What age did you teach your child to use a cooker

[Newmenewme]

Just ideas or suggestions pls of when children should be able to use cooker /grill / toaster , with or without supervision in your household.

[Ohyesiam]

Toaster about 8, grill and cooker about 10 in my house.
My dd used to bake without supervision, except for removing from oven till she was about 10, then she got brave and did it for herself. My son was probably a year older.

[Twistmeandturnme]

My 12YO can safely use the oven. I wouldn't let them bake alone in the house though.
Toaster and microwave fine. Hob a more difficult prospect: boiling an egg or warming soup yes, frying maybe not.

[PurpleTraitor]

With supervision - oven and toaster - from 3-4 here. Grill, kettle and frying pan, with supervision from 6-7. Frying/sauces/etc last of all.

Without supervision - oven and toaster - depends but generally depends on the rest as rarely used in isolation. 7-8 maybe. My 10 year old can make most things unsupervised now - fry up, Sunday dinner, cakes, etc all fine.

[DevelopingDetritus]

Does everyone know not to put a knife in the toaster to route out the toast if it gets stuck, I didn't know this until I was around 20

[user1483387154]

to start using the cooker, 4 years old with adult constantly there (making omlettes, cakes etc and being responsible for saying when its cooked) Without adult constantly watching over them but in the same room 8 years old. Cooking by themselves (but with adult in the house) making spaghetti bolognaise etc 10 years old.

[Newmenewme]

Thank you for your responses , very much in line with what I'm thinking.

[NotCitrus]

Will depend on height of child and the oven/hob/microwave, and their confidence using a step. Trying to get ds(8) to use toaster and cut own bagels and spread them, but he is extra fearful. Dd (4) wants to do everything - will let her help fry pancakes tomorrow I think, with me right there. Small light pan.

[corythatwas]

I wanted to do the same as user1483, but mine were never really interested.

My SIL had her children up baking and stir-frying from an early age and my nephew is a brilliant cook.

[megletthesecond]

Mine have been allowed to use the toaster from 8.

Both use the oven / cook with supervision but have been taught to simply turn the heat on by themselves. They put the kettle on too and pour the water into mugs.

develop is there a back story to what happened when you found that out? Sounds like a near miss !

[savagehk]

4yo helps cook. He's been shown what all the knobs do and how to be very careful when things are hot / on fire (the gas) and we've reinforced (strongly!) that he must never ever do this without one of us present. He's too short to do anything on his own at the moment as there's the risk of him falling onto the hob (he uses a stepladder to reach when we are there). He likes stirring for instance.

[skankingpiglet]

DevelopingDetritus you need one of these

Interesting thread. My eldest is only 2.8yo but she already pulls up a step to watch me when I'm cooking on the hob. We have a range though so she stands to the unit on one side whilst I cook on the middle burners or those furthest from her. It gives her a good view whilst being unable to touch anything hot. She asks loads of questions and would love a try, although I'm obviously not going to let her! I've been wondering when she would be old enough to stir as it seems an age away at the moment: I think 4yo would be a good time to revisit the idea from what's been said here.

Those of you who say toaster at 8, can I ask why so old? Not being rude, just curious. I was cooking fry-ups by myself (with DM hovering close by) at that age, it just seems like there is very little to go wrong with using a toaster.

[DevelopingDetritus]

Yes, I was wielding the knife towards the toaster and the person I was with shouted noooooo!
Those tongs look very handy. :)