Video: DIY USB pan cooks your egg faster than a cellphone

Look, we know it's pointless and likely in violation of even the most rudimentary safety codes enacted since the Middle Ages. But there's something about DIY hackery of that 500mA USB port that tugs at the little Erector Set cobbling kid in each of us. Just wire up an off-the-shelf pan with some insulated tungsten filament and you'll be cooking an egg in about 7 minutes -- you know, after an overnight pre-heat, presumably. Now prepare to have your noodle scrambled along with an egg in the video after the break.

[Thanks, Mira B.]

[Eric B. @ Aug 6th 2008 1:25AM]

KEWL!

[oopogfe @ Aug 6th 2008 1:28AM]

um, eww

[Matt @ Aug 6th 2008 1:35AM]

THIRD!

[Drew @ Aug 6th 2008 1:39AM]

Was I the only one who stupidly clicked the picture expecting to play the video?

[imacmatt09 @ Aug 6th 2008 1:43AM]

I did it too.

[flexium @ Aug 6th 2008 2:01AM]

me too haha

[Wwhat @ Aug 6th 2008 2:13AM]

Not me, instead I was wondering why my flashblock allowed it to show.

[Keaton @ Aug 6th 2008 1:40AM]

Looks like he used 2 USB ports...

Thats still only 5 watts...

This makes no sense...

[Colin Potter @ Aug 6th 2008 1:43AM]

House Payments Fall Again!

[james @ Aug 6th 2008 1:46AM]

If it's hot enough to cook an egg then it is hot enough to be used as a space heater. that would be a good idea... not a cooking pan.

[andres @ Aug 6th 2008 2:17AM]

from the heat you would get from a usb port, youd be better off just loading your processor to make more heat.

[fred @ Aug 6th 2008 1:47AM]

wow ultimate usb hackery

[A.C.E.R. @ Aug 6th 2008 1:51AM]

A letter to the Editor:

Quality NOT quantity.

Thanks,
Another Clueless Engadget Reader

[Brinley Ang @ Aug 6th 2008 1:54AM]

Hope it tastes better then it looks

[Adam K @ Aug 6th 2008 2:03AM]

It would've been cooler if he ate it...

[steven @ Aug 6th 2008 2:31AM]

now power my George foreman

[GoVeganBeStrongerLiveLonger @ Aug 6th 2008 2:37AM]

Eggs? They’re a rich source of cholesterol linked to heart disease.
A single egg contains almost the maximum daily limit of cholesterol.

No thanks!

[matt @ Aug 6th 2008 2:55AM]

I'd rather die young and happy than old and miserable...

[Amz @ Aug 6th 2008 4:13AM]

What about eating eggs with a partially developed chicken fetus inside? Is that better?

[HOOPER @ Aug 6th 2008 10:15AM]

Here's betting I'll outlive you, Vegan guy.

[Tired_ @ Aug 6th 2008 2:51AM]

How fast would the USB pan cook my cellphone?

[henryritchie @ Aug 6th 2008 4:31AM]

Ive suddenly got an idea. Turn my motherboard upside down, remove the plastic cover off my 4850 and stick a pan on it. Probably cook an egg in under a minute.

[CL @ Aug 6th 2008 4:35AM]

may be faster if you take the cpu cooler off and cook it on the cpu.

[rBoLt @ Aug 6th 2008 4:48AM]

Look mom! i invented a USB powered skateboard!

[rockntrumpet @ Aug 6th 2008 9:21AM]

Unless those are anodized aluminum pans (which they certainly don't look to be) you wouldn't want to eat anything off of them anyway. In case you were unaware but excessive aluminum consumption has been shown to lead to Alzheimer's.

[Luke @ Aug 6th 2008 12:29PM]

Hahahaha that shit looks disgusting

[Teron @ Aug 12th 2008 1:53AM]

why? you gotta go to your kitchen to get the damn eggs in the first place..