To think that toy kitchens are not what they used to be?!

[PenguinBear]

One of the dc wants a toy kitchen for Christmas. I've searched everywhere and nothing compares to the old 'little tikes country kitchen'. Am I missing a trick here? Is there something as good/sturdy that I've missed?

The only place that sells the country kitchens is eBay and I'm not sure it would fit in my car!

I can't believe there is nothing around like there used to be when my big girl was young. Even the strollers seem no where near half decent.

AIBU or is there a whole world of sturdy, great toys I know nothing about?!

Little tikes country kitchen is very sturdy and quite large. We got DD the wooden ikea one and apart from the complicated flat pack assembly its good and solid and a good play height. Recently they had £20 off via the ikea family card.

Ds has a cheap Argos kitchen that has been played with daily since he got it a year ago and it's as good as new still

My DS(3) has had this one for about 18 months and it's very sturdy - I do agree about some of them though! I bought mine a play shop for his birthday and it was so flimsy and totally impossible to keep together - it's currently discarded in pieces in the corner of the playroom! The kidkraft ones are expensive and you have to put them together yourself (which takes a while!!) but they will tough out most kids - ours still looks great and is played with daily.

www.amazon.co.uk/KidKraft-53186-Cook-Together-Kitchen/dp/B002ODY1CY/ref=sr_1_8?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1355040312&sr=1-8

I got DD the ikea one and it is brilliant - I think she has played with it every single day since last Christmas without fail.

another vote for the ikea one here. DD loves it and spends hours cutting up vegetables to make us dinner. More food & kitchen accessories arriving for christmas

my parents have bought the blue wooden one from mother care. was pricey but very nice and good quality.

NES Arnold
An educational equipment company. I'm sure they would sell to ordinary people too.
Search for kitchens and the higher price ranges, otherwise you get all the food sets showing up.
A sturdy outdoor kitchen for a mere £1200, a contemporary kitchen set for a bargain £500, but they do go lower.

Do you get Step 2 brand there? Their stuff is great,way better than the little tykes imo. They have really great toy kitchens and are not overly expensive
step2

Dd2 had the Ikea one 2 years ago and best thing we have ever bought played with daily till she went to school and now she still plays with it after school/weekends even dd1 (whose 8) plays with it. She has the accessories from ikea plus wooden spoons, plastic mixing bowl, pretend kettle, menus (restaurant let her take their old ones) etc its used as a kitchen, restaurant, cafe, house etc

I have been looking at the Step2 ones as my DS will need one with some working parts/buttons to press/sounds etc (he is autistic and buttons, sounds, switches etc are a great love!).

We just bought the Asda one for DS and DD. Haven't put it together yet but from the weight of the box I reckon its pretty solid! (wooden) Its £70 reduced down to £35 at the mo to

Another vote for the IKEA one, really good quality

We've bought DD the Ikea one for Christmas. She played with it for 30m in the shop so I'm hoping it's a hit. It came recommended from many friends.

Just to say I bought the cheapest one possible, from Tesco - think it was about about £50 or £60 - and regretted it ever since. The plastic shelves, racks etc. are so thin and flimsy they bend at the slightest touch. The door catches don't work properly so the doors flop open all the time - even when you just walk past the damn.

I will be relegating it to the garden in Spring and good riddance to it.

The Little Tikes wooden kitchen is fabulous. Very sturdy, but it does take rather a while to build.

We've got this one: www.babipur.co.uk/shop/Toys-and-Puzzles-Play-Kitchens-&-Food/c25_26/p7016/Healthy-Eating-Kitchen-and-Market-Stall/product_info.html?osCsid=79dee89cb57f0299dcfbddee24531c78#.UMTjzXwgGSM currently unassembled in box, but heavy as anything...

This one folds flat!

www.aplaceforeverything.co.uk/home-storage/kids-storage-kitchen-play-area

Sadly the cheaper ones, and the nice-looking wooden ones, that have been mentioned, would be of no interest to my DS,as they don't have working buttons, lights etc. I am having to go with Step2: either this one
www.step2.com/product.cfm?product_id=1283
or this one
www.step2.com/product.cfm?product_id=1299
(still undecided)

I debated getting DS the Ikea one but decided not to get one in the end. It looked fab and it's on the list for his birthday.

Not a wooden kitchen but DD got this Step 2 kitchen for her 1st birthday in Otober. She absolutely loves it and has played in it every day since.

It's really sturdy and I think will last a very long time, it is rather big though.

Thank you for all the links. Is the step 2 company related to little tikes? In sure some of the products on that website have been sold as little tikes elsewhere.

:)

www.elc.co.uk/Miele-Gourmet-International-Kitchen/124415,default,pd.html

Mine has this one from the elc, and really likes it, and so does any other child that comes round. Not that they are picking it out of a lineup of kitchens...

Ikea one gets my vote.