Is it the world's stupidest fondue pot?
November 17, 2010 8:22 PM Subscribe
Help me identify this odd kitchen... thing.
My roommate was recently given a number of various items, including an old-school punch bowl with fancy punch glasses and some balled up newspaper for the cats to play with. But among the assortment was one thing that we couldn't identify.
I say "we" couldn't identify it, but that's somewhat misleading. I don't know the first thing about cooking, so being confused in the kitchen is my natural state of being. My roommate, however, is an accomplished vegan pastry chef, and even she doesn't know what the hell this thing is.
Some pictures: From an angle
From above
With the lid on
Any idea?
My roommate was recently given a number of various items, including an old-school punch bowl with fancy punch glasses and some balled up newspaper for the cats to play with. But among the assortment was one thing that we couldn't identify.
I say "we" couldn't identify it, but that's somewhat misleading. I don't know the first thing about cooking, so being confused in the kitchen is my natural state of being. My roommate, however, is an accomplished vegan pastry chef, and even she doesn't know what the hell this thing is.
Some pictures: From an angle
From above
With the lid on
Any idea?
Egg poacher with missing egg cup thingies. If I'm right, there should be little metal cups/containers that go in the four holes.
posted by deborah at 8:26 PM on November 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by deborah at 8:26 PM on November 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Fondue pot for chinese fondue. The metal frame keeps your skewers from sliding around while you leave them in the pot to let it cook.
posted by Simon Barclay at 8:29 PM on November 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Simon Barclay at 8:29 PM on November 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Fondue for sure.
posted by samthemander at 8:35 PM on November 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by samthemander at 8:35 PM on November 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Eggs.
posted by AugustWest at 8:50 PM on November 17, 2010
posted by AugustWest at 8:50 PM on November 17, 2010
I'm with deborah, at least partially. It looks like some kind of bain-marie or other implement for things that need to sit in a hot water bath. (primitive yogurt maker? poacher thingamajig for eggs en cocotte?)
Are there any identifying marks on it at all? I was recently doing some detective work on how to use an obscure kitchen implement, and I found the instructions I needed by googling the label on the object in question. Even if it's from the 70's, the company may well still exist and still make this sort of thing. Or you could find an ebay listing for one of these babies.
posted by Sara C. at 8:53 PM on November 17, 2010
Are there any identifying marks on it at all? I was recently doing some detective work on how to use an obscure kitchen implement, and I found the instructions I needed by googling the label on the object in question. Even if it's from the 70's, the company may well still exist and still make this sort of thing. Or you could find an ebay listing for one of these babies.
posted by Sara C. at 8:53 PM on November 17, 2010
Response by poster: Are there any identifying marks on it at all? I was recently doing some detective work on how to use an obscure kitchen implement, and I found the instructions I needed by googling the label on the object in question.
Yeah, that was the first thing I checked. No copyright, no brand name, no serial number, nothing. Not a single alphanumberic symbol on any of the three pieces.
posted by Uppity Pigeon #2 at 8:56 PM on November 17, 2010
Yeah, that was the first thing I checked. No copyright, no brand name, no serial number, nothing. Not a single alphanumberic symbol on any of the three pieces.
posted by Uppity Pigeon #2 at 8:56 PM on November 17, 2010
After a bit of googling - bain marie is definitely the wrong word, though I still think it's got something to do with using the ambient heat from hot water to cook something. "Yogurt maker", "egg poacher" and "eggs en cocotte" produced nothing like that in an image search. Neither did "chinese fondue", for that matter.
posted by Sara C. at 8:59 PM on November 17, 2010
posted by Sara C. at 8:59 PM on November 17, 2010
I looks like an egg steamer to me. Googling vintage egg steamer brought up some similar, but not exact, devices.
posted by two lights above the sea at 9:22 PM on November 17, 2010
posted by two lights above the sea at 9:22 PM on November 17, 2010
Maybe a butter warmer? A sterno or tea light could go underneath, and cups would sit in the holes. Not sure why there would be four, but image searches seem to match similar devices.
posted by Gilbert at 9:35 PM on November 17, 2010
posted by Gilbert at 9:35 PM on November 17, 2010
The holes look too small for egg poach/steam/coddle/etc.'ing, but I'm getting too nauseated trying to mentally rotate the pictures to say much more.
posted by rhizome at 9:49 PM on November 17, 2010
posted by rhizome at 9:49 PM on November 17, 2010
I'm guessing it's a non-electric egg cooker of some variety (electric versions here).
Have you tried putting eggs in the holes to see if they fit? I would think the eggs fit up top, you'd put some water in the base and heat it with a candle underneath. The dome would trap the steam to cook the egg.
posted by mazola at 10:10 PM on November 17, 2010
Have you tried putting eggs in the holes to see if they fit? I would think the eggs fit up top, you'd put some water in the base and heat it with a candle underneath. The dome would trap the steam to cook the egg.
posted by mazola at 10:10 PM on November 17, 2010
It looks like a chocolate fondue set a store I used to work in carried.
Does the metal doohickey in the bowl fit into the stand without the bowl, so that the bowl's on top? Those four holes look like they are for tea candles to heat the bowl.
posted by GEB's fun world at 10:24 PM on November 17, 2010
Does the metal doohickey in the bowl fit into the stand without the bowl, so that the bowl's on top? Those four holes look like they are for tea candles to heat the bowl.
posted by GEB's fun world at 10:24 PM on November 17, 2010
Response by poster: Does the metal doohickey in the bowl fit into the stand without the bowl, so that the bowl's on top? Those four holes look like they are for tea candles to heat the bowl.
Just went and tried it. The metal doohickey is a bit smaller, so it does rest in the stand, but it slides around a lot. It doesn't look like they were designed to fit together.
posted by Uppity Pigeon #2 at 10:40 PM on November 17, 2010
Just went and tried it. The metal doohickey is a bit smaller, so it does rest in the stand, but it slides around a lot. It doesn't look like they were designed to fit together.
posted by Uppity Pigeon #2 at 10:40 PM on November 17, 2010
Never seen a fondue set with a lid (I mean, it'd kinda defeat the object, no?), and I've never seen a fondue set with a clunky, complicated "fork holder", either. Clearly not a standard egg poacher - we use those widely in the UK and they don't look anything like this - they're much shallower. I think it's that weird whole egg steamer. Interesting - I had no idea such things existed.
posted by Decani at 3:18 AM on November 18, 2010
posted by Decani at 3:18 AM on November 18, 2010
I'll fourth Fondue, it's not the pot, but the heater part.
posted by Blake at 4:04 AM on November 18, 2010
posted by Blake at 4:04 AM on November 18, 2010
Best answer: It's a grill condiment set.
posted by Morrigan at 6:20 AM on November 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Morrigan at 6:20 AM on November 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
Good find morrigan.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 6:31 AM on November 18, 2010
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 6:31 AM on November 18, 2010
Response by poster: Good find indeed. Thanks!
posted by Uppity Pigeon #2 at 6:58 AM on November 18, 2010
posted by Uppity Pigeon #2 at 6:58 AM on November 18, 2010
Wow. I would have never guessed that. Nice!
posted by two lights above the sea at 10:47 AM on November 18, 2010
posted by two lights above the sea at 10:47 AM on November 18, 2010
Morrigan, how on earth did you find that?!
posted by pseudostrabismus at 11:11 AM on November 18, 2010
posted by pseudostrabismus at 11:11 AM on November 18, 2010
pseudostrabismus, I have a ridiculous collection of mid-century to more recent vintage picnic and patio accoutrements. I don't have this piece but I have seen its ilk.
posted by Morrigan at 12:19 PM on November 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Morrigan at 12:19 PM on November 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by galaksit at 8:25 PM on November 17, 2010