Scan barcode
mpop's review against another edition
4.0
This was pretty interesting. It was also a fairly easy and entertaining read, although I found myself putting it down and picking it up again a lot instead of plowing straight through. I learned a lot, and one of these days you can bet that I'll be putting flour in the bottom of a pan to see where the stove burner hot spots are.
The notes in the back were nice, but I prefer footnote style for references. Some of the broader arguments about why certain innovations did or didn’t happen were a little sketchy to me, and I would’ve liked to see more references directly associated with those arguments. But most of the information was believable and interesting.
It is Western-centric, mostly focused on UK/US. Early on there was a bit more discussion of China and I was hopeful for a broader discussion, but references to countries in regions outside of Europe/the US were limited.
I'd recommend it to any kitchen dork (we know who we are).
The notes in the back were nice, but I prefer footnote style for references. Some of the broader arguments about why certain innovations did or didn’t happen were a little sketchy to me, and I would’ve liked to see more references directly associated with those arguments. But most of the information was believable and interesting.
It is Western-centric, mostly focused on UK/US. Early on there was a bit more discussion of China and I was hopeful for a broader discussion, but references to countries in regions outside of Europe/the US were limited.
I'd recommend it to any kitchen dork (we know who we are).
poetkoala's review
5.0
I love histories of things that we take for granted. Impressed that this explores global kitchen utensils and culture.
weboury's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
Great read for those interested in the history of Western cooking, mostly Britain and the USA. The author provides examples and insights from other countries (particularly China and France), but it's mostly about Britain and the USA. Very insightful book and you can tell the author is really interested and moved by what the history of these technologies means for us in the modern day. Really enjoyed it.
ameyawarde's review against another edition
5.0
Micro-histories (I'm not sure if this technically counts as one, but it would be weird to think of this differently than other micro-histories I love (Like "Salt")) are probably my favorite genre (along with place-biography, so unsurprisingly I loved this. It's actually impressive, though, because the kitchen is an enormous source of stress for me. I have executive dysfunction (thanks, ADHD!) and a computerized cooking task is actually one of the ways it is gauged by researchers. So, I was a little hesitant to pick this up just because of all the stress I have surrounding the kitchen (for real, it's a lot), but my love of domestic history won out. I must admit I shuffled hesitantly into the kitchen several times to check out what kinds of pots and pans and veg peeler and other gadgets we had. I even thought, hesitantly, maybe... I will... food process something??? sometime?? Just to watch it, after reading so many pages extolling the cruisinart's wonders (maybe it will even be less scary than I remember it being if I put on our house's new set of ear defenders (sensory issues, too, so loud machines definitely add to kitchen stress).
My friends who have reviewed this before me all complained of the abrupt topic changes, but to me that seems normal for the genre... but again, ADHD, so maybe I'm misremembering. It works well for my brain though, and this was an enjoyable overview of so many different aspects of kitchen/gadget history, and I do feel it brings an extra dimension of knowledge to my extant interest in domestic history. I only wish it had covered more countries! But she did include Chinese history in a few sections, and a few mentions of Middle Eastern cooking, which I have to say is more inclusive than these types of books usually are. But I was surprised that India, as such a major and popular cuisine, wasn't mentioned, almost at all!
My friends who have reviewed this before me all complained of the abrupt topic changes, but to me that seems normal for the genre... but again, ADHD, so maybe I'm misremembering. It works well for my brain though, and this was an enjoyable overview of so many different aspects of kitchen/gadget history, and I do feel it brings an extra dimension of knowledge to my extant interest in domestic history. I only wish it had covered more countries! But she did include Chinese history in a few sections, and a few mentions of Middle Eastern cooking, which I have to say is more inclusive than these types of books usually are. But I was surprised that India, as such a major and popular cuisine, wasn't mentioned, almost at all!
liesle's review
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Interesting and insightful information about the history of cooking. This book traipses from spoon to knife to chopsticks rather than progressing strictly chronologically. I found the transitions from one subject to the next delightful, and enjoyed learning about how the tools evolved for their functions. Lots of anecdotes, both firsthand and historical.
spinachdyke's review against another edition
3.0
wahoo finally finished
3.5, definitely interesting but not as engaging as i’d hoped
3.5, definitely interesting but not as engaging as i’d hoped
kayteeem's review against another edition
Several read out loud to the family moments. Enjoyed the book -- made me take a second look at some common kitchen tools, and wonder if I really do need a food processor and sous vide equipment...