How about a stove that let's you know something is burning?

I had plenty of time to think while cleaning out the burnt beans in this pot.

How about a stove that let's you know something is burning?  Or better yet, shuts off the burner if something is burning?  If that's too hard, how about a stove that shuts off burners after say, ten minutes, or 15, or whatever you set it for?  If you need it to cook for a long time you could set it for however long you wanted.  We have irons that automatically shut off, why not stoves?

Not only would that have prevented this burnt pot, but it would mean we wouldn't have to return home when someone says, "I don't remember if I turned off the stove?"

Maybe I was thinking about inventions because I'd read a blog post at cracked.com about seemingly absurd inventions:

• Dry water
• A pedal-powered wheel chair
• An ejection seat for helicopters
• A solar flashlight
• An inflatable anchor
• Goggles for dogs (doggles)

You can see why the author decided these were not gag gifts.  Of course, I always like situations where the ridiculous turns out to make sense.  They remind us we always need to keep open minds and not close off possibilities. 


Before posting this, I decided to check to see if such a stove exists.  I didn't find a stove, but I found a gadget you can connect to an electric stove (we have gas).  Apparently this product is aimed at  "those with dementia who still have good stove skills and judgment."  I think their marketing is way too limited, and stove manufacturers should offer this sort of feature.  Here's how it works:

Electric Stove

• works normally when person is in cooking area
• Automatic timer begins countdown when person leaves cooking area [it has a motion sensor]
• Stove turns off when preset time has elapsed
• Stove turns on again when sensor detects person or when dial is manually turned, depending on the model
• Assess person's cooking skills for safe usage

This is from Thecaringhome.org.