Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Hourglass Salt Dispenser

Mm, sodium chloride
  (+21, -1)(+21, -1)(+21, -1)
(+21, -1)
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It looks just like an hourglass, the bottom globe half-filled with white grains. Turn it over and the hinged bottom (that was the top) opens, allowing salt to sprinkle down from its waist.

For a specific amount, check the digital stop watch on the top (that was the bottom) that starts upon flipping. For example ten seconds equals one teaspoon.

FarmerJohn, Jul 25 2005


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Annotation:







       How is this better than putting salt in a jar, and taking it out with a spoon?   

       The salt would get clogged up in the hole, which would reduce accuraccy. You would have to constantly refill it, because a useable size version would not hold much salt at all, and a version that could hold enough salt would be impractical. To sprinkle salt evenly, you would have to shake it, and this would disturb the even flow.   

       Besides, who cares whether you get a teaspoon to the nearest grain, anyway?   

       Sorry about this rant, I'm just working out how to be negative about ideas I don't really like, and I am too hungry now from ranting to give away my croissant.
dbmag9, Jul 25 2005
  

       //How is this better than putting salt in a jar, and taking it out with a spoon?// - What? You mean Halfbakery ideas have to be better than their existing alternatives now? Time to delete 90% of the Halfbakery...
hippo, Jul 25 2005
  

       Not keen on the flipping top, but I like the idea of a salt shaker in the shape of half an hourglass.
DrCurry, Jul 25 2005
  

       I wonder if ultrasonics could be used to fluidise and dry the salt.
Ling, Jul 25 2005
  

       This is a great idea. It would go well with a pepper grinder shaped like a torture rack. The cracking peppercorns could be accompanied by recorded scream of pain, and you could introduce a bit of role-playing to an otherwise boring meal down at the medieval restaurant.
moPuddin, Jul 25 2005
  

       Even if not constant, this is certainly an improvement over the shake method.   

       Bun with 2 seconds of salt for [FJ].
Worldgineer, Jul 25 2005
  

       Eeeeww! Salty croissants? I like mine buttery. Here FJ, take mine instead. It's been slathered with butter. :)
DesertFox, Jul 25 2005
  

       [DrC]: What does pressure have do do with it? Doesn't the material in the hourglass fall due to gravity, which acts evenly per unit mass? In the cases of the small particle contents like salt and sand there isn't a pressure difference since the aperture between chambers isn't sealed. Am I missing something?
Jinbish, Jul 25 2005
  

       Further Internet research suggests that the rate of flow of sand (i.e., salt) is pretty constant in an hourglass. The explanation is interesting: although there is more sand when the level is high, the weight of the sand is transmitted to the walls of the container through a series of mini-arches, away from the grain of sand about to fall, so it falls no faster than it would without sand above it.   

       So suspicion withdrawn.   

       [Jinbish: try this with water, and you'll get a completely different result, which is why water clocks need either careful callibration, or a complicated refilling mechanism.]
DrCurry, Jul 25 2005
  

       My grandmum (rest her soul) would likely have had one of these. I prefer the grinder cap on a jar of rock salt (or pepper jar).
reensure, Jul 26 2005
  

       Like salt through the hourglass...so are the days of our lives.   

       Like most halfbakers, I find myself unable to critisize [farmerjohn]'s ideas. Even when they are not very good, they always have a certain je ne sais what, that makes me want to bun. So I bun this idea because I like it but I must say I find the annotation by [dbmag9] refreshing.
zeno, Aug 07 2005
  

       Or, just use it as a way to encourage a low-sodium diet--you have to wait a long time to eat a lot of salt.
5th Earth, Aug 07 2005
  


 

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