Tesla coils seen wowing onlookers, cooking hot dogs

Believe it or not, tesla coils are good for more than just creating lighting, protecting one's laptop or cranking out a sweet tune -- and the folks watching a dazzling demonstration at Maker Faire 2008 can attest to that. Apparently a group of prototype (1 / 12 scale, no less) coils were seen sparking up the evening in San Mateo, California, but it wasn't the visual energy or unmistakable hum that caused all that saliva to form in the mouths of onlookers. Oh no, it was the fact that a dozen hot dogs were simultaneously roasted and made ready for safe consumption. Check out a video of the action right after the break.

[andres @ May 7th 2008 2:37AM]

finally, an excuse to build one

[Clarence @ May 7th 2008 2:53AM]

I bet the military has been using them for that purpose for ages and now they are bored. So now we civilians can have it! Hooray tesla coil hotdog stands of the future.

[fuhreralmighty @ May 7th 2008 3:56AM]

I suddenly had the urge to play as the Soviets in Red Alert 2.

For the Union!!!!

[r3loaded @ May 7th 2008 4:11AM]

In Soviet Russia, Tesla coils cook YOU!

[Earl Jr. @ May 7th 2008 2:25PM]

you need an excuse to build a tesla coil?

[Mike B @ May 7th 2008 2:51AM]

Dude, when i was at the first tesla coil concert (by concert, i mean room across the hall from Hackers 201 at Dragon*Con), it was pretty awesome. I'm just so glad that not only am I dancing to techno with some gorgeous girl dressed as Kagome, but i have a nice snack awaiting me when im done dancing. Rave and lunch, anybody?

[silverblackvoid @ May 7th 2008 2:52AM]

just what i need in my kitchen

[UKNigel @ May 7th 2008 10:42AM]

Kind of makes you wonder what they plan to cook with the full size one. It probably won't fit in your kitchen though, which would be too bad.

[XenoX101 @ May 7th 2008 3:03AM]

"We will bury them."

[Jaque-o @ May 7th 2008 3:14AM]

"Rubber shoes in motion!"

[John @ May 7th 2008 3:16AM]

Isn't it closer to "Ve vill bury them"... just sounds that way :P

But +1 :P

[ByronGman @ May 7th 2008 3:28AM]

AWWWWWW man that brought back memories....

The good old days before EA turned Command & Conquer into shit...

[michael pina @ May 7th 2008 3:33AM]

Ve vill berry zem.*

[Ramifications @ May 7th 2008 1:57PM]

Love the suicide demolition trucks:

"Watch out for the bumps!"

"Special Delivery!"

[Earl Jr. @ May 7th 2008 2:26PM]

"Surging forward"

[Stem $ell @ May 7th 2008 3:15AM]

With 50,000 volts coursing thru each Oscar Meyer foot-long creating allotropic oxygen within the dog itself, one can feel good about 'doing his part' in rebuilding the ozone layer with every post-prandial fart...

[Fara @ May 7th 2008 4:10AM]

I built one for a school project. It broke before I had time to finish it. But it was awesome.

[azz0r @ May 7th 2008 4:45AM]

Pretty large crowd to stand and watch a tiny zap of electricity...meh

[Aprime @ May 7th 2008 5:14AM]

Feels like the late 1800s all over again.

[Tim Brown @ May 7th 2008 6:11AM]

All they need now is a Igor, a shovel and a running start from the villagers.

[pmow @ May 7th 2008 8:38AM]

"Safe for human consumption" ... yeah, because hot dogs aren't *already* cooked?

[Mikey @ May 7th 2008 9:00AM]

Ohmic heating is not uncommon...

...this is just a new way of doing it.

[bigiufan @ May 7th 2008 9:23AM]

There's NOTHING you can do to a hotdog to make it "safe for human consumption."

[Schfelzerberg @ May 7th 2008 10:54AM]

Ahh... Tesla coils. To me they're synonymous with Red Alert, and apparently some of the guys here too.

The tesla coil is Red Alert 1 was much more bad ass though. Five tesla coils can easily roast a dozen tanks or so tanks. Infantry? Zap. Zap. Zap. Dead. The tesla coil in Red Alert 2 is a pussy.

[rockintom @ May 7th 2008 11:03AM]

Five? Blah. You never pulled the Great Wall of Tesla?

I'd end up with 2-deep tesla coils *across the map*

[ryuu @ May 7th 2008 11:43AM]

This is what powers Iron Man.

[kkowalczyk @ May 7th 2008 11:58AM]

The coil, or the dogs?

[8kg_gerbil @ May 7th 2008 12:13PM]

Thought it was an article about Soylent Green, my bad.

[8kg_gerbil @ May 7th 2008 12:14PM]

holy cripes how many names do I have attached to this email address

[Kiteless @ May 7th 2008 1:58PM]

I was there and got this on video in HD. Saw it in person. It was amazing. Sadly he would not give us any of the hot dogs. He said they were burning hot in the middle and rather cool to the touch on the outside. Yeah and the sound they made was 'mouthwateringly' awesome!

- Kiteless

[Ian @ May 7th 2008 2:09PM]

yay san mateo. i live close to there!

(nothing positive to add to this post)

[三二三四 @ May 22nd 2008 11:36PM]

RA2.0 Russia .............