Thinking about XMAS- Favorite Play Kitchens

[geek96]

What is your kids'  favorite play kitchen? I want to get one for DS for Christmas and am looking for suggestions.

[aspentosh]

We got DD the Hape kitchen and separate fridge. She loves it. Smaller than most (a plus for us), and very simple. But it was a great buy.

[Deleted]

I think you're going to get responses from the EIGHTY ZILLION people who bought play kitchens last Xmas. We discussed it ad nauseum, over and OVER.

I bought the KidCraft Deluxe Kitchen last Xmas and it did not hold up well. The dishwasher door snapped off about 4 months in, he pulled the sink out (breaking the flimsy snaps holding it in place), it looks dingy now. So maybe Hape or another brand.

[zarapipe]

I will be the first to rec plastic! I got a step 2 one at a garage sale that has held up great over the past three years.

[NandaB]

I don't know if the search function here actually works, but I used last years giant thread to decide. (Well, kinda) I loved the kidcraft retro kitchen and the espresso one (the one with "stainless steel" because I didn't want something bright and plasticy in my livingroom. We went with the ikea kitchen with the extra top part and its perfect for my 3.5 and 1.5 yr olds to play together. Plus, since its open above the sink they like to pull it away from the wall and play restaurant.

[mandymay]

We bought a Step 2 kitchen at Costco for the Christmas after my daughter turned 1 (nearly 3 years ago) and she's loved it and played with it ever since.

[Yankees21]

How old were your LOs when they started playing with one?

[geek96]

We don't have one but DS turned a year 2 weeks ago. He is watched by a relative who has one for 2 hours a day before I pick him up from work and every single day for the last 2.5 months he is standing there playing with it.

[MadamePresident]

Love my kidcraft expresso kitchen.

[pugz]

We have the 2 piece kidkraft retro and i like it except the faucet snapped off :/

[jinxy]

I bought a kidcraft suite elite kitchen on a fb resale group last year. It was in perfect condition and I couldn't pass up the price. It has held up really well to the abuse my son has put on it in the past year.

[Deleted]

I got this for ten bucks off craigslist.  It looks brand new!  I like it because it has two levels - right now it's at the lower height with the sink in the middle.  When he gets taller the fridge and the stove come together with the counter on top to make more of a kitchenette.

[smilee1079]

I just bought the Melissa and Doug corner one off Craigslist for $30 and love it. DS is 18months old and hasn't stopped playing with it.

[sjh722]

Sept 22, 2014 19:46:24 GMT -5 zarapipe said:

I will be the first to rec plastic! I got a step 2 one at a garage sale that has held up great over the past three years.

Ha, this is what we have too. She loves it and plays with it all the time. I would love a $700 PB Kids version that matches my grown-up kitchen, but I'm sure if I bought it it'd become a dust collector.

[sjh722]

Sept 22, 2014 19:58:26 GMT -5 Yankees21 said:

How old were your LOs when they started playing with one?

She was probably 15 months or so when I bought it? She liked the ones at my SIL's and friends' houses before that though. 

[sometimesrunner]

Sept 22, 2014 19:23:42 GMT -5 aspentosh said:

We got DD the Hape kitchen and separate fridge. She loves it. Smaller than most (a plus for us), and very simple. But it was a great buy.

We have this, too and love it. We bought the white one. It was very quick to put together.

[redpenmama]

We have the PBK kitchen set but scored the deal of the century on Craigslist a few years ago. While it is cute and very durable, I would never consider paying full price for it. We gave it to my DD when she was 18 months, and she began using it right away. She is 3 and plays with it every day now, and I am sure she will for at least a couple more years.

If I hadn't found PBK on Craigslist, I probably would have gotten a KidKraft one.

[jr009j]

Sept 22, 2014 22:12:51 GMT -5 sometimesrunner said:

Sept 22, 2014 19:23:42 GMT -5 aspentosh said:

We got DD the Hape kitchen and separate fridge. She loves it. Smaller than most (a plus for us), and very simple. But it was a great buy.

We have this, too and love it. We bought the white one. It was very quick to put together.

We have the orange one and love it too. I remember gloating to myself last year when everyone else was putting their kitchens together and taking hours and DH put the Hape one together in no time at all.

[speckledfrog]

I stressed a lot about which kitchen to get him last year. There are sooooooo many choices. First you need to decide if you want wooden or plastic. We went with plastic. I narrowed my choices down to a beautiful wooden set and a plastic kitchen with a million buttons to press. I asked MH which he thought W would like and he was all, "Um, duh. The one with all the buttons." Lol. 

Step 2 Lifestyle Deluxe It's one of the larger ones because a) we have the space and b) I knew we were going to have 2 close together and I wanted them to be able to have room to play without being on top of one another.  Also, more buttons. 

[Deleted]

Little Tikes Cook and Grow, it changes height so it can be played with longer.<script type="text/javascript" src="safari-extension://com.ebay.safari.myebaymanager-QYHMMGCMJR/15fb4ddd/background/helpers/prefilterHelper.js"></script>

[smm5623]

We bought M the kidcraft retro kitchen in red last year. It has held up well and she loves it

[sent]

Watching this thread. DD will be 1 near Christmas. I have spent hardly any money on myself this year and I would love to go all out on a kitchen. Even if I have nowhere to put it.