A Japanese restaurant has combined a deep-fat fryer with a functional goldfish tank — the boiling oil floats on the surface of the cool water, and the fish get to eat all the crumbs of batter that dribble down.
Because oil floats on water, despite the massive heat (163 degrees Celsius) the goldfish simply stay away from the surface and all is well. They eat the crumbs of croquettes and other fried foods that fall to the bottom, and can live in there for 5-10 years as they happily clean away, ignorant to the fact that certain death awaits any potential escapees.
(via Kottke)
Update: Tamyu sez, "The actual video isn`t about the fish – in fact, they are only temporarily in the tank to demonstrate that it is really water. I assume they were removed after the segment. The real topic is the new design for an industrial deep fryer. By putting water in the bottom of the fryer and suspending the heating element above, the oil lasts longer. The crumbs are not sinking down and being burnt as with an oil only fryer. It also prevents the sort of explosion that normally happens when water and hot oil are combined. The water sinks down past the heating element and into the cooler vat before it has the chance to explosively boil. The goal is to reduce oil spending and make the deep fryer safer for employees."
