Calling all wannabe Nigella/Jamie Oliver types...
I have a secret confession to make; I like watching cookery shows. There, I said it. Be it Nigella seductively whipping up a Paella with the everyday items she find in her fridge (personally I don't think you can have enough Squid in your fridge, it's so versatile) or Jamie Oliver putting together a full 3 course meal in only 30 minutes (preparation is the key, apparently...you've got to be organised in a kitchen...) I'll happily watch a celebrity chef cook themselves into a frenzy whilst eating beans on toast or pie and chips. I'm an easy going guy, there's no way I would call myself a "foodie", life's too short to have to worry about what Wine goes with what dish and whether the focaccia should be lightly toasted or just left to air. Don't get me started on how food should look on a plate or whether or not you should bring out the best cutlery for afternoon tea under the gazebo, the pretentiousness of it all brings a wry smile to my face and I let it go over my head although secretly I admire the fact that there are some people who can rustle up an impressive looking meal without breaking into sweat.
This doesn't mean I don't, on a very rare occasion, try to be adventurous in the kitchen though and I can put together a mean curry or bolognaise if I have the time or inclination and whilst the majority of the meals I prepare are the sorts of thing that you bung into the oven and leave for 30 minutes I will from time to time rustle up something from scratch so of course I need the correct tools for helping me with my culinary creations. Enter the Joseph Joseph Elevate Carousel Tool Set.
The right tool for the right job - but comes at a price...
I'll get the price of this carousel set out of the way before I start reviewing it. It's £50.00. Fifty quid for a 6 piece kitchen utensil set, fair enough it's very pretty looking and the tools attach to a swivelling stand but why, I hear you ask, would I spend £50.00 on something like this when I live alone and have already admitted to being an average cook with little enthusiasm for any type of culinary drudgery. This is where my second confession of this review comes in; my carousel tool set was a free gift I was eligible for when I bought my Indesit cooker thanks to a promotion that was running in store at Comet. Nice one I'm sure you'll agree and of course gratefully received although when I saw some of the tools that you are provided with I did think that one of two of them wouldn't look out of place in the office of a gynaecologist but again this is coming from someone who prior to owning this had 2 kitchen utensils; a ladle and a flat edged turner.
So, what makes this carousel set worth someone forking £50.00 out for? You can see from my picture that the utensils are nicely designed with colourful handles and are conveniently put together on a stand that you can turn but is it really worth that sort of money?. No, in my opinion it isn't. But that doesn't mean that they're not useful and as far as kitchen utensils go these are pretty special and incredibly well made with a few funky features which elevate them from being just any old spoons and turners. They have ergonomically designed handles which are comfortable to hold, the plastic tool heads are non stick and can withstand high temperatures and they each have a rest built in to their handles so the actual tool part never comes into contact with a kitchen surface thus reducing the risk of germ contamination. The swivelling stand freely moves and has rubber feet so stays firmly in place and begrudgingly I admit that it's a fine looking thing that does look expensive and the quality of the materials used cannot be faulted.
It's incredibly practical, everything you could possibly need to help create any sort of culinary masterpiece is provided here, you have a spaghetti scoop, a couple of turners which are angled at just the right position to make flipping food easy and deep-bowl ladles which are exquisitely designed. The handle rests are a good idea and mean that you can put down one of the utensils without it coming in contact with the kitchen worktop and when held in your hand the utensils just feel 'right'. They're comfortable to hold and use, wash easily with any trace of food being removed in just a matter of seconds and for anybody who spends a lot of time cooking or making food for their families I do think that they'd absolutely fall in love with this set from Joseph Joseph as I can see that it would hold great appeal.
Overall
It's not a set for the average-Joe I don't think and for me it's wasted really as it's not used often enough to justify the outrageous price tag but mine was free and I'm not sending it back or giving it away to anyone else. I can appreciate its quality, it looks great on my kitchen worktop and when I do use the various bits and bobs I'm always impressed with how easily they handle and what they actually do. Whilst not a designer-brand person myself I do think that anyone with expensive tastes who likes the very best that money can buy would want the prestige of owing a Joseph Joseph carousel set perhaps to keep up with the neighbours or just to have on show as it does make for a conversation piece and does stand out demanding to be admired wherever it's placed in a kitchen. For me it's been an appreciated free gift that I was lucky enough to get hold of when I bought my cooker, even better when you bear in mind I only spent £180.00 on the cooker itself so not too shabby deal all things considered and whilst I personally would never, ever have spent £50.00 on this I do think that for some it would be money well spent.
If you've got the budget for one of these then I'd recommend it, the tools are all dishwasher safe, they're conveniently stored on the stand thus freeing up drawer space and the set looks pretty amazing on display. I could almost see this carousel set forming part of Nigella's impressive kitchen gadgetry collection and for any keen cook or wannabe celebrity chef I think that it'd be a well used, much loved set that would more than justify its high cost and in time would be worth the investment that is made in it.
I shouldn't really award five stars for this carousel set as the price will be off-putting to many but given its quality, look and ease of use I think it deserves it so that's what the Joseph Joseph Elevate Carousel Tool Set gets from me. Thanks for reading my review.
