At the last cross-examination the Mallet was still relatively new but was already making an impact having been involved in the construction of most cookers since its release. The Golden Stake was also commonplace, while the Spring and Screw were the most regularly required of the traditional 'basic' parts (everything from the Fuse through to the Wiring). Meanwhile the pattern of a new part with every appliance was well established.
So has the parts outlook remained the same since then, or has there been a seismic shift? Well, since that last report in August 2015 there have been 27 new appliances introduced, with 14 of these being components of a goal set and the other 13 included in regular updates.
As for the parts those cookers call for, let's have a list of all the parts which have featured on more than one appliance during the survey period:
| Part | Number of appliances |
Number required |
|---|---|---|
| Mallet | 19 | 95 |
| Iron Press | 13 | 65 |
| Brass Diverter | 12 | 60 |
| Feather Fan Knob | 4 | 20 |
| Wiring | 2 | 10 |
| Golden Stake | 2 | 10 |
Interestingly only six parts have popped up more than once - this is because the market has pretty much been saturated with new parts. Every quest during the period saw two fresh parts, and every regular appliance also came with a new part, making for 35 implemented in total. That's a heck of a lot!
Also worth noting is the numbers required. In the olden days the number needed of each part to get a cooker into action was highly variable, with some appliances needing as few as one of a part (such as the Popcorn Maker) and others asking for as much as 18 (such as the Orange Deep Fryer). Now it's all very consistent, with five of every called for part needed. This is certainly neater, but I did quite like the variety.
Getting specific, the most frequently appearing part is the Mallet, having been demanded on an empathic 19 appliances, summing to a total of 95 individual requirements.
 |
| Mallet |
It is such an overwhelmingly popular part that this fact probably doesn't come as a surprise whatsoever. But it is undoubtedly the most useful part to gift to your neighbours. Since its introduction the Mallet has been present on the vast majority of appliances, and has established itself as the primary part.
Also comfortably taking places on the podium are the Iron Press and Brass Diverter. With 13 and 12 appliance appearances respectively, these two are streets ahead of the rest, while still being well down on the Mallet. They are generally going in different directions though - since New Year the Iron Press has clocked up five appliances, whereas the Brass Diverter has only managed two. Contrast this with the shape of things at the start of the survey period when the Brass Diverter had a run of seven inclusions out of a possible eight, during which time the Iron Press only appeared once.
Previous parts information posts
08/08/15 Picking apart the parts
17/01/15 Another parts lowdown
03/05/14 The changing parts landscape
14/09/13 Gifting advice (part 2)
17/01/15 Another parts lowdown
03/05/14 The changing parts landscape
14/09/13 Gifting advice (part 2)
In other news, the old basic parts have just about disappeared into obscurity. The Wiring did make the multiple appearances list (albeit both of its inclusions were back in September) but otherwise not one of the classics showed up at all. Considering that there are literally thousands of basic parts in my inventory that is a little sad, but much like with the matter of the number of parts required per appliance, I do prefer the more diverse mix.
In conclusion, the Mallet, Iron Press and Brass Diverter are your best gifting bets. They are the three which have emphatically appeared the most in a landscape which is constantly being reborn. The addition of a brand new part with every single appliance has made planning ahead that bit more difficult in this past year, but at least you can set yourself up so that when new cookers are released it's only the fresh part you have to accumulate in bulk.
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