Orikaso Fold Flat Tablewear: A Product Review
Jan
Orikaso flat fold tablewear is one unique product! Likely a play on the word “origami,” which is the art of folding paper into a variety of decorative forms, Orikaso is a product made of flat colored plastic that can be folded into an entire table set – plate, cup and bowl.
It’s a great idea for people who spend large amounts of time in the outdoors. Bowls and cups, especially, are known to take up large amounts of space inside a loaded backpack or set of panniers, so the ability to have these items fold flat while in transport and then pop out during meal time is certainly appealing.
Unfortunately, as extraordinary as this colorful cook-set might appear, it has a number of flaws that, for me at least, rules it out as any kind of viable tableware.
My biggest complaint about the Orikaso flatware set is that even when folded flat, the set takes up just as much (if not more) space as my normal pot and cup. When pressed flat, the set measures nearly 10.5 inches x 10.5 inches. It’s weight is also nearly equal to that of the pot I use on most of my camping and bicycle touring expeditions. If the set could be folded down to such a size that it fit inside my wallet, then we might have something here. But at the current moment, I see little to no space or weight savings with the Orikaso tablewear set.
Additionally, I find the folding process somewhat difficult. Even after you get used to folding and unfolding the set, the process is somewhat frustrating. The cup, with it’s complex handle, is especially difficult to assemble. After a long day of hiking and/or biking, the last thing I want to do is struggle over the assembly of my plates, cups and bowls. I just want to eat!
Lastly, I have to make note of the fact I’ve never used a separate plate, cup or bowl on any of my outdoor adventures. I usually carry water in a bottle and drink straight out of the bottle… and I cook in a single pot, which I use as my eating bowl, plate, and cup. I understand that not everyone will take this same approach to outdoor eating, but I doubt that few serious outdoorsmen worry about eating off a plate at the end of a long day of exploration.
In summary, I think the Orikaso flatware idea is a good one, but it simply needs to be refined. If the product were lighter and could be folded down to fit inside the palm of my hand, there might really be something here. Otherwise, I see this product as something one buys, uses once, and then never uses again. Either that, or it is the perfect gift for that outdoorsy person in your family who seems to have everything.
Have you used any of the Orikaso flatware products before? If so, what did you think?
Review Status: I purchased this product for myself. Amazon affiliate links are being used in this article.
Yeah, I looked into these a while back and came to the same conclusion, I also used some crushable silicon bowls, and liked them, but lately, I’ve just accespted that the pot is the part I work around, and I’ve been using a GSI Dualist kit with my wife. We love it.
How refreshing to read a review from a reputable source which tells it as it is, without “gilding the lilly”!
I tried the Orikaso cup, and reached similiar conclusions to this reviewer: awkwardly large when flat, and insufficient weight saving to compensate for the extra fiddling required to put it together.
Clever, in its way, but not there yet.
I first saw it in a web site devoted to lunch accessories for those who pack their lunch. in that context, perhaps it has an audience. Or in the context of a group setting where you don’t want everyone dipping their spoon in the pot. but I can see in the context of one or two backpacking, it wouldn’t really be a help.
thanks for the info.
I don’t know. I don’t do a lot of ultra light backpacking, but camping with Boy Scouts and this is the best cup I’ve ever had. I’m not counting ounces, but the flat shape slides into my pack much easier than any non-folding or telescoping cup. I don’t have the bowl or plate, but I’d get one in an instant if it were still available.
Hello there everyone. Im sure this product is not for everyone but Iv been using all the Orikaso products at work, travel and at uni while living on campus. I have found fawls in all there products but I find the fact I can flatten the items down and stuff them back into the bag they come from so neat and tidy. Iv traveled around to various countrys and I always take a set. Its just so much nicer having a plate when you can have one. When camping I always find cups and bowls to be odd shapped and take up alot of space. This is where the Orikaso comes into play. Only one thing I dont like about them being plastic you cant heat things in them not on a fire or microwave. With the cup you goto watch what angle you hold it so you dont spill the contents on yourself. But how about try a set when going on a picnic! nothing better than the square plates!
Hi All,
Sorry I’m a bit late to the party, but as they say, better late than never! 🙂
A couple of years ago, I bought a set of these things. The picnic set: 2x plate, cup, XL bowl. They come in a range of colours, the red set I went with apparently being the least translucent. I can say that over the time I’ve had them and in my experience, they absolutely don’t fatigue in the folding and do not retain food odours.
I’m a lightweight hiker/camper/cyclist and agree completely that when alone, these things make no sense at all. You’re not going to beat a single pan cooked and eaten from for size/weight efficiency. And I think that this is the point that the orig reviewer was hung up on. If you’re on your own, a single pan for cooking and eating from is the optimal solution. There is no way to further reduce weight or increase funtionality from that.
BUT
and it is a big but, if there’s more than one of you, the picture changes. Suddenly, you’re still cooking from a single pan, but don’t you both need a plate/bowl (delete as appropriate)? I’m sure that one pan and two spoons has its attractions, but let’s assume I’m grabby during meals and its better that I don’t have to sit knee to knee with my travelling companion fighting it out over food from a single container. For the cost of less than 50g per person, everyone gets their own container and tempers remain unfrayed.
As far as ease of use goes, I suspect that if you have difficulty in the long run with folding and unfolding these things, you should probably not be allowed to operate heavy machinery or be trusted with edged tools. Come on. How difficult can it be to fold along the dotted lines indicated? To illustrate, here is a couple doing a review, apparently looking concerned at whatever their off-camera offspring were up to and simultaneously doing the folding in seconds with no problems at all..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUtGO2rxAZ0
Downsides are that the plastic does soften with boiling heat and heat retention is poor. With a thin layer of insulation, I’ve found that both of these can be overcome, although to be honest, I’m ok to live with both for the convenience of light, pack flat travel crockery.
Additional advantages are the obvious: free chopping board and wipe clean convenience after the feeding frenzy is over.
Finally, I get that flat (unfolded) the plate, bowl and mug all measure about 10″ diameter. However it’s flat flat flat. A couple of pieces of paper thick. It’ll slide into your pack, around the rest of your load, curving to comply with the pack’s outer wall. A trick that solid/conventional cups/bowls can’t emulate. It solves the perrenial problem of the container in your pack. They contain volume when you want them to, and have only two dimensions when it suits you. Kinda like the telescoping car radio aerial. There when you want it, gone when you don’t.
I hope this has been helpful to you all.
cheers
Paul
I have been using these plates, bowls and cups for many years now and find them brilliant. They pack down great against the side of my rucksack and clean easy after use. The cup has a large capacity and works alongside my cooking pans as a measuring cup and also as a secondary utensil for holding vegetables etc before plating up. I have bought a few sets just in case I have company on my adventures, but only used one set which is still in working order. I used them in Great Britain, Australia and in the USA and they proved totally valuable, especially when going through customs and excise. Brilliant product and doesn’t deserve the poor comments previously shown. You won’t find anything smaller and better just yet!
I have own mine for years and I love it. It packs flat and I have never had a problem putting it together. Matter of fact it’s always an event when I take it out and the Boy Scouts watch me put my mess kit together. They are always in awe of it. No leaks and very sturdy.