Skip to main content

Weekend Workshop: Electrify your meat with this DIY hot dog cooker

Cooking Hot Dogs With Electricity - Part 2
Need something to keep you busy this weekend? We’ve got you covered. The Weekend Workshop is our weekly column in which we showcase a badass DIY project that you can complete with minimal skills and expertise. We’ve dug through all the online tutorials and gone the extra mile to pinpoint projects that are equal parts easy, affordable, and fun. So put on your work pants, grab your tool belt, and head to the garage. It’s time to start building!

Just because summer has officially drawn to a close doesn’t mean you have to give up all of the incredible benefits the sunny season has to offer. Granted, you may not be soaking up some rays at the beach or enjoying a dry bike ride until next May, but there’s no reason you can’t enjoy a perfectly cooked hot dog beneath cloudy skies. No, we aren’t talking about barbecuing inside, but rather cooking a frankfurter using electricity … and a DIY contraption, of course.

Thanks to a former physics major and Instructables user named makjosher, whipping up your very own electric hot dog cooker shouldn’t take much more than a few hours with a smattering of electrical equipment and some patience. Basically, you stick a hot dog between two electrodes and wall current cooks it from the inside as it flows through the dog. Having already built prior models that proved the concept but could also potentially kill you, this model was built as a safer alternative with more features, like a dimmer knob that controls the heat.

To help you get started, we’ve sifted through the Instructables walkthrough to figure out an exact build list. Because the construction of this electric hot dog cooker calls on the use of a hacksaw, miter saw, and soldering iron, it’s incredibly important you know how to use these tools before beginning. It also goes without saying that using protective gear is paramount. If you feel uncomfortable using any of the tools, we recommend finding someone to help or skipping this week’s project. With that said, here’s what you’ll need to get started:

Tools: 

  • Hacksaw
  • Ruler
  • Philips head screwdriver
  • Miter saw
  • Power drill
  • Rotary tool
  • Soldering iron
  • Grindstone

Materials:

  • Scrap wood (3/4-inch and 3/8-inch thick)
  • 16-gauge wire (several sections under 1 ft. long)
  • Blank electric box cover
  • 600W rotary dimmer switch
  • 120V indicator lamp
  • 120V, 3A, SPDT momentary push button switch
  • Extension cord
  • No. 6 bolts with nuts and washers
  • PVC coupling (1-inch and 2-inch)
  • Small hinges with hardware (2)
  • Drywall and wood screws
  • Self-drilling screws
  • Aluminum bar (1/2-inch wide)
  • Drawer pull handle
  • Sheet of clear styrene (0.015-inch thick)

With the required tools and materials gathered, it’s now time to start assembling this novel electric hot dog cooker. Simply follow makjosher’s thorough Instructables walkthrough and before the weekend comes to a close, you’ll be enjoying some franks from the comfort of your own kitchen. Happy building!

The step-by-step instructions for building this electric hot dog cooker can be found at Instructables.

Editors' Recommendations

Rick Stella
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Rick became enamored with technology the moment his parents got him an original NES for Christmas in 1991. And as they say…
Weekend Workshop: Stave off the heat this summer with a DIY smart electric fan
weekend workshop diy smart electric fan 070916

Need something to keep you busy this weekend? Look no further. The Weekend Workshop is our weekly column where we showcase a badass DIY project that you can complete with minimal skills and expertise. We’ve dug through all the online tutorials on the web, and gone the extra mile to pinpoint projects that are equal parts easy, affordable, and fun. So put on your work pants, grab your tool belt, and head to the garage. It’s time to start building!

During the summer, the one thing most people can't live without is a reliable electric fan. Capable of making even the hottest and incredibly humid days more bearable, owning a proper fan tends to be the difference between getting a good night of sleep and tossing and turning in a stuffy bedroom all night. But to be frank, outside of their ability to keep your bedroom cool during the dog days of summer, fans are boring — technologically speaking.

Read more
Weekend Workshop: How to build a DIY solar charger out of Altoid tins
weekend workshop diy solar charger 061816

Need something to keep you busy this weekend? Look no further. The Weekend Workshop is our weekly column where we showcase a badass DIY project that you can complete with minimal skills and expertise. We’ve dug through all the online tutorials on the web, and gone the extra mile to pinpoint projects that are equal parts easy, affordable, and fun. So put on your work pants, grab your tool belt, and head to the garage — it’s time to start building!

There are few feelings capable of leaving some as dejected as having a smartphone with less than 15 percent battery and a full day's worth of activities ahead — be it an eight-hour work day or weekend outing with your friends. Considering the fact that 15 percent will likely drain itself completely before you even get to your desired location, you don't simply want a portable charger, you need one. But who wants to spend upwards of $50 on a power bank from Radio Shack?

Read more
Weekend Workshop: How to turn your old laptop into an LED wall lamp
weekend workshop diy wall lamp broken laptop 061116

Need something to keep you busy this weekend? Look no further. The Weekend Workshop is our weekly column where we showcase a badass DIY project that you can complete with minimal skills and expertise. We’ve dug through all the online tutorials on the web, and gone the extra mile to pinpoint projects that are equal parts easy, affordable, and fun. So put on your work pants, grab your tool belt, and head to the garage — it’s time to start building!

Like death and taxes, it is certain that every laptop you purchase will one day be nothing more than an expensive paperweight. After many years of use, even a Dell XPS 13 or Apple Macbook Pro will die. But what if, instead of letting it amass a healthy dose of dust bunnies in the closet, you could turn one into a unique, multi-colored wall lamp?

Read more