Versatronic Hosts His First Boil-in

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Versatronic

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Sep 6, 2005
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I apologize if this thread is a little off-topic, but I know there are some people here who have an interest in vintage kitchen smalls. About a year ago, I joined whistlingteakettle.org to converse about vintage tea kettles. It’s a great group, much like the group here. Two months ago I was lucky enough to acquire the rare and legendary Rocket-Strat-o-Matic-Boil-Master 2000. The story was that a couple moved into a new house and the previous owners had left it behind, and the new owners already had a tea kettle. I was more than happy to take it off their hands for a pittance.

When I told the group at whistlingteakettle.org of my good fortune, it sent shockwaves through the community. There was debate on whether the Rocket-Strat-o-Matic-Boil-Master 2000 had even existed or whether it was just urban legend. The members there insisted that I host a Boil-in so that the others could witness my first test flight of this legendary tea kettle. Reluctantly, I agreed and yesterday was the big day.
 
The Spread

It’s customary to provide food for these Boil-ins, so I put out a spread, using some of my vintage kitchenware as an added touch. Slowly, the tea kettle enthusiasts started showing up and I invited them to partake.
 
The legendary Hippyactivistator

Before I go any further, I was very nervous about the virgin run of the Rocket-Strat-o-Matic-Boil-Master 2000. What if it seized up and sent water and oil all over the floor? So many things could go wrong and I was worried that the whole Boil-in would be a big disaster. So, before the party, I pulled the agitator to inspect it.

There it was. The legendary Hippyactivistator. Nothing can agitate and upset the status quo like this model. It smelled really bad and it was pretty dirty, but other than that, it was in perfect condition. I cleaned it up and reseated it into the Rocket-Strat-o-Matic-Boil-Master 2000.
 
Very friendly members

The members of whistlingteakettle.org continued to filter in. You know, you really have to wonder about some of the women in this close-knit group. That one in the middle there, Whistler’s Mother, I think the trip was already worth it for her. I don’t even want to be present later during the post-shindig activities. That’s why I set up video cameras in all the guest bedrooms. I don’t want my physical presence to put a damper on any of the activities.
 
The main event begins

Well, all 26 people that said they’d be there had finally showed up and it was the moment of truth. They were all gathered in my kitchen. I had veil over the tea kettle. I said “Ladies and Gentleman, may I please have your attention. I now present to you, the Rocket-Strat-o-Matic-Boil-Master 2000!” I pulled the veil and the crowd gasped. “It’s real! It really does exist!”

It was time for to rock and roll. First the tea kettle went into the fill cycle.
 
What's taking so long?

This was going to be a hot water run and it was set to “Warm/Warm”. Something was happening in there. We could hear gurgling noises, various mechanical thumps and thuds. There was a lot of action. The tension in the air was palpable.

My palms were sweaty at this point. Why is this taking so long? What’s going on in there? Is this going to be a disaster? Why doesn’t the spin cycle kick in?
 
We have ignition!

Then suddenly there was a sound like something had just been ignited. And then there was a hiss that grew louder and louder. The spectators took a step back. Then suddenly, plumes of steam shot out of the rockets and the counter top started to shake. Then blam, we hit the spin cycle and the rockets started to take off. One could only estimate the rpms.
 
Ground control to Major Tom

There was a standing ovation in the kitchen and a few people cried. There were hugs all around.
 
Post Main-event celebratory drinking

The main event was over and the group retreated to the tiki lounge for cocktails. I was showered with adulation from the guests and some went so far as to say that it was the best Boil-in ever.

I’m going to be checking out the videos later today.
 
Mike, how fascinating!!! You have a cheschire grin in the pic of you with the girls at the post celebratory drinking. Fascinating, another internet interest. Who-da-thunk. Umm, Smartboil110 got me boiling (VEG). Bob
 
Kettles

AHA! So there is a Kettle Klub out there. I knew there was one.

You should see the people who go to a Weird-Al concert or Harry Potter convention. Fanatics rule!
 
Wow, looks like a great time. Where's the website for the whistling kettle club. I don't have any whistlers just a couple of electrics..there's an older GE electric at the Goodwill right now I passed on a few times, should I grab it for someone? Electric tea kettles are a dime a dozen in Canada, they never were common in the US or the UK like they were and still are here
 
Pete, you crack me up sometimes

Since I have this thread, do you remember the Kelvinator From Hell? The Fridge that was supposed to be in mint condition when I bid on it on eBay. Well, here's a picture of the condition that one of the interior shelves was in. All the shelves were pretty much in this condition.
 
Before/After

I've been using that fridge without any shelves since I got that steenking thing into my house.

However, when I took this photo ten minutes ago, here's what the shelf looks like.
 
Chrome, baby, pure unadulterated Chrome!

Getting these shelves restored was almost as painful as getting the fridge. Ain't nothing gonna be easy with this demonic appliance. But, here is the interior in all it's chromed out glory.

The shelves have back home and now I'm going to fully stock the available space with beer, so if you'll pardon me now....
 
What a coincidence!

I just happened to have a "flair-in" this last week. To add to the feeling of period authenticity, I acquired an old person to whip up some gravy (okay, that's my mom, but she does match the era ;-)
 
Dan, I think your mom is the one that adds "flair" to the kitchen. She's adoreable. I have to ask, WHAT is that pan she's making the gravy in. To me it looks like a 15" or more paella pan. Umm, which dishwasher does that go in well? Bob
 
Bob, that's just a stainless steel roasting pan (which works much better for making gravy from the pan drippings than the non-stick ones)

That turquoise pot on the stovetop is a Le Crueset that she bought at Kilpatrick's (which she would tell you was the last NICE department store in Omaha, LOL) in 1952. She was going to throw it out, before I rescued it.
 
Turrrquoise Le Crueset?

Hold me! I think I am about to faint.

Dan, if you ever feel like giving it another home, let me know!

(Your mom looks like a nice person, but oh, that pot!)

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
Lawrence/Maytagbear

If you want, I have a turquoise covered cassarole dish (oval-maybe 10 inches long or so) somewhere in my basement. If you want it (when I find it that is), it's yours. I have no use for it and just bought it because it was pretty. :)

E-mail me at [email protected] and I can keep your info to remind me to find it.

Heather
 
Mike, great job on the shelves, was that rust on them? And what did you use to get them so clean? Is the fridge up in the kitchen now?

Dan..The kitchen looks great. What did you mom think of the Flair? Oh, and did you make whipped potatoes in the Sunbeam?
 
Dan and Pete

Dan, as always, I love seeing pictures of your house. Like Pete, I'd like to know what your mom thinks of the Flair. I have a turquoise Le Crueset skillet that weighs a ton.

Pete, I was going to do the shelves myself and I went to the hardware store to rent a sandblaster and stuff and the guy said for what I was going to have to spend to do the job painting it, I could get them powdercoated. So I went to a powder coating guy and he said those shelves are about the hardest thing in the world to powder coat because of all the angles. He said for about the same amount of money, I could get them chromed. Because they just dip the things in acid to burn of the rust and the old coating (which was actually zink) and then dip the shelves in a vat. So I went for it. The estimate was 2 weeks to get it done. When one partnership break-up, one motorcycle accident and one blown up chrome plating machine later, I have my shelves back, in a mere 3 months.

So, I didn't do the shelves. They were professionally rechromed. And the fridge has been in my kitchen since the day I got it. It has been in use, I just haven't had any shelves in it.
 
Everyone

I didn't think I'd have to say this, but...

There was no "boil-in" at my house. I thought that would be obvious, but apparently not. This thread is what you would call a spoof. It's meant to entertain. I stumbled across the unreal tea kettle in the pictures recently and BethAnn said to post pictures of this thing if it actually works and spins the rockets and I said I would.

So, this was a fun way of presenting my "new" tea kettle to the group, by doing a spoof of a "wash-in". Maybe there really is a tea kettle enthusiast group out there somewhere, I don't know, but I just made up whistlingteakettle.org as a spoof on automaticwasher.org. If there was another group like this that was passionate about tea kettles rather than washing machines, what would their names be? Smartboil110, Whistlers Mother, Liptonator, I had a blast coming up with the names.

A tea kettle with a fill cycle, a spin cycle, a warm/warm setting? If nothing else, me pulling the agitator for inspection should have been a dead give-away that I was clowning around? Well, either my sense of humor was way off the mark this time or some of you have been around here long enough that something like a "Boil-in" seems completely plausable. I was only kidding around.

And I never melted Gumby down to Liquid Gumby either, just for the record. Gumby's still alive and well and Bart is just fine as well.
 
Mike:

I for one got it.....
That there was no boil-in.

Love that your vintage fridge does not have an air vent that would push cooled our out of an evaporator coil in the freezer.Here is the WIFM. Must Always tell people of the WIFM.(*What's in it for me*.)

With a little mini self-defrosting U-shaped evaporator coil in the fridge, foods last longer. Less *freezer-burn*. Fewer dried out foods(Editor's note: We KNOW your humor will NEVER dry up.. LOL. Also smell of, say onions or scallions, won't migrate to ice cubes in fridge- two cavites are sealed one from the other. (I REALLY dont' need to explain that one further do I?).

Be prepared, one day Toggle may decided to impose upon you a Regal visit....LOL

YOU da MAN. Response is always: *Someone in this relationship has to be...*

Best regards,
Steve
 
Thanks for the info Toggle

The fridge is a long term project and Phase II is now complete. I see four phases all together.

I'm glad you got the joke. It never occurred to me that people wouldn't question that someone would travel from Iowa to PA just to watch a pot boil! Especially after the guy from Sweden took so much heat for stealing pictures. I figured we had some real Columbos on hand. Heck, I'm not even wearing the same shirt in those pictures. I cobbled that whole fantasy together from different soirees.
 
Well I, for one, really did have a flair-in. It was held last Thursday, and people came from as far away as Iowa and Nebraska, and we cooked a turkey, mashed potatoes, soup, etc, etc, etc.

Oh, wait.... That was Thanksgiving.

Pete, I would love an old RadarRange, but they are so HUGE! Since we don't often use the microwave anyway, it would take up too much space. I wish I could find a smaller one than that one you see in the picture, but I haven't been able to yet.

Potatoes were made with a Ricer and Sunbeam hand mixer (your choice of yellow or Turquoise)

And yes, my mom puts squirt in the gravy. Doesn't everybody? Squirt and Maraschino cherries.

Oh wait....that's her Ambrosia salad. No matter the dinner tasted so weird.
 

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