#TOOLS
For drying: a drying rack, a wooden board, hammer and nails, metal wire, a large tray that fits in your oven, a wooden frame and a piece of sturdy fine mesh. Loes Bogers, 2020
This is a list of the materials and tools needed (apart from the ingredients) to recreate all 25 recipes listed here. In an effort to keep it most accessible, note that most of these will already be lying around your house (or studio, or workshop).
Gathering your supplies: Do-It-Together!
Best is to form a small group of people and do the experiments together! Between you, you can probably get most of the materials listed here. If not, a trip to a thrift store won't break the bank.
Dedicate your utensils to non-food only
Used kitchen utensils are great option anyway because you will need to dedicate them to non-food only. Although a lot of these recipes work with mostly natural materials, none of these recipes are considered to be fit for consumption. Any utensils used here are best kept apart from utensils used for food preparation.
Biolab supplies
Only the lab materials needed for the bacterial dye are missing from the images below as I did't have access to them during the outbreak of the corona pandemic. Perhaps it's worth getting access to a biolab or chemistry lab at a high school to do the bacterial dye, before setting up a small biolab (which requires some special tools like an incubator and a pressure cooker).
Space needs and smells
Choose a space where you can make a bit of a mess, where there's ample space to let things dry (flat surfaces and hanging), preferable near an open window or other place with air flow. Humid environments will affect the materials' behaviors during drying, curing and growing.
Ideally you have access to do washing up easily (a sink, or maybe even a dishwasher), and access to a fridge or freezer to store inks and dyes (make sure to label them very clearly indicating it is not for consumption or dedicate a shelf to non-food only).
Some of the recipes can get smelly, so consider the people you share a space with and let them know when you plan to be cooking materials (dyes/inks, and gelatine-based bioplastics can get very smelly).
Protection
When working with inks and dyes, consider to protect your surfaces by coverig it with a piece of plastic. Wear some clothes you don't mind staining.
##Kitchen utensils & household tools
Dedicated to non-food only: strainers, pots, thermometer, a syringe, a knife, and kitchen paper, Loes Bogers, 2020
- Cooker or stove (optional: temperature controlled)
- Oven
- Cheesecloth or clean towels
- Baking paper
- A knife (to cut vegetables)
- Pots (small and large)
- A precision scale (capable of measuring 0.1 grams)
- Spoons
- a whisk
- bowls to weigh ingredients
- A large bowl
- A large oven dish
- Wide glass jars (approx. diameter 20 cm, 15 cm deep) for kombucha growth
Moulds: a silicone mat and acrylic sheet for sheet casting, small bowls, ice cube trays or egg holders (or any other materials you could use as moulds), Loes Bogers, 2020
Glass jars with lids, big and small, and a wide glass jar (collectig some nice looking ones really helps to save up and separate food waste), Loes Bogers, 2020