Rosti Melamine now Rosti Mepal Oh So Mod Pod!

Set of four Rosti Bowls by MagicMuti on Etsy, $39 and lovely.

The Rosti - Mepal company is still in business making lovely plastics today. The original Rosti Company was founded in 1944.  Mepal (another Dutch company) was founded in 1950. Mepal and Rosti collaborated in the early days, and over time their modern and functional designs became timeless icons in the kitchen industry (cookware, storage, and baking plastic products.)

This photo, from the official Rosti Mepal site, shows the popular Rosti bowl design kept alive !

In the early 90's, (1993 to be exact) Rosti and Mepal merged, so the company is now known as Rosti Mepal and is located in the Netherlands. It keeps alive the old popular lines of kitchen cookware like the mixing bowls, but adds other cool household products from time to time.

See the whole line of these MARGRETHE mixing bowls & Rosti Mepal products here.

Egon Wolff started the Mepal company--and since 1950 was known for his high end plastic products. Although the same "Margrethe" mixing bowl designs are still produced today, vintage ones are still easy to find, and highly sought after. They can be functional in your retro kitchen today!

ModernSpecific on Etsy offers this lovely mixing bowl in bright yellow.

ThankHugh offers this wonderful Rosti pitcher in lime green.

Some find it hard to tell vintage Rosti items from newer especially when the products are still being made and sometimes in similiar colors! Certain colors are discontinued which may help you date age.  The older backstamps differ and have changed over time--I've counted four plus of them.  Good designs stay true over time.

This backstamp, as shown by BeggarsandChoosers on Etsy  , was on my mother's mixing bowls from the 1970's. 

More variations in backstamp as shown by Midwest Splendor on Etsy.  (Left-cursive, Right-words going around the outside and no inside backstamp.)

So how else to tell?  Even more confusing, the vintage items also had rubber non-slip bottoms --like the new, but the old often show rubber that may be dry rotted with age.  Just when you think dry rubber can help you, it can't, as this however could also have happened when a 1990's housewife put in the dishwasher too much.  Some rubber rings will be missing altogether. 

Luola offers this great set.

Whatever the case, mixing the old with the new can make for an interesting kitchen!

Zak Designs New Melamine Confetti Bowls Product Review by Ira Mency

Zak! Designs gets a 94% Satisfaction Rating 

Zak Designs Confetti Assorted Brights Mixing Bowls, Set of 4 by Zak Designs  Buy Them Here.

I'm a vintage melmac collector who HATES new melamine.  Being a greenie I loathe the idea of new melamine being produced today. Here I am with a  blog that promotes buying vintage melamine to keep those items out of the landfill.  I purchased a set of these Zak bowls for the sole purpose of reviewing them with an open mind.  I was certain I would find them unworthy.  NOT SO!

WATCH MY VIDEO!

After studying melmac and melamine production for over 25 years, I could not understand how Zak Designs could have found a way to mold actual BITS or SHARDS of recycled melmac in the bowls themselves and have them hold up. I thought this was absurd aka (in thermoset talk = hogwash.) Upon arrival, I was stunned.  They really were doing it, and making the bowls functional.


Much to my own disbelief after careful product review and rating in five areas including Pricing/Value, Shipping, Design, Eco-Green-Recycling, and Quality, I gave these bowls a 94% satisfaction rating and would indeed recommend them to a friend. Believe me, I'm shocked but I must commend them on their design and care for the environment. Other manufacturers may not be as worthy. In a cheesy video, I've explained why and how I obtained this rating,