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The Blanda blank.
The Blanda blank. Courtesy Ikea
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At first glance, the Ikea Blanda blank” bowl looks like a normal piece of tableware. It’s stainless steel, and big enough to hold a salad for four—you know, bowl-sized. It’s even called the “Blanda blank,” for God’s sake.

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But based on the experiences of a snacker from Sweden, at least one Blanda blank out there has developed an unusual hobby: setting things on fire.

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According to Aftonbladet, as translated by the Local, at some point over the unusually hot weekend, Richard Walter put a bunch of grapes into his Ikea bowl and brought it out into the sunshine. He quickly smelled smoke. When he looked down at his grapes, they were aflame.

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Walter blamed the mirrored bowl: “There was one intense point where [the sun] hit the twigs,” he said. “That’s where it started.”

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He then set a piece of newspaper on fire by putting it in the bowl, as shown in the video above.

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Ikea told the Local they will be performing their own tests on the Blanda blank. In the meantime, be careful, everyone.

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Every day, we track down a fleeting wonder—something amazing that’s only happening right now. Have a tip for us? Tell us about it! Send your temporary miracles to cara@atlasobscura.com.

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