101

I imagine it would have to be some sort of impractically large closed-loop steam system, probably running around the perimeter of the pot, with a rotating paddle inside. Not at all practical, but it would be neat.

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[-] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 44 minutes ago

yes there is , in chemistry they have this weighted object that is put in solution to stir it while its hot.

[-] Randomgal@lemmy.ca 13 points 15 hours ago

Bro has never seen boiling water.

[-] BarneyPiccolo@lemmings.world 2 points 10 hours ago

I could swear I've seen some sort of small three pronged thing that you drop into your pot, and as the liquid boils, it spins and stirs it.

[-] ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml 11 points 16 hours ago

Convection currents have entered the chat

[-] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 16 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago)
[-] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 11 points 20 hours ago

Then my soup isn't working.

[-] CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 hours ago

Well I didn't want to say anything, but now that you brought it up...

[-] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 6 points 20 hours ago

True, there are soups like that.

[-] squaresinger@lemmy.world 7 points 18 hours ago

It shouldn't be difficult at all to add a stirrer that gets spun by the inductive field of an induction stove.

What I'd love to have tough is a pan with built-in temperature sensor, so that I can control the temperature of the pan directly instead of only being able to control the energy output of the stove.

[-] Apeman42@lemmy.world 85 points 1 day ago

You've got a bright future in crazy Victorian inventions if you can make a steam-powered time machine to get there.

[-] Mountainaire@lemmy.world 2 points 4 hours ago

That only makes me think of the inevitable outcome:

[-] Triumph@fedia.io 22 points 1 day ago
[-] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 5 points 20 hours ago

2meirl4meirl

[-] Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

Best answer

[-] Nomecks@lemmy.ca 35 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

At a rolling boil you could probably get the pot stirring itself with surface geometry. Bubbles boil upwards, so putting the right fin shape should get it spinning. Seems like it would require a bunch of machine work so it would probably be prohibitively expensive to make.

[-] Davel23@fedia.io 35 points 1 day ago

This exists. I tried to find a link or video but it seems to have disappeared.

Edit: Here's a page on it. It's from 2012 though, I guess the idea never really took off.

https://newatlas.com/kuru-kuru-nabe-self-stirring-saucepan/22709/

[-] Warl0k3@lemmy.world 19 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I had a friend with a similar pot (might have been the same one shown there) and... oh my god, it was impossible to wash. Just awful. Neat to watch but oh man, never got used after that.

[-] db2@lemmy.world 21 points 1 day ago

Can you imagine cleaning such a monstrosity though?

[-] 4am@lemmy.zip 13 points 1 day ago

This already works with noodles if you place them vertical the middle and then twist them and let them fall in a spiral pattern leaning against the edge of the pot. As they soften and fall in they will spin in a toroidal shape powered by the bubbles.

[-] webghost0101@sopuli.xyz 5 points 19 hours ago
[-] blackbeans@lemmy.zip 4 points 21 hours ago

With modern induction cooking this should not be as problematic. You can use the magnetic field to put something in motion

[-] LastYearsIrritant@sopuli.xyz 14 points 1 day ago

If you get a good rolling boil, you shouldn't need to stir macaroni.

Tho it is a bit of a waste of energy, since a rolling boil is more than you need to cook pasta.

[-] fizzle@quokk.au 3 points 21 hours ago

I remember my high school science teacher saying that once you reach boiling point any extra energy input is wasted.

That doesn't seem to be true in practice though.

I guess in a full rolling boil more of the water is at boiling point rather than just the layer at the bottom.

[-] s@piefed.world 6 points 1 day ago

I think there is some chemistry equipment that does that?

[-] GorGor@startrek.website 11 points 1 day ago

hot plates have a motor and a magnet that couples with a stir bar.

there is however this sort of thing for stoves: https://www.amazon.com/JossaColar-Fireplace-Electric-Accessories-Thermometer/dp/B0BDM14HVM

[-] Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

That's for a wood stove, to distribute heat throughout the home. While it might be possible to repurpose it, I don't think it's very practical

[-] FoxyFerengi@startrek.website 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Stir plates use magnets and magnetic stir bars, and can be used without heat

[-] holy_scroller@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago

Made my own stir plate once with a computer fan, magnets, and a potentiometer. I am sure they come with heat if needed. They can come with extremely large stirring bars.

[-] felixwhynot@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Ok here’s my pitch: a pot with a steam powered magnetic stir bar system built into a sealed loop in the bottom.

[-] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

I've thought long about this, specifically those devices that use the pizeo electric effect to move a fan.

Problem is that you need a temperature difference to make the effect go. But ideally I'm imagining a fish that swims around the pot converting heat to work.

this post was submitted on 25 May 2026
101 points (95.5% liked)

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