BZZZZZZZZZZZT
July 6, 2007 10:28 AM Subscribe
Make Magazine's blog had an entry about this a day or two ago. Now keep in mind that Make recently had a video podcast that showed a guy lighting a circular saw on fire and then letting it race, uncontrolled, on wheels towards a bale of hay in the middle of a crowd of people. Even MAKE MAGAZINE suggested that this hot dog thing would be a bad idea to try.
I want to do it.
posted by DU at 10:35 AM on July 6, 2007
I want to do it.
posted by DU at 10:35 AM on July 6, 2007
Sticking the LEDs in it was the crowning touch. My wife is going out tonight and we have some hot dogs left over from the 4th of July festivities; I wonder if the nearby Radio Shack has LEDs?
posted by TedW at 10:44 AM on July 6, 2007
posted by TedW at 10:44 AM on July 6, 2007
When I want a fried hot dog, I go to Rutts Hut - I prefer to steer clear of playing with electricty, thanks.
posted by blaneyphoto at 10:44 AM on July 6, 2007
posted by blaneyphoto at 10:44 AM on July 6, 2007
Everybody knows the black chemical stains is where the flavor's at.
posted by phaedon at 11:00 AM on July 6, 2007
posted by phaedon at 11:00 AM on July 6, 2007
The link won't load for me (sadness!) but assuming this is an article about cooking a hot dog using an electric current... I mean, it's not THAT exciting. We did it in my high school physics class.
Just needed a lot of ketchup to mask the metallic taste (which may have been from the forks we were passing the current through... I hope).
posted by Zephyrial at 11:07 AM on July 6, 2007
Just needed a lot of ketchup to mask the metallic taste (which may have been from the forks we were passing the current through... I hope).
posted by Zephyrial at 11:07 AM on July 6, 2007
This is the same folks who created the 3D "plotter" based on sugar.
They're nuts, but they're my kind of nuts.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 11:12 AM on July 6, 2007 [1 favorite]
They're nuts, but they're my kind of nuts.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 11:12 AM on July 6, 2007 [1 favorite]
Hot Diggidy Dog!
posted by JohnnyGunn at 11:21 AM on July 6, 2007
posted by JohnnyGunn at 11:21 AM on July 6, 2007
I used to do this as a kid, I clipped my aligator clips to the blades on the plug for the blender. It worked pretty well for making pickle lights too, although cheese didn't fare so well.
Looking back, I'm surprised I survived childhood.
posted by pupdog at 11:28 AM on July 6, 2007
Looking back, I'm surprised I survived childhood.
posted by pupdog at 11:28 AM on July 6, 2007
My dad did this in Boy Scouts in the 50's. He showed me how to do a glowing pickle in the 80's in a similar fashion.
posted by erikharmon at 11:43 AM on July 6, 2007
posted by erikharmon at 11:43 AM on July 6, 2007
Wow. This is a Darwin Award entry waiting to happen.
Ugh, the world is so full of pussies these days. 120VAC wall current is not going to kill or even injure you.
posted by delmoi at 11:53 AM on July 6, 2007
Ugh, the world is so full of pussies these days. 120VAC wall current is not going to kill or even injure you.
posted by delmoi at 11:53 AM on July 6, 2007
I'm curious, what would happen if you stuck your tongue onto the hotdog while it was cooking? jjg?
posted by gwint at 11:53 AM on July 6, 2007
posted by gwint at 11:53 AM on July 6, 2007
I don't think it's that dangerous, if you're doing it by yourself and you're careful about checking whether it's plugged in or not.
Where I could see accidents happening is if you had two people working on it together, and someone either plugged the thing in before the other person was clear, or asked the other person to unplug it and trusted them to do it.
Everyone should have a healthy respect for electricity and how quickly it can kill you, but it's not that unpredictable.
Maybe we should have everyone try this; it'll weed out those who can't follow instructions pretty quickly.
posted by Kadin2048 at 11:56 AM on July 6, 2007
Where I could see accidents happening is if you had two people working on it together, and someone either plugged the thing in before the other person was clear, or asked the other person to unplug it and trusted them to do it.
Everyone should have a healthy respect for electricity and how quickly it can kill you, but it's not that unpredictable.
Maybe we should have everyone try this; it'll weed out those who can't follow instructions pretty quickly.
posted by Kadin2048 at 11:56 AM on July 6, 2007
So OK, would my variation of this stunt where I chew tinfoil and stand in a bucket of salt water while plugging in the cord be unwise?
posted by FelliniBlank at 12:02 PM on July 6, 2007
posted by FelliniBlank at 12:02 PM on July 6, 2007
I'm curious, what would happen if you stuck your tongue onto the hotdog while it was cooking?
I know! I know! Only because I read askme sometimes: it would taste like vagina. Lots of vagina.
posted by srboisvert at 12:10 PM on July 6, 2007 [3 favorites]
I know! I know! Only because I read askme sometimes: it would taste like vagina. Lots of vagina.
posted by srboisvert at 12:10 PM on July 6, 2007 [3 favorites]
*Still* making sure that the other end of the cord isn't plugged in
I liked this line a lot. Because when I am doing something stupid, it's exactly the way I think;
*checks* Ok, the blasting cap is not attached... good. Now we do this... *does stuff* *check* Blasting cap is still not attached... *does more stuff* *checks* Blasting cap still hasn't magically attached itself.
And so forth.
You have to be really vigilant. Those fucking gremlins are always out to get you and will hook stuff up the moment you aren't looking.
posted by quin at 12:24 PM on July 6, 2007
I liked this line a lot. Because when I am doing something stupid, it's exactly the way I think;
*checks* Ok, the blasting cap is not attached... good. Now we do this... *does stuff* *check* Blasting cap is still not attached... *does more stuff* *checks* Blasting cap still hasn't magically attached itself.
And so forth.
You have to be really vigilant. Those fucking gremlins are always out to get you and will hook stuff up the moment you aren't looking.
posted by quin at 12:24 PM on July 6, 2007
Well I'm going to try it when I get home. I've done the pickle thing before, but the LEDs here really are a nice touch.
posted by MtDewd at 12:40 PM on July 6, 2007
posted by MtDewd at 12:40 PM on July 6, 2007
BTW- I do recommend using a power strip instead of plugging it straight into the wall, like they suggest. Especially one with a circuit protector. Also using small nails instead of forks- that's way too much metal surface needlessly exposed (although artistically nicer).
Any idea why the LEDs would make it inedible? (assuming you remove before eating)
posted by MtDewd at 12:51 PM on July 6, 2007
Any idea why the LEDs would make it inedible? (assuming you remove before eating)
posted by MtDewd at 12:51 PM on July 6, 2007
Any idea why the LEDs would make it inedible? (assuming you remove before eating)
I'd guess that there is some sort of electrolysis reaction going on causing the fork tines to leave behind that black "residue," and that the LEDs would leave a similarly nasty imprint.
Maybe it is all those nasty chemicals (not to mention the amount of salt in one of those puppies!) that drives the reaction.
posted by i less than three nsima at 1:08 PM on July 6, 2007
I'd guess that there is some sort of electrolysis reaction going on causing the fork tines to leave behind that black "residue," and that the LEDs would leave a similarly nasty imprint.
Maybe it is all those nasty chemicals (not to mention the amount of salt in one of those puppies!) that drives the reaction.
posted by i less than three nsima at 1:08 PM on July 6, 2007
I don't know what that fork residue is, but my guess it is just charing, which is technically carcinogenic, but perhaps no more so than the hot dog :P On the other hand, LEDs may have lead on the leads, which would be bad.
Here is an old AskMe on electrocution in a pool. That hot dog LED trick is a great example of how electrocution due to voltage gradient is possible!
posted by Chuckles at 1:15 PM on July 6, 2007
Here is an old AskMe on electrocution in a pool. That hot dog LED trick is a great example of how electrocution due to voltage gradient is possible!
posted by Chuckles at 1:15 PM on July 6, 2007
... but my guess it is is that it's just charing [since the resistance will be high at the interface, hence more heating].
posted by Chuckles at 1:19 PM on July 6, 2007
posted by Chuckles at 1:19 PM on July 6, 2007
I'd guess that there is some sort of electrolysis reaction going on . . . .
Electrolysis? Would that remove the roughly 23% of the hotdog that's composed of rat hair?
posted by FelliniBlank at 1:51 PM on July 6, 2007
Electrolysis? Would that remove the roughly 23% of the hotdog that's composed of rat hair?
posted by FelliniBlank at 1:51 PM on July 6, 2007
I think this was invented by Laurie Anderson (certainly described by her a long time ago). I think she called it "hotel hot dogs" . This is the best reference I could find :
Here's the official recipe:(I invented this recipe when I was on a press tour in Germany.Usually the interviews went on all day and into the night and by the time they were over all the restaurants in town would be closed. So here's how to cook a pretty good dinner right in your hotel room.)
HOTEL HOT DOGS
The ingredients: 2 bratwurst (Oskar Meyers will also do).
The utensils you'll need are: one lamp, a pocket knife, and wire strippers.
Unwrap the bratwurst and place on bedside table. Unplug the floor lamp. Using the pocket knife, cut the lamp cord approximately 3 feet from the plug. With wire strippers, peel the insulation from the cord, leaving about 10 inches of exposed wire. Thread the wire through the bratwurst and tie off the wire at the end. Then, just plug it in!
Cook until the bratwurst is crispy on the outside (approximately 2 seconds). Make sure the cooking time doesn't exceed 3 seconds since the meat will explode
posted by silence at 1:55 PM on July 6, 2007
Here's the official recipe:(I invented this recipe when I was on a press tour in Germany.Usually the interviews went on all day and into the night and by the time they were over all the restaurants in town would be closed. So here's how to cook a pretty good dinner right in your hotel room.)
HOTEL HOT DOGS
The ingredients: 2 bratwurst (Oskar Meyers will also do).
The utensils you'll need are: one lamp, a pocket knife, and wire strippers.
Unwrap the bratwurst and place on bedside table. Unplug the floor lamp. Using the pocket knife, cut the lamp cord approximately 3 feet from the plug. With wire strippers, peel the insulation from the cord, leaving about 10 inches of exposed wire. Thread the wire through the bratwurst and tie off the wire at the end. Then, just plug it in!
Cook until the bratwurst is crispy on the outside (approximately 2 seconds). Make sure the cooking time doesn't exceed 3 seconds since the meat will explode
posted by silence at 1:55 PM on July 6, 2007
Floydd: "It's a homemade Presto Hotdogger!"
We had a slightly more "modern" version - at least in regards to styling - of one of those devices when I was kid. Yeah, it cooked hot dogs alright, but it also filled the kitchen with the stench of ozone and scorched meat. My older brother took great glee in telling me that is what I would smell like if I ever got put in the electric chair. He seemed excited about the prospect, too.
posted by John Smallberries at 2:22 PM on July 6, 2007
We had a slightly more "modern" version - at least in regards to styling - of one of those devices when I was kid. Yeah, it cooked hot dogs alright, but it also filled the kitchen with the stench of ozone and scorched meat. My older brother took great glee in telling me that is what I would smell like if I ever got put in the electric chair. He seemed excited about the prospect, too.
posted by John Smallberries at 2:22 PM on July 6, 2007
Hot dogs are pre-cooked.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 2:46 PM on July 6, 2007
posted by ethnomethodologist at 2:46 PM on July 6, 2007
Ugh, the world is so full of pussies these days. 120VAC wall current is not going to kill or even injure you.
The danger due to 120VAC is largely a function of the resistance of the skin, which varies wildly depending on moisture, surface area of the electrical contact, and other factors. Touching damp salty hot dogs is probably a pretty good way to lower your body's resistance.
[/pussy]
posted by Galvatron at 6:34 PM on July 6, 2007
The danger due to 120VAC is largely a function of the resistance of the skin, which varies wildly depending on moisture, surface area of the electrical contact, and other factors. Touching damp salty hot dogs is probably a pretty good way to lower your body's resistance.
[/pussy]
posted by Galvatron at 6:34 PM on July 6, 2007
blaneyphoto, I was expecting Rutt's too. Of course I like the mad science as well ...
posted by Songdog at 7:14 PM on July 6, 2007
posted by Songdog at 7:14 PM on July 6, 2007
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posted by Dr-Baa at 10:31 AM on July 6, 2007