# Strange thing in Rob and Laura's kitchen on the Dick Van Dyke Show **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 2, 2019, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262 "2019-12-02T04:21:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2019, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262/21 "2019-12-02T15:43:15Z")
Not only did it juice and blend, it emitted ultra-violet rays that sanitized and eliminated food odours! No more crying over cut onions! [![](http://www.gregssandbox.com/electroway/Image-11.jpg) ](http://www.gregssandbox.com/electroway/Image-11.jpg) [http://www.gregssandbox.com/electroway/index.htm](http://www.gregssandbox.com/electroway/index.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2019, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262/22 "2019-12-02T15:53:41Z")
As to why it’s there, in spite of the cost: the product info says that the Electro-Way company was based in Los Angeles. These things were probably so common in Hollywood and tv studio households that it may not have occurred to the set designers that the thing might not be very common outside of LA. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2019, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262/23 "2019-12-02T15:55:46Z")
Wow, that’s a really over-engineered solution to several non-problems. And I would absolutely hate to have it in my kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2019, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262/24 "2019-12-02T16:06:00Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > My business partner bought a ca. 1965 house last year and the bar area has a built-in mixer in the counter surface. It’s a standard Oster (or some other) and is completely flush with the surface. You just remove the little cap and jam your mixer container on it to mix a drink. One of the houses we looked at (A GE Completely Electric House from the late 50s/early 60s) had one of those still embedded in the countertop. I’m not sure if they had the mixer that fit into it. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2019, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262/25 "2019-12-02T16:06:16Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > This thing would have had the distinct capability of electrocuting its user, I would think. GFCI wasn’t invented until 1961, and most likely few homes had them installed. Having this thing co-located with the water supply would have been just asking for trouble. That was my thought also. Not a great idea having an electric appliance located where water could easily splash into it. > [@kayaker](#): > > I thought this was going to be about Millie Helper. Or her husband Hamburger. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2019, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262/26 "2019-12-02T16:57:16Z")
Hah! As soon as I read the subject line I knew exactly what the question was about. As our resident kitchen mixer collector I have one on display if you have any specific questions. My favorite feature is the “Sterilamps” which are intense UV lamps that promise to decimate all the germs in the sink. I guess you need to wear sunglasses. The Electrosink is a bit safer then you might think as it uses 24vac from a isolated, remote power supply. Behind the facade is a fairly conventional looking faucet and the hot and cold knobs are on the front. It also has a third valve in the center to regulate flow. A “cold” and “hot” button bypass the faucet so you don’t have to fiddle with your preset mixed water temperature. The unit is quite heavy, this was not a cheap item. I tracked down the present version of the company but they really did not have much to add other then it was designed for home use, not a motor home or something. I have the complete owners manual for one. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2019, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262/27 "2019-12-02T17:00:54Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > This thing would have had the distinct capability of electrocuting its user, I would think. GFCI wasn’t invented until 1961, and most likely few homes had them installed. Having this thing co-located with the water supply would have been just asking for trouble. I saw on one of those links that it was 24 V. Probably had a transformer at the place where it plugged in to the wall. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2019, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262/28 "2019-12-02T17:13:56Z")
> [@CurtC](#): > > I saw on one of those links that it was 24 V. Probably had a transformer at the place where it plugged in to the wall. More or less but it is not a plug in wall wart. This uses a lot of power. Each motor is 200 watts and then you have the lamps and various solenoids. It’s a big ass transformer in an electrical enclosure. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2019, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262/29 "2019-12-02T17:38:22Z")
Let’s invent a little backstory here. Probably Electro Sink was a sponsor on the _Alan Brady Show_. We know from other episodes that Rob and Laura were occasionally called on to entertain sponsors. We can surmise that the contraption from the Electro Sink Company as a thank you for a simple but pleasant dinner where Rob and Laura did a song and dance number. But whatever you do, never ask how Sally managed to come up with a mink coat on a TV staff writer’s salary. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2019, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262/30 "2019-12-02T17:57:30Z")
The blender and mixer were ancillary, the main purpose was to wash dishes. It had a sterilizer, a wand, and hot water at the press of a button. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2019, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262/31 "2019-12-02T18:57:05Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > The blender and mixer were ancillary, the main purpose was to wash dishes. It had a sterilizer, a wand, and hot water at the press of a button. Indeed, the Petries’ unit does not seem to have the blender and mixer attached. There’s a somewhat better view, from the front, at around 13:00 in the video linked by the OP, and no trace of any attachments. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2019, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262/32 "2019-12-02T19:23:37Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > My business partner bought a ca. 1965 house last year and the bar area has a built-in mixer in the counter surface. It’s a standard Oster (or some other) and is completely flush with the surface. You just remove the little cap and jam your mixer container on it to mix a drink. The house I lived in as a kid had one of those in the kitchen. It was built around 1964 in Towson, Md. It was in a development of about a dozen houses and the developer built it for himself. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2019, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262/33 "2019-12-02T20:04:47Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > Hah! As soon as I read the subject line I knew exactly what the question was about. As our resident kitchen mixer collector I have one on display if you have any specific questions. My favorite feature is the “Sterilamps” which are intense UV lamps that promise to decimate all the germs in the sink. I guess you need to wear sunglasses. > > The Electrosink is a bit safer then you might think as it uses 24vac from a isolated, remote power supply. Behind the facade is a fairly conventional looking faucet and the hot and cold knobs are on the front. It also has a third valve in the center to regulate flow. A “cold” and “hot” button bypass the faucet so you don’t have to fiddle with your preset mixed water temperature. > > The unit is quite heavy, this was not a cheap item. I tracked down the present version of the company but they really did not have much to add other then it was designed for home use, not a motor home or something. I have the complete owners manual for one. > > Dennis Leave it to the Straight Dope to find someone that has the Straight Dope. Well done Dennis, your mission is now done. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2019, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262/34 "2019-12-02T20:38:08Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > One of the linked articles said this went for $399 in 1963. In today’s dollars that about $3,280. Did comedy writers make that much money? Seems totally out of scale with the rest of their house. A linked article also pointed out that it was $13.08 a month for 36 months. I would imagine the Petries (and others who bought it at the time) were on the installment plan. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2019, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262/35 "2019-12-02T20:57:23Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Leave it to the Straight Dope to find someone that has the Straight Dope. Well done Dennis, your mission is now done. 😉 But wait! There’s more. There were actually four versions of the Electrosink and the one on the show evolved over time, starting with the simple on-the-wall unit and going to the sink top unit without the appliances. As someone noted, the appliances swing out in use with the press of a button. The unit does not heat water, it just bypasses the set temperature with straight hot water when you press that button. The very nice glass jar for the blender was made in West Germany. Here are photos showing the four designs and the early one on the show. The only ones I have ever seen are the fourth design with the ribbed front and mounted appliances. The Petri’s had number one and three. [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/zs7NvEb.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/zs7NvEb) [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/RlLa75j.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/RlLa75j) Electro-Way also made a disposal called the “Disintegrator” which looks like a suitcase nuke and would get you arrested anywhere in the world if you walked around with it. Phillips still makes the Sterliamp line of germicidal lamps but not the one that fits the Electrosink: > **[Sterilamp Light Bulbs from Philips Lighting | Bulbs.com](https://www.bulbs.com/Light_Bulbs/Sterilamp/Philips_Lighting/results.aspx)** > > At Bulbs.com you can purchase over 30 different Sterilamp Light Bulbs from Philips Lighting. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2019, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262/36 "2019-12-03T03:01:14Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > One of the linked articles said this went for $399 in 1963. In today’s dollars that about $3,280. Did comedy writers make that much money? Seems totally out of scale with the rest of their house. You don’t get out much, do you? It’s absurdly common, and has been for a very long time, for TV shows to portray a family living at a level that no real-world counterpart could possibly manage. > [@](#): > > Unrealistic apartments have been part of television from early on. Even I Love Lucy‘s setting stretches the imagination, says Shane Rosen-Gould, a real estate agent at the Manhattan-based Stribling and Associates. > **[Unrealistic Portrayals Of TV Characters' Lives Could Affect How You View The...](https://www.urbo.com/content/unrealistic-portrayals-of-tv-characters-lives-could-affect-how-you-view-the-world-and-yourself/)** > > Some TV characters could never really afford the homes they live in. How is this falsehood changing the way we, the viewers, see the world? > [@](#): > > If you can’t go out and blow your entire paycheck on fancy shoes and a lavish night out, console yourself with the fact that some of your favorite characters would be financially ruined in reality. Then check out this list and vote up the TV characters who shouldn’t be able to afford their lifestyles. > **[TV Characters Way Too Poor To Realistically Afford Their Lifestyles](https://www.ranker.com/list/poor-tv-characters-living-too-well/alexandra-plesa)** > > When you're sitting through the best TV shows to speed watch, it’s natural to suspend disbelief. So when a TV character obviously can't afford the beautiful home they live in, you may not notice at first. After all, you’re basically taking... ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2019, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262/37 "2019-12-03T05:49:51Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > [Imgur: The magic of the Internet](https://imgur.com/zs7NvEb) When I was growing up we had something that looked very much like the unit that’s 2nd from the top on that picture. But it was on the sink behind the bar we had in the basement rec room. That was a big thing in the 50’s and 60’s, a bar in the basement (at least around here it was). My Ma still lives in that house. I know that thing hasn’t been on that sink since at least the early 1970’s. But I’m going to ask her about it anyway. I hadn’t even thought about it for 40 years until I opened this thread. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2019, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262/38 "2019-12-03T08:15:25Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > My Ma still lives in that house. I know that thing hasn’t been on that sink since at least the early 1970’s. But I’m going to ask her about it anyway. If it was really the 2nd version that would be the only one known to the mixer collecting group. Maybe she has a photo at least. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2019, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262/39 "2019-12-03T13:11:27Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > You don’t get out much, do you? I get out a lot. That’s what I do instead of watching TV. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2019, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262/40 "2019-12-03T13:33:32Z")
Very cool. I’ve wondered what it was a few years ago and was never able to determine it. Best I came up with was a water heater, which I guess is part of what it does. I should have asked here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-thing-in-rob-and-lauras-kitchen-on-the-dick-van-dyke-show/844262.md?page=3)