Molecule-R R-evolution edible pearls and foam review with I Want One Of Those

I know what you're thinking - "What the heck is THAT?" All will become clear, I promise.

A few years ago, I got really into baking and then rued the day I mentioned it. Every birthday, every Christmas, all I got was baking books, cupcake stands, icing nozzles and anything remotely related to it until I was inundated. I know, that sounds really ungrateful, but the truth is that if someone has a hobby, they usually have more than enough supplies to do it and won’t really thank you for buying them more. After all, buying supplies is one of the best bits about starting something new.

Anyway, I quietly asked my loved ones to stop, and they did. I only get cookbooks these days if I’ve put them on my wishlist and I haven’t been bought a cupcake stand in six years (which is good, as I haven’t made them in about three years). But it does mean that I rarely get bought adventurous bits of kitchen gadgetry, and sometimes it’s fun to experiment.

So the chaps at I Want One Of Those (IWOOT) must have read my mind, as they sent me some delightfully random kitchen weirdness to play with. And then shamefully, I left them on a shelf for a couple of months, a bit frightened to push my boundaries. Bad SBV. There's so many unusual gift ideas at IWOOT - have you looked lately?


The Molecule-R R-evolution products turn any liquid into edible foam or pearls. I know. WHAT. But it’s true! Both products work in a similar way – they contain a special chemical whatsit that you add to your ingredients, and then include some tools to aid the transformation. It’s surprisingly easy.

Now, if you’re anything like me and you hear the words ‘any liquid’ then you’re probably thinking ‘Oooh! You could try it with booze!’ and so I did. These, my friends, are amaretto pearls. And this is chocolate foam.



Here’s how it works. Add your liquid to a pan along with the Agar-agar or Soy lecithin additive included in your pack. For the pearls, bring it to a boil and then use the supplied pipette to drip them into a glass of cold oil. For the foam, use the foaming device to whisk the liquid, then scoop the foam off the top. Serve immediately - we had ours with some Haagen Dazs on the side.

So what are they LIKE? Well, the texture is pretty weird, I’m not going to lie - the foam is, well, foam and the pearls are like thick jelly, and I wasn't convinced amaretto and olive oil was the best combination. But it kind of works. It feels like something you’d eat at a swanky restaurant, so it’s pretty exciting to create it in your own kitchen. And while they’re not something I’d make every day, I definitely would for a fancypants dinner party or a fun experiment.

The pearls in particular were really simple to make - the foam is rather messier as it splatters everywhere. But they don't take long - although there’s an element of preparation involved (the olive oil needs to be frozen for half an hour, and the foam doesn’t last for much more than half an hour before it hardens) so making it ahead of time isn’t really an option, but these aren’t everyday desserts and I’m fine with that.

I can think of SO many cooking fans who’d be intrigued and delighted to receive these in their Christmas stockings – in fact, I’ll be taking them over to my mum for her to try out too!

What’s the most unusual Christmas gift you’ve ever received?

I was sent these items by I Want One Of Those in exchange for my honest review.