Anybody know what this is? From a restaurant...

a whole page of coffee roasters

http://www.sweetmarias.com/Roasters-SweetMarias.php

I don't know, it seems weird to me that a pizza joint would roast their own coffee. I would go with something more pizza related, like a flour sifter or cheese grater.

My husband worked at pizza shops for many, many years (starting when he was 13) and he had never seen anything like this. But after careful examination, he votes cheese grater...you would put the big block of cheese in the bottom and then put the tumbler on top - as you would turn it, the cheese would grate into the tumbler and due to the long slits on the side, it would slide down as the cheese block got smaller and smaller. Then you'd remove it and empty it through the hatch.

Maybe it has nothing to do with pizza and the pizza parlor owners bought it as part of an auction lot, not unlike Boffer who ended up with it at auction. I believe it is a coffee roaster. Wish it was mine. Try roasting some coffee and tell us if it works... yummm, fresh roast coffee...

Maybe this will resolve the question of whether it's a grater or a roaster: Do the holes have an indentation that would 'catch' on the cheese to grate it? Or are the holes smooth and flush with the metal of the drum?

The holes are about 3/16 and smooth. I can rub my hand across, with pressure, and not lose any skin or say owie!

Wonder if you'll ever find out for sure what it is? I was just throwing in my guess (coffee roaster part) like everyone else. Don't suppose there is any wording or numbers engraved on it somewhere?

I guess you could always email someone on that sweetmarias.com site! I'll bet some of those coffee fanatics would love to have your whatsit, even even it is not a roaster drum. Look at this page...these guys either have too much time on their hands or they've been chewing on too many of those coffee beans!:

http://www.sweetmarias.com/homemade-homeroasters.php

Now about that salad spinner...were you joking or are you really looking for a good one? :o) Not sure I'd use a metal one. Metal has a tendency to make lettuce rust./oxidize. I have a large and small Oxo brand -- love them! Very efficient at getting the water off lettuce and greens. I love that it has a brake too.

Patti

boffer wrote:The holes are about 3/16 and smooth. I can rub my hand across, with pressure, and not lose any skin or say owie!

I'm glad it's not making you go owi

I'm thinking an old style roaster that was just on display. Hence no burn marks.

My husband and I were going to give you folks the definite answer, but we are too tired after our bad night's sleep last night from sleeping on it...

oh, you're a tease!

How about a tumbler to get excess flour off of chicken wings or something similar?

looks like flour sifter to me.

OK, Martha, you win.......pretty please with sugar on top! What is it?!

PLEASE............. what is it? :suspect:

Still waiting to see if martha is going to tell us what this thing is!

Patti

If it doesn't work out as a salad spinner, my wife said the drum would be perfect for blanching veggies at canning time.

I'm beginning to wonder if Martha is pulling my leg?! :|

In for a penny, in for a pound, I still say a drum coffee roaster http://www.web-books.com/Classics/ON/B0/B701/39MB701.html

It's a coffee roaster. I was waiting for a photo that was going to prove it - at least mighty close to proving it - but I believe the person who told me they had the back-up photo was pulling my leg. However, I still believe the rest of the story we got, ending up with aforementioned coffee roaster.

Now, how are you going to turn it into a planter?

martha wrote:

It's a coffee roaster.

Okay, do I win a prize?? :-) Some Kenyan AA coffe would be good...preferring whole bean and roasted fresh.

Patti