TikTok Is Loving This Simple Hot Dog Picnic Hack

Hot dog lovers around the globe are knocking their noggins in disbelief at the sheer genius of one man's simple picnic hack. TikTok user Andrew Ramsay turned the TikTokverse on its head when he posted a video of himself pulling a hot dog out of a hot water-filled thermos and popping it into a bun. "Well guys, after 34 years I thought I'd seen it all, but then Jill's mum hits me with this lifehack at the picnic today," he says in the video. "Hot dogs. You don't need a barbecue. Just a flask and some hot water." The video quickly went viral (via The World News) garnering hundreds of thousands views in short order. That's no small feat given Ramsay's modest following of just over 400.

Apparently, the genius hack isn't exactly brand new. As Metro points out, Howcast touts the on-the-go cooking method on its website. Even so, TikTok viewers were in awe of the simple trick for including a hot choice at an outdoor picnic.

Viewer reaction to Ramsay's viral TikTok video ranged from incredulous to matter-of-fact. Adcro called the hack "A seriously good idea," while Chomp earned an emoji chuckle from Ramsay, observing, "And you get to drink the lovely hot dog tea, too." Several viewers said they've been using the thermos cooking method for ages. Ellen Deeprose weighed in with, "Geezo. My Mom's been doing this since I was a kid" and Fionamckerell81 said, "We love doing this as a snack when going to see the sunset." Ali M said he takes the hack a step further, relying on it to bypass the concession counter at the movie theater: "I do this with my son at the cinema. Much cheaper and nicer."

Concerns and comments about safe cooking methods were sprinkled throughout the discourse. CharlotteBxox asked, "Do you still cook the hot dogs before putting them in the hot water?" It's a valid question. The USDA Food and Safety Inspection Service says even though hot dogs are fully cooked, they should be served steaming hot to avoid exposure to food-borne bacterial infections like listeriosis.