Orcara Cooking with the Master (all 8 sets)

Since I started following the Hollycopter blog and YT channel, I've been intrigued (you mean obsessed, don't you?) with Re-ment and other miniatures.  I mostly gravitate towards the Re-ment brand because they seem to have the best attention to details, but the Orcara Cooking with the Master set also caught my eye and I found one for a great price on eBay.  My kids are wanting to do a what they call a "magic food video" so be on the lookout for that soon.  In the meantime, I'll share each set in photos here.

Set 1 is my very favourite set and really, what made me take notice of the collection in the first place.  That Pyrex, or should I say "Poyrex" measuring cup and those brown eggs are to die for.  The measuring cup looks even better when you take the milk out but I wanted to show the whole set here:

Set 1: Bread (Part 1)

The rest of the break baking items come in the second set.  I love the flour and sugar canisters (they open and come out of the rack) and the bread in the pan (it comes out of the pan) and the bowl of butter (the butter also comes out).

Set 2: Bread (Part 2)

The pasta set is ok.  I love the blue pot but I wish it came with spaghetti spread out so it could go in the pot to be cooked too.  The dry pasta just looks weird in the pot.  If you flip over the spaghetti meal  it is just cooked noodles and it can go inside the colander.  I guess the video that is coming will show what I mean better than I can describe it here.

Set 3: Spaghetti

I could live without the rice set, mostly because I don't cook rice like that and my dolls kitchen will be more modern.  It's cute though and I could see me using the oil jar as a beaker in a science lab.  I might be able to use the barrel without the rice as an outdoor prop of some kind.  It would look cute with kittens in it.  (Oh no.  Now I need kittens.)

Set 4: Rice

I've never had egg tarts before but this set is another of my favourites.  I love that the toaster oven opens and the rack comes out.  The baking pan is really adorable and the tarts look appetizing.  The oven mit is not all that nice though.  It would't be too hard to replace it with a real home made tiny pot-holder.  Then this set would be perfect!

Set 5: Egg Tarts (oven open)

The toaster oven looks really cute closed too.

Set 5: Egg Tarts (oven closed)

I love coffee but I've seen better coffee sets out there.  Basically I only like this set because it's coffee.  The coffee beans look too much like chocolate to me, and the coffee grinder is again, too old fashioned for my kitchen.  I love the coffee percolator and coffee cup (the coffee comes out of the cup, and the lid comes off the percolator) simply because they are nice and neutral.  I have lots of Rilakkuma coffee stuff coming (thanks to the Hollycopter for getting me hooked on that set) so I appreciate having a neutral coffee set.   I guess the basket (with the chocolatey coffee removed) is pretty versatile... and would also look cute with a kitten in it.  Or bread rolls, or anything.

Set 6: Coffee

I like the salad set, but I suspect that if I ever get a Re-ment brand salad set, this one will pale in comparison.  The salad dressing bottle will not stand on its own (I had to lean it against the salad bowl for this pic) and although the picture on the box shows a white bowl, this bowl is clear, and I would have preferred the while bowl.  The knife is cute and the cutting board is cute, and looks like one I have in my own kitchen.  It's nice to have some colourful fresh food on a counter or table, so this set makes my favourites list as well.  For now.  

Set 7: Salad

Ok, now for the Soy milk set.  This one is kind of out in left field, if you ask me.  I mean, all the other sets feature food that are common to make in your own home kitchen, but I don't know anyone who makes their own soy milk at home.  I'm sure it's a cultural thing, but I can't imagine ever using the grey thing, and since the soy beans don't come out of the wooden box, I won't use that either.  I do like the glass jug and glass cup of milk, though.  I will likely use the milk jug with the bread baking sets, since those sets don't have a milk jug (and that's the only step missing from the bread making sets).  The milk for the pitcher doesn't sit all the way down in the pitcher either.  I didn't want to force it down because it looks like it might not come out again if I do.  

Set 8: Soy Milk

So this was my introduction to the world of food miniatures!  Out of the 8 sets there's only 2 I'm not too keen on, and both offer individual pieces I think I could use anyhow.  As I mentioned, I have some real Re-ment coming (and I have a few non-food Re-ment pieces already in my doll accessories), so it will be interesting to see how it compares to the Orcara brand, which I hear is a lower quality.  These minis will make great props for doll photography, but they are fun in and of themselves.  I will definitely be letting my kids use them with their Monster High photo shoots and videos, and they are really looking forward to making a video that shows the food being made (and I'm looking forward to it too!).

What shall I bake today?