This Friday, thousands of Americans all across the country will celebrate the start of a new year by blowing something up. Fireworks are as synonymous with New Year’s Eve as champagne toasts and hangovers the morning after. In celebration of the New Year, the following article describes ways to, whether by accident or on purpose, blow some shit up in the kitchen.
Remember, kids: Don't try this stuff at home. (But if you do, we're not liable if anything goes awry.)
Frozen Turkey in a Fryer
The king of all kitchen fuck-ups is trying to fry a frozen turkey. While a properly prepared fried turkey can be deliciously crispy on the outside and moist in the middle, attempting to fry a frozen turkey will create a towering inferno with flames that shoot high into the air. This deep-fried fiasco occurs when condensation on the frozen bird reacts wildly with the super hot oil, causing the oil to overflow and ignite on the frying flame. Once the fire is started, the rest is history, along with your kitchen and you in it.
Mentos and Diet Coke
The reaction that occurs when Mentos are dropped in a bottle of Diet Coke is a mini-science experiment that would make Mr. Wizard proud. When those tiny orbs of candied mint mix with an already over-bubbled soft drink the resulting pressure can shoot foam nearly twenty feet into the air. How does it work? I have no idea. Something about gas. What I do know is that if you’re particularly quick or clever, you can get the screw-top lid back on the bottle and create a more concentrated Mentos/soda blast. There are a number of rednecks on YouTube demonstrating this fact if you’d like more information.
This article appears in Dec 30, 2010 – Jan 5, 2011.