Before 1988, you could buy partially baked rolls š„ , but not croissants š„ . Ever wondered why? Partially baking bread is easy ā itās spongey and the small air bubbles donāt collapse after initial baking. However, croissants, with their thin layers of laminated dough separated by butter, are flaky and form relatively large holes … Read more
Mar 15th, 2024What makes Popping Candy Pop? Itās not a chemical reaction, and scientifically itāsĀ quite the opposite to vacuous Space Dust.Ā Itās those crazy little compressed air bubbles trapped in solidified sugar that explode when the sugar melts, triggering aĀ gas-popping party in your mouth.Ā Hereās how those Willy Wonkas concoct this magical treat:– Melt sugar and keep it at … Read more
Mar 8th, 2024Edward Mandelbaum really wanted to patent his Hotdog Roll, but struggled to come up with something ānewā. Most Hotdog Rolls were simply cut; others were bored (and not so popular); and some were bored and slotted. What on earth could he change while continuing to provide customers what they were accustomed to? The cut roll … Read more
Mar 1st, 2024Did you know that the original peanut butter was meant to be sliced and placed in a sandwich? Well, it wasnāt very popular. Kelloggās original 1897 peanut butter recipe was: – Blanche nut kernels– Roast the kernels or boil them for 4-6 hours– Grind / roll the kernels to a pulp– Add 1 part water to every … Read more
Feb 23rd, 2024In 1964, William Brastad added a vacuum pump to his oven to see whether it would shorten the time for baking bread. To his surprise, he found that reducing the pressure to 0.35 atmosphere shortened the time to raise the dough from 45 minutes to 1 minute! However, each time he equalised the ambient pressure, the … Read more
Feb 16th, 2024I bet you donāt know the origin of Pizza Hutās Deep-Pan Pizza. Itās deep for a reason, and not because people actually crave mouthfuls of crust.Ā Spreading toppings on a delicate pizza base is too arduous for Pizza Hut. So, they take pre-formed topping disks, slap them on a rimmed pizza base and heat. One problem: … Read more
Feb 9th, 2024Ever wondered why Shredded Wheat advertising always includes fruit – but in the wrong place? ā¦ something only centenarians would notice.Ā Back in 1915, Kelloggās patented the unique shape of Shredded Wheat ā āa cylindrical cereal biscuit made with a concave topā. The concave top was intended to contain berries or fruit, and causes the milk … Read more
Feb 2nd, 2024German Utility Models (otherwise known as Gebrauchsmuster) can now be filed online via GlobalIPCo. GlobalIPCo and Prisma IP (a German patent law firm) have created an easy-to-use online system for filing national phase, convention and direct German Utility Models. Although, only national phase German Utility Models are available to general users, direct and convention German … Read more
Jan 30th, 2024HotdogsĀ are great. SaucyĀ hotdogsĀ are super, but a messy shirt is the pitsĀ Newton Hall was partial to aĀ hotdogĀ with plenty of butter, mustard and condiments, but he was also particular about his appearance. So, he set aboutĀ boring a blind hole along a roll and slotting the roll partly along the bore.Ā The slot allows for liberal squirtings of sauce, … Read more
Jan 26th, 2024Aging tenderizes aĀ steak, but takes time. Pounding is quick and effective, but you risk theĀ steakĀ being mistaken for a schnitzel. What if youāre handicapped by a brisket and need to deliver a thick, tenderĀ steakĀ on short notice?Ā For reasons I canāt explain, it fell to American Mine Door Company ā a supplier of mine doors to the mining … Read more
Jan 19th, 2024Whatās the bigger challenge: un-scrambling an Egg š³ ; or un-mincing Fish š ? š¤ Whereas, we unquestioningly accept we can’t accomplish the former, the clever scientists at Sea Harvest set about reconstituting a minced fish. Likely, youāve unwittingly eaten un-minced fish, mistaking it for the real deal! š³ Hereās the patented secret: –Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Roll minced … Read more
Jan 12th, 2024How to make the best hot, crispy chips: freeze them! Totally counter-intuitive, but thatās the McDonaldās secret; the secret that McDonald’s unwittingly stumbled upon. If you:– simply deep-fry chips, they turn into āslap chipsā ā limp and soggy;– double-fry chips, they become crispy, but with a hollowed-out interior; or– over-fry chips, they, well, ā¦ burn. … Read more
Jan 5th, 2024How didĀ KFCĀ crack the secret of crispy, juicy chicken? B(KF)C, chicken was either crispy or juicy, never both. To open the gates to chicken Nirvana, those clever chicken-fryers from Kentucky:1. immersed chicken in a bath of oil heated in a pressure cooker to 175-205C;2. reduced the oil temperature rapidly to 120ā135C;3. cooked the chicken for 2 … Read more
Dec 29th, 2023Why is it so difficult to tell the difference between a Fisher Price Little Snoopy (1965) and a real dog? It’s those clever patented V-shaped wheeled axles, which cause Snoopy’s body to bob when driven ā perfectly mimicking the natural movement of a Basset frolicking about wild grassy plains. (US3407531) GlobalIPCo – Easily file provisional … Read more
Dec 22nd, 2023Most parents have the fondest memories of Kinder Surprise Egg. But, I bet you also recall the pang of disappointment when happening upon the “new” Kinder egg. What made this wonderful Surprise into such a Disappointment? If you listen to Ferrero, it was bloody Health & Safety and the expansion of Nancy’s city limits beyond … Read more
Dec 15th, 2023