I'm still trying to understand why I'd buy something from 1) an
obvious SPAMMER and 2) that could only work on an 8 1/2" diameter pot.

If I were so inclined, I'd want it on my chili pot which is... um...
somewhat larger than that. ;-)

I'm rather skeptical of how this works with thick sauces (like chili).
This kind of stirrer is a very common piece of equipment in scientific
labs and while they're very useful, they become less and less useful as
the liquid gets thicker. I can't imagine any kind of magnetic stirrer
being powerful enough to stir thick chili or stew.

I've always thought a kitchen would benefit from a powerful overhead
stirrer, like the ones we use in the lab. It would be extremely easy to
incorporate one into a hood vent - just put the motor up inside the
hood, out of the way, with an attachment where you could clip on the rod
and paddle as you needed it. With an electric motor and various paddle
sizes, it would easily be powerful enough to stir a large pot of stew or
chili, and could work with different size pots and types of food.

It sounds a lot more useful than a wimpy little magnetic stirrer.

Karen