So you’ve been following along with all the mini cooking hysteria, but you’d prefer something that involves a little less, well…fire (and planning)? Well you got it. This post is for you! (don’t know what I’m talking about as far as mini cooking goes? – go here first)
See also: Working Vintage Toy Ovens
The Edible Kind
Popin Cookin!
Popin Cookin by Kracie is a Japanese diy candy brand. These products are sometimes called Happy Kitchen. You can make real food look alikes that can then be eaten. Their flavors however will be sweet rather than their savory counter parts. These kits also vary in scale, most being about about right for an 18″ doll, but as they’re powder and taffy you can definitely make smaller portions. These are the tastiest option on this list for sure.
These sets range from $1.30 – $4.80 on whiterabbitjapan.com and make:
- parfait
- sushi
- hamburger
- donuts
- cake
- pizza
- bento
- ramen
- etc.
Buy your own here.
Some of these involve more advanced sculpting techniques than others. Definitely check out the kit you’re planning on buying on youtube first.
Ingredients (as listed for the sushi kit – these are not vegetarian or vegan as they contain dairy products and gelatin, the ramen kit also contains squid):
Sugar, Dextrin, Vegetable Oil, Lactose (Milk), Starch, Corn Syrup, Reduced Mizuame Sweetener, Gelatin, Fermented Milk, Concentrated Yoghurt (Milk), Milk Protein, Glucose, Processed Starch, Acidulant, Calcium Carbonate, Flavouring, Gelling Agent (Sodium Alginate), Sorbitol, Natural Colouring (Caramel, Vegetable Colouring, Squid Ink [Mollusc], Gardenia, Red Yeast Rice, Safflower), Thickener, Calcium Lactate, Calcium Sulphate, Emulsifier, Glycerine, Sodium Pyrophosphate. May contain Egg, Wheat.
Check out Ciara Meek’s 25 days of Popin Cookin playlist:
Yummy Nummies
These sets do often involve a 5 to 10 seconds in the microwave. Download PDF instructions for the set you intend to buy before purchase on the company’s website.
These kits come with powder to be mixed with water and are about the right size for an 18″ doll. All you’d have to do to scale them down is to half or quarter the “recipe.” Try make up tins for your pizza mold. This is the realest “cooking” option on this list.
You can find their product listing here. These sets can be found at toy stores for about $20 each.
I have yet to find Yummy Nummies intgredient information.
Check out N’s Yummy Nummies youtube playlist:
The Cute, but Inedible Kind
Konapun
My personal favorite on this list. No cooking at all, and it being inedible means it lasts a bit longer for pictures and such – because you know me…
Konapun from Japanese toy maker Bandai has been producing mini cooking sets long before the craze began. These sets allow you to “cook” miniature food by mixing various powders with water. No flame or real metal cooking tools involved, just cute colorful plastic and patience.
These may be inedible, but your dolls and mini scenes will still love them. They are about 1:6 scale – also called playscale and pair well with barbie and rement accessories.
You can view all their current sets here or by clicking through the list below. Most of these sets were originally priced at 1000 yen (~$9), with the larger kitchen pieces ranging from 2500 – 5000 (~$22 – 45).
Considering they are now out of production they vary in price, but can be easily found on ebay and amazon just be wary of the price as some are now quite expensive.
2008 Sets
- Konapun Parfait Kitchen
- Parfait
- Lunch Plate
- Konapun Cooking Studio
- Curry Rice
- Spaghetti
- Fried Lunch
- Lunch Box
- Short Cake
- Pudding A La Mode
2009 sets
- Parfait
- Fruit Tart
- Cooking Studio – Kuru Kuru Mixer & Raku Raku Pot
- Sushi
- Chocolate Cake
As listed on Kids Web Japan “The key ingredient in Konapun (konameans “powder”) is sodium alginate, a kind of fiber that is contained in seaweed and dissolves easily in water.”
Youtube user AAAJoken has quite a few videos of these sets in use. Here’s their playlist of all 19 videos.
Konapun does dry and darken over time. You can decide whether you’re okay with the effect and keep it, but some gets a bit gross looking. It’s a good idea to varnish it with actual varnish or clear nail polish to keep it from cracking once dry.
Kutsuwa
Kutsuwa makes erasor kits – many of which make little models of food.
You can find their kits to make sushi, hamburgers and sweets here for $6 – 23 each. They come with a clay material and molds. Once you have the pices together you submerge them in water and microwave.
A great thing about these sets is that you can use the molds over and over again as long as you replenish the material. And they last forever for sets, playing, or for erasing so you don’t have to worry about darkening, rotting or throwing away.
If you’re up for using the oven, Sculpey sells eraser making material that molds and bakes just like polymer clay. It is not a kit however and you would have to mold the material yourself of purchase molds separately.
Find the clay here – 6 colors for $14.99. I believe you can find it for less in craft stores.
And some traditional, non-kit based non-edible kinds
Polymer Clay
The old stand by for miniature food – polymer clay. Shape it to any scale and any style and pop it in the oven.
You can purchase polymer clay from most craft shop, online and at big box stores like Walmart. Popular name brands are Fimo and Sculpey.
My favorite youtuber, SugarCharmShop makes crazy detailed polymer clay food.
Foam
An a final non-edible option for those of you who prefer cutting rather than shaping.
This blog – Marianne’s Miniverse – outlines lots of different ‘recipes’ using cut packaging foam and paint to make cakes, breads, etc.
So, tell me which one’s have you tried? Which ones are you dying to?