Comments on: Can you help identify this Christmas Present?

Question: Can you help identify this Christmas Present?

Fiat124 — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 12:15:28 -0800

Can you help identify this Christmas Present?

My mom received, um, something, from her friend for Christmas and has been pulling her hair out trying to figure out what it is. I have no idea what it is either, so I thought I'd see if the hivemind could shed some light on what this thing is:

Mystery Pic 1
Mystery Pic 2
Mystery Pic 3
Mystery Pic 4

Thanks!

By: Emperor SnooKloze

Emperor SnooKloze — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 12:21:57 -0800

It looks suspiciously like something you'd put in the well of a barbecue grill. Or a very large trivet with an easy-carry handle(?). Very odd.

By: Wretch729

Wretch729 — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 12:25:47 -0800

My thought was something to cover a grill or firepit as well. (Though giving what looks like a used one as a gift is a little unusual to my mind.)

By: Cloudberry Sky

Cloudberry Sky — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 12:26:48 -0800

My parents have these in the bottom of their Jenn-Aire cooktop for when it's in grill mode. Interesting (?) gift!

By: Brocktoon

Brocktoon — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 12:36:19 -0800

There is some kind of mark stamped into it that I can't make out. Have you tried looking that up?

By: uncaken

uncaken — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 12:38:31 -0800

Possible use as a bed warmer, looking at the handle. What's the nature of the friendship?

By: Bardolph

Bardolph — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 12:42:06 -0800

Boot/shoe scraper? Given the design, it looks as though it's meant to be positioned flat with the raised wire/rod/"handle" part facing upwards. Put it by the door on a mat, and you could imagine its being pretty effective at scraping off mud and snow from the bottoms of shoes.

By: Marie Mon Dieu

Marie Mon Dieu — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 12:53:47 -0800

Grill or bacon press?

By: PorcineWithMe

PorcineWithMe — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 12:57:23 -0800

Looks like a trivet to me, but the handle is an odd thing.

By: Iteki

Iteki — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 13:22:53 -0800

If the "handle" is easily removeable, I could see it being a trivet that you heat in the oven and then transfer to the table to keep a pot or dish warm on the table (thus only 3 points of contact in the feet).

By: Fiat124

Fiat124 — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 13:27:58 -0800

@Brocktoon, Im going to see if my mom can take a picture of those stamps and email them to me.

@uncaken, this is from her best friend of 35+ years. They both love antiques and my mom loves cooking, so trivet or bacon press are both good guesses

@Iteki, I will ask her if the handle is easily removable or not.

Thanks for all the guesses so far!

By: samthemander

samthemander — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 13:31:19 -0800

"Friend, thank you so much for thinking of me this Christmas! I may seem a little silly asking, but I'm not 100% sure... Is this a bacon press? (Or $momsbestguess) happy to be in your thoughts as you are in mine. :) Thanks again!"

By: HotToddy

HotToddy — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 13:37:30 -0800

If you look at Marie Mon Dieu's link, your exact item shows up in the 3rd row down as a meat/bacon press.

By: easily confused

easily confused — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 13:57:58 -0800

ooooh, fifth row down on the far right of Marie Mon Dieu's link! Looks like the same one!

By: Fiat124

Fiat124 — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 14:02:37 -0800

I think we have a winner!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/JENNAIR-Grill-Grates-Cast-Iron-Rock-Plates-Bacon-Press-4-Pieces-JENN-AIR-/111002328922?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19d8411f5a

Best answers to Marie Mon Dieu and Cloudberry Sky!

Thanks all, mom will be most appreciative!

By: Max Power

Max Power — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 14:03:24 -0800

Cloudberry Sky has it.

By: Fiat124

Fiat124 — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 14:05:28 -0800

So its not a bacon press, but a simulated rock plate? Im not a big grill person, so what are those used for?

By: Short Attention Sp

Short Attention Sp — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 14:14:36 -0800

We have a Jenn-Air stove and it's for grilling, as Cloudberry Sky says. It's not a bacon press. It goes *under* the grill and heating element. The heating element is supported by the handle, and the holes and indentations are for simulating the sizzling etc. that goes on during grilling.

It takes two stones to line the bottom of the grill unit. They can be found for about $11 apiece.

Nice gift! ;-)

By: Short Attention Sp

Short Attention Sp — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 14:20:44 -0800

Found a pic. The plates go in the bottom of the well, next the elements, finally the grill plates on top.

By: mon-ma-tron

mon-ma-tron — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 15:00:33 -0800

Yeah, that's what my parents have on their Jenn-Air range.

By: leafwoman

leafwoman — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 16:05:42 -0800

We had a bed and breakfast that also sold "antiques" near where I worked. They had a pair of these prominently displayed with some story about frontier cooking. I pointed out to them that they were a part (since discontinued) of a Jenn-Aire range. They didn't believe me until I took my two, from my range, to them along with the manual showing them.