Lasagna batteries are real and might make an unexpected appearance on your Thanksgiving
By Joshua Taylor | Published
Netflix series a man deep inside Season 2 returns on the streaming service with a special Thanksgiving episode. In that episode, a guest brought a lasagna and when the foil was removed from the top, the lasagna was ruined and Ted Danson’s Charles Nieuwendyck revealed that it had become lasagna battery.
The idea of turning lasagna into a battery may seem like something created for comedic effect, but Nieuwendyk assured his guests that it’s a real thing that sometimes happens. He’s right, that’s probably what’s going to happen with your next lasagna, too.
The “Lasagna Battery” isn’t a kitchen myth or an overcooked meme; it’s a cooking method. It’s a true electrochemical phenomenon, where layered food creates a measurable electrical charge. The science behind it is surprisingly simple.
The science behind lasagna batteries
Electricity is simply the movement of electrons from one material to another. A battery, any battery, is made of three ingredients: two different metals and an acidic or salty substance in the middle that allows the ions to move.
Standard Duracell uses manganese dioxide and zinc to achieve this. Lasagna is made with tomato sauce, meat, and an aluminum pan you forgot to pour it out of. Same principles, different atmosphere.
Tomato paste is acidic and rich in citric acid, which makes it a perfect electrolyte. Cheese and meat don’t charge much, but they are excellent separators, pulling metals apart while allowing ions to drift through.
Then add the real power players: metal utensils, foil, or aluminum baking sheets. Put stainless steel in contact with aluminum, with acid in between, and you’ve accidentally constructed a galvanic cell.
Lasagna batteries actually do generate electricity
People often discover “lasagna batteries” the hard way: You put leftovers in aluminum trays, cover them with foil, put a metal spoon or two inside, and walk away. After a few hours, the foil starts to pit, the tray corrodes, or you get weird black marks on your forks.
It’s not kitchen wear and tear, it’s electrochemistry. The metal is slowly dissolving as electrons flow between the metals. While you sleep, your dinner is generating electricity.
A lasagna battery doesn’t produce enough power to run your phone. but it yes It’s enough to cause corrosion, ruin the vessel, and in extreme cases, you’re left with a tray that looks like someone hit it with a blowtorch.
The more contact points you create, the more current you get. More layered? More surface area? More sour? Congratulations Tony Stark, you designed the most delicious arc reactor in the world.
Can you eat lasagna batteries?
Lasagna batteries look terrible, but they’re not poisonous. You can still eat that lasagna if you want, but I don’t recommend it.
Fully charged lasagna tastes metallic and is not suitable for consumption. Some people scrape off the affected layer and eat the rest, which can really solve the flavor issue if you’re not willing to make a new lasagna from scratch.
Food batteries are not new
Food batteries are nothing new. Schoolchildren have been stuffing electrodes into potatoes since the science fair began. But lasagna brings something special to the party: layers, moisture and built-in natural electrolytes.
Cover acidic foods with foil in an aluminum pan, or expose different metals to something salty or acidic, and whether you mean to or not, you’ve built a miniature power plant. That’s a lasagna battery.
