Hey all,
Since I have a second I thought I’d answer some Q’s:
1_where’s the ‘on’ switch?
Current grilles (George Foremans, for example) do not have on switches. This is somewhat logical from a safety perspective: if it’s plugged in, assume it’s hot! I have taken that further by dividing the indicator lights into two: Green is on (plugged in), Red is hot. I’d probably make green into orange or yellow, so you know it’s getting hot. There is a power button on the right side to activate the rotating.
2_who would use this?
Lots of people: This was designed right after July 4th (BBQ time!). Living in an apartment, you cannot always grill outdoors, and the George Forman did a surprisingly good job on burgers, but its ridges did unsightly things to the hot dogs. Rollers would cook the hot dogs evenly, and when they’re shut-off, they act just like the other ridges in a typical Forman-type grille. All that’s really happening is keeping the dogs from cooking unevenly - the heat is the same, so they’ll cook just as fast.
3_how would you clean it?
Same as the Forman. The grille face might lift so you could get under the wheels, but this might not be neccesary. Non-stick metals/coatings make cleaning easy, with just a sponge or bounty.
4_how do the rollers work?
A few possibilities here, motor, gears, magnetic coils, or friction. Heat-engines also exist, but are trickier and usually less powerful, however if possible, that’d mean less parts and a use of wasted heat/energy.
5_how would it be made, etc.?
Same as a Foreman, with a few extra parts. This is a simple machine.
Regarding Taylor’s comments: Hot Dogs can certainly be found in seedy places, but they’re also found at every BBQ and picnic. Nowadays they’re made from higher quality meats, and are available in chicken and turkey varieties - not to mention the vegetarian versions. Increasingly, delis and gourmet specialty stores are selling expensive, high-quality sausages. And there’s no wait - Like a Foreman, these rollers would heat a frozen dog in 2-4 minutes!
Regarding Brian’s comments: If your counters are already tight or cluttered this doesn’t eat additional space, since it enables your “Foreman” to serve double-duty. Also, I keep mine on top of a stove burner (covered), since I usually dont use all burners at once - thus is takes up zero counter space. I like the quality of your rendering btw - my desk is crowded but I still enjoy a nice desk lamp .
In the end, thousands of people use Foreman Grilles and a whole bunch of people have said it’d be cool if they didn’t burn hot-dogs. That’s what this accomplishes.
I dont think people are voting for the most ridiculous idea - most votes were made BEFORE IP put up that side-comment about voting ridiculous. Although, maybe they’re voting for me b/c they’re hungry
Thanks to Jomiz80 for the compliments and clear questions.
Double thanks to IP for creating and moderating this competition.