Cool Kitchen is the third stuff pack release, and possibly one of the most talked about packs yet. It promises the best furnishings to make the coolest of kitchen spaces, clothes to match, and an all new frozen delight feature. If you’re undecided about investing in this pack, here are a few things you can consider.
Build/Buy Mode
Let’s begin with what we get in the build/buy section. For starters we get a whole lot of new kitchen clutter, such as;
- A new spice rack
- A plate holder
- A poster with various different options
- Cook books
- A wall holder for knives, and others.
All of which are extremely fitting and tie everything together perfectly. Sometimes it’s the little things that can make a room feel complete, and these certainly do so. I just love the new flowers, and with these new decorative items my sims kitchens will never be bare again!
Yet as for the main items, we seem to get only one new option each. For example, 1 new stove, 1 new style of counter/island, 1 fridge, etc.
Honestly this was a little underwhelming. Despite this, the items themselves being appealing and great new items for a rather stylish looking kitchen (I shall be using these in many of my future sims houses!).
I do feel there could have been a couple more different options, instead of 1 new counter/fridge/etc. perhaps 2 or 3 would have been better, as we may find ourselves having very similar looking rooms each time we build. It’s always nice to have more variety.
Create-A-Sim
Getting into the new CAS items, right off the bat there are a lot more than I expected from this pack. We have a few new hairs for women, a couple for men, and a myriad of clothing options for both.
The hairstyles are absolutely lovely in my opinion, my favourites being the side flip and little bun shown below, which I just know I will use frequently. The bun fits rather nicely into the kitchen theme – keep that hair back when cooking, people!
What’s interesting about the CAS items in this pack is there seems to be a little more focus on the adult females. They get 5 hairstyles whereas males only get 2. The clothing options are fairly balanced between them however, and I must say that although at first I wasn’t too keen on most of the items, they grew on me after a while of playing around with the colour options. Some give off a slight 80’s or 90’s vibe with certain colour combinations, which is pretty cool if you ask me. If you like what you see below, maybe this pack is for you.
Aside from the one full outfit each, which is possibly my favourite as it is the most relevant, I’m not sure whether the other clothing items fit in with the theme of the pack very well. The skirt for example reminds me of Into The Future, and I’m struggling to see how it works in a kitchen. That being said, however random they may seem, they are certainly a wonderful addition to any sims wardrobe! Below are just a few examples and some of my favourite, more neutral combinations so far.
And you may have already heard, but it is indeed true that there are no new children’s items whatsoever. Now I’m not sure why, but it is certainly on the disappointing side for those of us who love to play with families! Our cute little mites may need to wait until the next pack for fresh new looks, but how sweet would it be to see them in aprons making a mess in the kitchen, trying (and maybe failing) to make ice cream, or bake cookies with their parents? Potential idea, EA?
Ice Cream
I don’t know many people who don’t like ice cream, and that goes for sims too. This is by far the best thing in this pack and it does seem that this was their main focus. This little thing has an impressive combination count of potentially over 2000 (correct me if I’m wrong); 30 flavours, 10 garnishes and 8 toppings, with the option of “none” for both of those too. Here are some personal favourite combo’s so far:
- Chocolate Ice Cream + Orange Slices + Caramel Syrup
- Mint Chocolate Chip + Waffle Pieces + Chocolate Sauce
- Twin Roses + Peppermint Sticks + Whipped Cream
Not only do these creations look yummy, they also give your sim different moodlets depending on their traits and the flavour/combination of the ice cream. I hear sims who love the outdoors have a liking for the flower garnish – how pretty!
There are also secret reactions/moodlets for special flavours, for example “Plant Matter” and “Dragon’s Breath”. These are extremely fun to play around with, just make sure you have a sim who’s decent at cooking, or you’ll be spending a while leveling their skill so you can experiment! There are some very, very interesting things that may happen to your sim, and they’re rather interesting to deal with!
Take caution when eating multiple bowls of Dragon’s Breath… Just so you know.
This aspect alone bumps up the value for money in this pack, although there is a little limitation with the new build/buy items, they do still make very beautiful, homey kitchens.
Overall I feel it’s definitely worth getting this pack if you’re interested in and excited about the ice cream feature. The amount of combinations mixed with the different moodlets and special effects and outcomes make this extremely fun to play around with. How long the fun and intrigue lasts however, is up to the way you play. Otherwise, the few items we get in CAS and the build/buy mode may not have been worth the price alone, especially seeing as there is really only one outfit that, in my eyes, fits in with what this pack is supposed to primarily be for. And there is only one new style available for the kitchen items, where I feel there could be one or two more as this should have been a very important factor – considering the title of the pack. I also think it is worth noting again that there are no new items for children at all, if you’re one to be excited about new stuff for kids (seeing as there isn’t much already), don’t count on this pack to provide anything for your little tikes.
SCORE: 7/10
With everything said and done, I do still very much enjoy this pack and the items in it. It’s very fun to experiment with, and although some items do not seem to fit the theme or there are too few options, they are still very pretty and I will continue to use them in my game.
Feel free to let us know what you think about this pack too, and any interesting happenings you’ve encountered in your ice cream exploration. Or what your reasons are for not purchasing, if that is the case. Have a great day, everyone!