Emoji Kitchen: Cooking Up Something New
Do you remember the time when 😎 + 💩 was just sent back-to-back in a few group chats? Google said it could do better and Emoji Kitchen was whipped up—a bold feature that lets users mash emojis together as if they were kids making all sorts of shapes with their Play-Doh. Launched in 2020 via Gboard, Emoji Kitchen has become a global phenomenon. If you ever wanted to express “angry clown” or “robot love”, now you can do so unapologetically and with flair.
How Emoji Kitchen Came to Be
Emoji Kitchen made its first appearance in early 2020 on Gboard for Android but was only officially launched in February of the same year. It allowed users to create mash-ups of stickers by tapping two emojis and using them in chats to better express themselves.
Google rapidly expanded the library after the launch and by December 2020, there were over 14,000 combinations across emoji sets. By the middle of 2024, Emoji Kitchen had over 100,000 unique drawings. It continues to evolve and capture nuanced expressions across emojis.
Smart Mixing Logic
Behind the scenes, a set of what’s dubbed as “emoji mixing rules” are at play. They dictate how mashups appear.
For example:- Face + face = blended expressions (e.g. happy + sad)
- Face + object = object gains a personality (e.g. heart with eyes)
- Face + animal = anthropomorphic cuteness (e.g. 🐸 + 🥳 = party frog)
How Weird Combinations Can Be Challenging
Some mashups test the limits of design. For example, drawings such as 💩 + 💘 (poop in love) or 🤡 + 🥲 (sad clown) require designers to carefully balance clarity, emotion, and humor. As Daniel said, their goal is not just to be silly, but to capture complexity in communication. Artists often prototype numerous versions before finding one that “feels right.”
Gameplay
Emoji Kitchen turns the experience of using emojis into an interactive art project. Online conversations become canvases for bursts of creativity. It doesn’t matter which platform the users are on; they are invited to “cook up” something new and fun.
Users became chefs themselves by combining two emojis as if they were ingredients in a recipe. This results in a custom sticker mashups that can be all sorts of things—crazy, funny, or bizarre. This encourages users to have a go at it and create unexpected pairings.
The opportunities of discovering something is what encourages users to use and explore Emoji Kitchen. Some combinations may have obvious results, but others result in unexpected hybrids. Because users can randomize combinations, this makes them feel like playing the slot machine of creativity.
Some examples of popular mashups are a vampire clown and a crying cactus. On some platforms, the emojis are accompanied by animations and sound effects, making them more interactive and interesting.
Emoji Kitchen is not just fun, it encourages people’s creative juices to flow. It makes people think too. What would happen if they combined two emojis together? The emojis are also open to anyone’s interpretation.
More Than Just a Gimmick
Emoji Kitchen has grown from just being a sticker generator into a digital mirror of the diversity of feelings involved in current communication. From TikTok dance challenges to children using emojis to express themselves in academic institutions, this feature is here to stay and will continue to be used in surprising ways. So, go ahead, mix that cactus with a kissy face. No one will judge you for being expressive.
