Finally, A Piano BBQ Grill That You Can Drive Around The Workshop

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that sometimes a little music can add much to a nice afternoon picnic. It’s also well-known that meat cooked over hot coals should be turned regularly to allow for even cooking. This barbecue grille project from [Handy Geng] delivers on both counts.

The project uses a full 88 motors, activated by pressing keys on an electronic piano. The technique used is simple; rather than interface with the keyboard electronically or over MIDI, instead, a microswitch is installed under each individual key.

Thus, when the piano keys are pressed, the corresponding motors are switched on. Each motor turns a skewer loaded with meat, sitting above a box of hot coals. Thus, playing the piano turns the meat, allowing it to be cooked on all sides without burning.

As a further bonus, the entire piano barbecue grille is also motorized, allowing [Handy Geng] to do laps around his workshop while playing the piano and cooking up lunch. It’s a great way to cook up some grilled kebabs while simultaneously entertaining one’s guests.

We’ve seen some other fun grill hacks too – even robotic ones! Video after the break.

[Thanks to moonhouse for the tip!]

36 thoughts on “Finally, A Piano BBQ Grill That You Can Drive Around The Workshop

  1. How do deal with such sublime work! How to relate to such a high form of information, technology, art. My life seems to have lost all meaning, or is it confirmation? Small existential crisis here.

  2. A lot of the stuff on this site is really purposeless. There’s so much useless technology, so much e-waste and energy expended for no benefit to anyone. All of us middle class dads with our eBayed Arduino knockoffs, trying to pass the time between workdays as we desparately avoid confronting the fact that we know that we are worthless, maybe even worse than worthless, that we are not cool and innovative and playful, we are not little DIY tech Magellans in our garages. That we are really just making the moral equivalent of bird houses, but out of cheap PCBs and Neopixels.

    And then there’s this. This vindicates all the hot glue horrors that have been celebrated on this site. It makes the stars line up. I believe in humanity again. We will all be OK now, I have faith. I don’t know exactly where we’re going, but I know who will take us there. If the aliens come and ask me for my leader, I know who I will name. I hope you will join me in my walk into the sunset behind the barbecue piano man.

      1. Yeah if I could edit my reply I’d probably specify “birdhouses no bird would want to live in”.

        It’s all for jokes, BTW. I think everyone here is a very valuable yuman bean and all the things you maker are great and you should keep makering for love and/or profit.

  3. There is a dinner theater in Goodfield, Illinois in a huge converted barn (Conklin’s Dinner Theater) that has campy corny type of melodrama shows. The owner (now passed) and his wife were stars of the show. I was there the night the bicycle piano was premiered. Out on the stage the owner Chaunce appeared pedaling and playing while his wife Mary (who looks like Rita Moreno) sat on top singing a silly torch. The whole place went crazy with laughter.. For two seasons bus tours of tourists would make a stop there just for that show. So thanks for reminding me of that night. The BBQ piano is awesome.

  4. I lost count at 22 about halfway across. I’d say half as many notes as claimed. Working with pianos and organs the spacing is too wide for regular note spacing. Still a recital would be fine, Chopin chopped steaks, Green Onions-Booker T.

  5. This is really cool, especially the spinning kabob. But I think this is where the hack should stop. I don’t really see the point of a moving piano. It just seem very dangerous, not the mention the in-your-face fume as the piano move forward.

    But the spinning kabob? Top notch.

    1. It think the moving function is reasonable, if a bit overdone. You’ll need to store this piano-que indoors, but you’ll want to operate it outdoors, so wheels are a given, just like you see on common single-purpose grills. Being drive-able while playing/grilling is a bit more than needed, but once you’ve added the wheels, why not?

  6. Using MIDI to control the barbecue has some advantages compared to this microswitch solution, apart less cables floating opens a more interesting options.
    Recording a bbq piano session on midi makes easy to replicata and get a well-cooked arrosticini everytime.

  7. My wife, vegetarian pianist:
    “This is… an… abomination!”

    My 8yo daughter:
    “Wow! That’s amazing! It even drives around!”

    This is an amazing work of art. This would make the greatest street food vendor ever!

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