appliances – The Burning Platform

By James the Wanderer

“Last week our stove died, in a tragic egg-boiling accident.” That kind of line perhaps deserves a little explanation.

I put ten eggs in a pan with some baking soda and water and turned it up to high. You boil them for twelve minutes and dunk them in ice water; after a while you take them out and put them back in the refrigerator. Not exactly rocket science, and easy to do. I was just starting to grill pork chops, so I asked my wife that when the timer went off could she finish up, which she agreed to do. I went out to the grill in the backyard.

My eldest came running out to advise me that “Mom needs you right now!” I went back in to find her mildly upset; she had been in the living room and saw sudden flashes of light, electrical-discharge variety. Upon investigation, she found the eggs had boiled over and shorted out the stove. I pulled the oven breaker and we began the cleanup.

This was the stove in question. I’m not trying to chastise the manufacturer so I won’t name them, but I hope someone points this article out to them.