The 10 Best Play Kitchens for Aspiring Little Chefs

Best Overall

Little Tikes Real Wood Kitchen with Island

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Our Ratings

• Setup
  4 /5
• Design
  5 /5
• Accessories
  4 /5
• Durability
  5 /5
• Value
  5 /5

Why We Recommend It

The Little Tikes Real Wood Kitchen with Island tops our list because of its 2-in-1 design that stood out among the other 21 play kitchens we tested. The design includes awooden kitchen and island—both easy to assemble and durable. The only tools we needed for assembly were a pair of screwdrivers and pliers, and fitting it all together only took about an hour. Once finished, we introduced the kitchen to an ecstatic 4-year-old, who adored the kitchen’svibrant blue color and accessories, like pots, pans, a butcher block, and pretend food—including a realistic turkey with removable legs to share with friends and fish you can cut in half.

Our 4-year-old kiddo used the island as a prep space before placing food in the oven, which opened like a real oven (pull down) rather than a door (to the side). Withadditional sounds and lights, like one in the oven to see food cooking, andeasy-to-use knobsfor appliances, there’s no shortage ofpretend play opportunitieswith this play kitchen.

Between the durable wooden material and separate kitchen pieces, the $153 price tag is about average compared to other play kitchens. Additionally, you’re paying for atrusted name brand(Little Tikes), so the play kitchen should last you through multiple years or kiddos—and, indeed, in long-term testing, this one held up like new.

Key Specs:

• Age Recommendation:3 years and up
• Dimensions:30.50 x 14.00 x 35.00 inches (kitchen), 19.30 x 15 x 18 inches (island)
• Product Weight:52 pounds (play kitchen and island combined)
• Material:Wood
• Accessories Included:12+ total (pots/pans, butcher block, play food)

Price at time of publication: $153

Best for Small Spaces

Hape Kid's Gourmet Wooden Play Kitchen

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Our Ratings

• Setup
  4.5 /5
• Design
  4.5 /5
• Accessories
  4.5 /5
• Durability
  5 /5
• Value
  5 /5

Why We Recommend It

If you’re working with a small space, choosing the Hape Gourmet Kitchen means you don’t have to sacrifice functionality or style. Coming in at fewer than2 feet wide and less than 1 foot deep, it has a sink to wash the dishes, a double-rack oven with clickable and turnable knobs, a spice rack, and a two-burner stove to “cook” multiple dishes at once. It doesn’t have any additional accessories, but this is still enough to keep a child busy.

Assembly of the wooden design took only 30 to 45 minutes to complete—afast construction timecompared to other play kitchens we tested. Moreover, the entire setup felt sturdy once finished, and we appreciated thegender-neutral designfor all children to enjoy.

Overall, this children's play kitchen has a classic,beautiful designthat fits in with any home decor. In addition, its small footprint is simply a bonus for those working with limited space.

Key Specs:

• Age Recommendation:3 years and up
• Dimensions:21.7 x 12.6 x 27.8 inches
• Product Weight:17.7 pounds
• Material:Wood
• Accessories Included:None

Price at time of publication: $116

Best Looking

KidKraft Farm to Table Play Kitchen with EZ Kraft Assembly

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Our Ratings

• Setup
  2.5 /5
• Design
  5 /5
• Accessories
  5 /5
• Durability
  5 /5
• Value
  4.5 /5

Why We Recommend It

“This is nicer than mommy’s kitchen,” said a 3-year-old tester when he encountered KidKraft’s impressive Farm to Table Play Kitchen (thanks, kid!). While the overall design of the play kitchen is sleek, the initial impression was anything but: It arrived in more than 30 pieces. However, the assembly process was simple. Thanks to itsclear instructions, it took an hour and a half uninterrupted to assemble.

The large farmhouse sink not only looks stylish but has enough space for washing tiny dishes and hands and rinsing veggies—complete withrunning water soundsand a light-up faucet. A spacious refrigerator opens to keep play food fresh, and it comes equipped with an ice maker that dispenses pretend cubes (another hit with kiddos who played with this kitchen). Additional features include afire-inspired light and sound cooktop, chalkboard (chalk not included), pot rack, and two collapsible storage bins with a wood print. Plus,18 accessoriescome with this play kitchen, including a cutting board and pretend knife to slice the “choppable” veggies from the pretend herb garden.

After a month of testing, the play kitchen showedno wear and tear. Even when we accidentally spilled a cup of coffee on it, it wiped up easily.

Key Specs:

• Age Recommendation:3 years and up
• Dimensions:44.2 x 13.6 x 43 inches
• Product Weight:49.5 pounds
• Material:MDF, wood, metal, and plastic
• Accessories Included:18 total (cutting board, choppable veggies, and pots/pans/utensils)
  

Price at time of publication: $229

Best Sounds

KidKraft Uptown Elite White Play Kitchen with EZ Kraft Assembly

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Our Ratings

• Setup
  5 /5
• Design
  4.5 /5
• Accessories
  4.8 /5
• Durability
  3.9 /5
• Value
  4.5 /5

Why We Recommend It

Aspiring chefs will have a blast with this kid's play kitchen that featuressounds and lightsfor a realistic cooking experience. The cooktop and griddle activate easily thanks to motion sensors that turn the burners red and play sounds to replicate a real stovetop. The knobs also turn and click. The light and sounds of the microwave were a big hit with our kiddos, who loved pressing the buttons to watch the appliance light up and see their food heating up. Additionally, afunctional ice makerdispensing plastic ice cubes completes the fun.

We were very grateful for thesimple assemblyof the KidKraft Uptown Elite Play Kitchen. The kitchen took an hour to assemble, and we only needed an additional screwdriver to finish the setup. Plus, the easy-to-understand directions were a nice bonus. Once completed, the play kitchen boasts a大的冰箱, dishwasher, shelf space, deep freezer, and sink.

Key Specs:

• Age Recommendation:3 years and up
• Dimensions:38.46 x 13.9 x 40.32 inches
• Product Weight:46.3 pounds
• Material:MDF (medium-density fiberboard) and plastic
• Accessories Included:1 (plastic ice cubes)

Price at time of publication: $220

Best Food Accessories

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Grow-the-Fun Garden to Kitchen

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Our Ratings

• Setup
  4.2 /5
• Design
  3 /5
• Accessories
  5 /5
• Durability
  5 /5
• Value
  5 /5

Why We Recommend It

Thistwo-sided play kitchenis double the fun for imaginative play. On one side, you’ll find a home garden where toddlers can plant flowers, turn lights on and off, spin plastic tomatoes, stir honey, and sort shapes using fruit and veggie pieces. On the kitchen side, you’ll find a blender to mix smoothies, a recipe book with flippable pages, a sink, and plenty of space to prep a meal. We loved theaccessories includedwith the Fisher-Price garden-to-kitchen playset, like utensils, pretend food, an egg basket, and more—it really makes a kid’scooking experiencecome to life.

While thesetup was quick(only 30 minutes), the refrigerator portion on the kitchen side did not close properly. Otherwise, we appreciated the manysounds, lights, phrases, and songsthe play kitchen features—agreat toy for 18-month-oldsand up—offering great value for what you spend.

Key Specs:

• Age Recommendation:18 months and up
• Dimensions:17.40 x 22.72 x 30.00 inches
• Product Weight:13.78 pounds
• Material:Plastic
• Accessories Included:30 total (egg basket, pan, meal tray)

Price at time of publication: $78

Best for Toddlers

Step2 Fun with Friends Kitchen

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Our Ratings

• Setup
  2 /5
• Design
  4 /5
• Accessories
  5 /5
• Durability
  5 /5
• Value
  5 /5

Why We Recommend It

There are plenty of opportunities for imaginative play with this toddler play kitchen, which includes a coffee station, cooktop, sink, oven, and refrigerator. We loved the design of Step2 Fun with Friends Kitchen because it wasn’t overly fancy, yet still had amodern style. However, the three-hour assembly of this kitchen was its biggest downfall. We struggled to get screws through the plastic with no holes, leaving us confused and with tired hands (we recommend an electric drill). Once assembled, though, everything feltsturdy and durable, and it held up well after multiple uses.

There aren’t too many sounds and lights in the kitchen, which can be a pro or con, depending on your family’s preference. For example, thestove makes a bubbling noisewhen kiddos cook with the included pot or pan, while the built-in coffee station features a pod machine to feel like the grown-ups. In addition, many otheraccessoriescome with this play kitchen for toddlers, such as condiment bottles, utensils, cups, coffee pods and cups, and more, to add to the kitchen experience.

Bonus: The kitchen is available in four color schemes, including pink!

Key Specs:

• Age Recommendation:2 years and up
• Dimensions:35.75 x 12.5 x 40.88 inches
• Product Weight:24.25 pounds
• Material:Plastic
• Accessories Included:37 total (condiment bottles, cell phone, coffee supplies)

Price at time of publication: $115

Best Refrigerator

KidKraft Mosaic Magnetic Play Kitchen

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Our Ratings

• Setup
  3.5 /5
• Design
  5 /5
• Accessories
  3.5 /5
• Durability
  5 /5
• Value
  4 /5

Why We Recommend It

The spacious refrigerator in the KidKraft Mosaic play kitchen is about as close as it gets to the real thing. In addition to theworking ice maker that dispenses plastic ice cubes, the refrigeratorandtop freezer doors are magnetic. Nine accessories come with this kitchen, including various magnets such as a to-do list, numbers, shapes, and a picture frame (but you can add your own magnets, too). Children can cook meals for the family with the included pan and utensils, then add some seasoning with the salt and pepper shakers.

We loved the little details that added to this play kitchen’s overall character, like themosaic backsplashand gold accents. In addition, it has plenty ofstorage space包括配件和更多。然而, our biggest flaw with this KidKraft kitchen was its assembly. Because the directions were confusing, we had to disassemble everything and start over again. We wish the directions were more precise, and we recommend an electric drill to do the job.

Despite the initial assembly issue, everything wassturdyupon completion, and the play kitchen has proved its durability over time. We’re happy to report that despite having to disassemble everything, there were no cracks to any pieces, and all screws survived the ordeal—even after contact with a high-powered drill. Plus, it'sweathered well, even with an excited toddler who loved slamming doors.

Key Specs:

• Age Recommendation:3 years and up
• Dimensions:40.55 x 12.99 x 39.76 inches
• Product Weight:37.9 pounds
• Material:Wood and MDF
• Accessories Included:9 total (pan/utensils, salt and pepper shaker, and magnets)

Price at time of publication: $165

Best Stove

Ikea DUKTIG Play kitchen

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Our Ratings

• Setup
  3 /5
• Design
  5 /5
• Accessories
  3.8 /5
• Durability
  5 /5
• Value
  4 /5

Why We Recommend It

The cooktop of the IKEA Duktig Play Kitchen is nothing short of impressive. It has anelectric stovetop with two “heat” settings(但是没有实际热)发光红色的touch of a button. While these run on batteries, they shut off after a few minutes to conserve energy. Of course, the modern stovetop isn’t the only part of the play kitchen’s sleek design. We appreciated several other thoughtful details, like windows on the oven and microwave door, S-style hooks to hang accessories (all sold separately), a sink, and extra storage space. One of our favorite features? Athree-position adjustable heightso kiddos can use the kitchen as they grow.

Setting up the play kitchen was cumbersome with lots of parts and pieces, but we assembled everything in about an hour and a half by following instructions closely (in typical Ikea fashion, these have pictures only). The fiberboard and birch plywood showedno wear and tear, even with a 5-year-old slamming the doors out of excitement.

While no accessories come with the IKEA play kitchen, we think this kitchen still has value thanks to itsattractive (and durable) design.

Key Specs:

• Age Recommendation:Not listed
• Dimensions:29 x 16 x 43 inches
• Product Weight:Not listed
• Material:Fiberboard and birch plywood
• Accessories Included:None
  

Price at time of publication: $179

Best Interactive Elements

Step2 Elegant Edge Kitchen

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Our Ratings

• Setup
  2.5 /5
• Design
  5 /5
• Accessories
  5 /5
• Durability
  4.2 /5
• Value
  4 /5

Why We Recommend It

Between thelights, sounds, and included accessories(dozens of them!), the Step2 Elegant Edge Kitchen is full of features to keep kiddos busy. It will also keep caretakers busy, especially initially: This play kitchen took four hours to assemble and includedthree boxes(见下图!)和parts to comb through. We realized the kitchen didn’t come with pre-drilled holes, so we had to break through the plastic ourselves to finish the job. The one-time pain of assembly was worth the excited reaction of the four brothers (ages 3 to 8) who tested this kitchen for us. The kitchen's overall design is stunning, with features likefaux granite countertops, subway tile backsplash, a frost effect on cabinet windows, and a farmhouse sink complete with a stylish gooseneck faucet you’ll wish was in your kitchen.

There are78 accessories包含在这个步骤2厨房,从pretend food and pots and pans to utensils and condiment bottles. For example, when you put a pot or pan on the stovetop, children hear a sizzling sound to replicate real cooking noises. There’s also alight in the refrigerator打开门时自动打开一个d a light in the oven for visibility. A big hit with our testers? The realistic blender and popcorn maker stovetop attachment—the latter has tiny white balls that pop on the inside to mimic the real thing.

Key Specs:

• Age Recommendation:3 years and up
• Dimensions:65.75 x 14 x 50 inches
• Product Weight:69 pounds
• Material:Plastic
• Accessories Included:78 pieces (blender, popcorn maker, coffee pot, and condiment bottles)

Price at time of publication: $427