The Plumbus is one of Rick and Morty's strangest unexplained inventions. The animated series has spent plenty of time highlighting the various devices that Rick Sanchez created, and viewers have largely gained an understanding of them as a result, but the Plumbus continues to confuse audiences over its purpose. This is especially true since Rick and Morty says that the device is so common and well-known that there's no reason to explain it.
They were first seen in the season 2 episode "Interdimensional Cable 2: Tempting Fate," with the bulk of its attention coming in an episode of "How They Do It." This show explored how a Plumbus is made and describes it as a common household and office item. Plumbuses are made through an incredibly complicated process, which includes cutting the dinglebop, creating fleeb juice, and much more. While the process is detailed, Rick and Morty doesn't really describe what it can do.
Thankfully, some DVD extras for season 2 of Rick and Morty helped explain what a Plumbus is actually capable of doing. As explored in the latest Screen Rant video, the owner's manual for a Plumbus provides us with plenty of details on the uses of a Plumbus - and they are wide-ranging, to say the least. It can duplicate itself if placed near a reflective surface and also holds cooking, cleaning, and music playing capabilities. The device also has an airplane mode and can climb stairs - but it is very clearly stated that it is not to be used for pleasuring.
With all of these various functions that a Plumbus serves, there's also some additional possible capabilities that they carry. For starters, they are made out of organic tissue in some form, can transmit radio waves, and can create heat. With all of these abilities, a Plumbus could serve a similar purpose as a microwave, just unlike any microwave we've ever seen before. There's also the possibility that all of this could give a Plumbus the same abilities as a regular iron, but the highly advanced space version of the device.
As you can see, there is a lot that a Plumbus can do - far more than any ordinary household item. All of these capabilities have only been hinted at through the owner's manual, but they are accurate considering the source. Considering Rick and Morty's stance on "everyone knows what a Plumbus can do," it is more likely that the series will continue to avoid showing a Plumbus actually being used. But, with multiple new seasons of Rick and Morty on the way, there is a chance that it could surprise viewers in a different way and actually demonstrate the Plumbuses capabilities.