combustion. While significant advancements have been made in solar cooker designs, material innovations, and hybrid systems, existing research deficiencies a comprehensive integration of technical improvements with policy and socioeconomic analysis. This review identifies key research gaps, including the need for optimized thermal storage materials, hybrid solar-electric systems, and cost-effective automation solutions for user-friendly adoption. Additionally, while many countries have implemented subsidies and awareness programs, the effectiveness of these policies remains underexplored and lacks standardized evaluation frameworks. In this paper, an identified systematic categorization of design advancements, material improvements, and global policy frameworks, combined with critical assessments of socioeconomic barriers and adoption challenges. Also, it provides a holistic roadmap for future research, emphasizing hybrid systems, smart automation, and innovative financial models to accelerate large-scale adoption. By addressing both technical and policy-driven challenges, this paper contributes to bridging the gap between solar cooking technology development and its real-world implementation.