Wednesday 9 January 2008

Guess the object...

Back in November I was all excited about learning new things. And then I found myself committing publicly to learning something new, something substantial.
And now, sitting in the kitchen, is one of these. Isn't it beautiful? Isn't it roundy and shapely and solid? Isn't is pleasingly old fashioned and homely and almost museum-like in its charm and antiquity? Don't you just yearn to turn on that little Bakelite switch and see if it works (it does) and what noise it might make?
I can't tell you how thrilled I am to have brought this home courtesy of placing a small wanted ad in the local smallholders magazine.
So your task for the day is to either:
1. guess what this actually is, or
2. make some daft suggestions as to what else it might be used for.

20 comments:

Whispering Walls said...

You're not throwing pots are you? Or is it a curds and whey separator?

Totty Teabag said...

My first thought was cream separator, but then I thought it was maybe a cream un-separator. My antique Kenwood has a little gadget that turns unsalted butter and warm milk into double cream. Then you can have fun turning it back into butter.

KAZ said...

It has a pic of a cow on it - so I thought it might have something to do with cream or cheese making.
However, on closer inspection the cow seems to be eating from it - so do you use it to make cow cakes?

Eurodog said...

A milk pasteuriser?

Hannah Velten said...

Looks like a sort of mincer to me, but then what do I know????

Flowerpot said...

well something to do with butter making. Or a weird form of torture??

Mopsa said...

No, WW, nothing to do with clay, your 2nd guess is much closer.

Totty - you are exactly right; it is a CREAM SEPARATOR (skimmed milk comes out the bottom tap and cream out of the top, and then I can make butter, clotted cream etc and give the pigs the skimmed milk or make it into cheese etc). Never heard of a cream unseparator though.

KAZ, FPot and Eurodog - you were all on the right lines.

Hannah - an intriguing guess.

None of you went for a completely daft suggestion though; I thought someone might say it was for candyfloss, or doughnuts, or to mix a little happiness.

Totty Teabag said...

That's probably because we all thought there might be a prize...

Pig in the Kitchen said...

ooo, it does look beautiful. I'm going to go with something that spins around and around, and possibly grinds at the same time.
Have I won?!
Pigx
And i haven't scrolled down to check your answer...

Pig in the Kitchen said...

Ah, ok, a cream separator. That was going to be my next guess.

Mopsa said...

Prizes eh? OK. When I make my first pat of butter I will think of you all. Oh, and I'll also clear the crumbs of the table - born slut, me. Basically it's a centrifuge with a gorgeous round cauldron on the top and a pair of spouts.

Uncle Dick Madeley said...

Does it turn sheep into pâté?

Mopsa said...

Dick - not sure you could fit a whole sheep in it. Lamb pate perhaps?

Anonymous said...

It looks quite, quite wonderful, it made me sentimental for old times and I want one, now please. But when you come to clean all those multitudinous little 'cups' hang them along the aga to dry and they drip unbeknown into the gorgeous pan of cream you’re scalding - remember your love for it!

Sour lemons...just jealous - want one!

Anonymous said...

In fact very jealous - can I come and stroke it?

Mopsa said...

Paula - you may come and stroke it any time. First I need to clean it, then we need to milk one of your lovely cows, next I need to remember how to use it - have only used one once before! - and then we can chortle over cream and butter making.

Mutterings and Meanderings said...

Oooh, you can send some Devon butter up for me to taste test for you!! Devon knows how they makwe it so creamy ... or is that custard?

Mopsa said...

M+M - the very least I can do is put up a photo of my first batch and you can lick the screen.

mountainear said...

In urgent need of cream here too....could trade for asparagus (she says hopefully........)

rilly super said...

pdkunvno wonder those cream teas take so long to arive in devon tea shops if they have to make then with one of those things mopsa