The Top 10 Best Play Kitchens 2023

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Model	Features
deAO Toddler Kitchen Playset Read Our Review	Includes 30 accessories Suitable for ages 3 and over Even the hob lights up just like the real thing!
Mcc Large Pink Play Kitchen Read Our Review	Comes in a lovely pink colour Has a microwave, hob, cooker and sink 1 metre across by 30cm in depth
69pc Kids Kitchen Read Our Review	Comes with an amazing 60 pieces of equipment Perfect for families on a budget This one comes with a dishwasher which a lot of the others don't
Tidlo Wooden Play Kitchen Read Our Review	Beautifuly crafted out of wood This one has a belfast sink which is very unique in childrens play kitchens Does require self assembly
Plum Terrace Wooden Kitchen Read Our Review	This one has a fridge and a fridge freezer Taps that turn Probably one of the best on our list

Kids are wonderful, aren’t they? Anyone who has had children will tell you that while they are hard work and change one’s life for the duration, they are wonderful to have around. Kids bring joy and a sense of wonder, and they are the making of the family, plus they are always giving you something new. Kids also like to be entertained, and they have endless, boundless energy that really does take some keeping up with! Fortunately, there are some great products available that can keep your kids happy for many hours.

Younger children, those of toddler age and a little more, are on a very steep learning curve, and much of that learning involves mimicking what goes on around them. This is why there are many children’s playthings and toys that are inspired by adult household items, and that the kids can enjoy. For example, whereas a parent – do you spend a lot of your time during the day? In the kitchen, of course, and that’s likely where your children see you a lot of the time!

Play kitchens have been popular for a long time and are a great way of keeping a child entertained, and also educational. There are many different types – we’re going to give you a run-down of the 10 best play kitchens – and they all have something to offer young kids, so before we go on to give you the details, let’s talk a little more about what they do, and why your child will be gripped by a toy kitchen.

The Top 10 Best Children’s Play Toy Kitchens

1: deAO Toddler Kitchen Playset

Our first choice is this model from deAO, and it is a great example of a well-made, affordable and educational kids pay kitchen that will enable many hours of fun and enjoyment. This is a plastic model, made from the usual durable moulded plastic that such toys are made from, and comes with an excellent accessory pack. This one is recommended for children over 3 years of age as it comes with some small parts and, like most of this type, it requires assembly but is very easy to put together.

You get a bright red main body of the kitchen, and when put together it features a mock sink, oven and grill, plus a series of shelves just like mum’s kitchen! It’s designed to be steady when in place and comes with ‘food’ such as fish, eggs, and a selection of tins, so the child can cook what they want. They also get plates, cutlery, pans and a full range of utensils, so they have the complete kitchen. If you want a simple, usable toy kitchen that is cheap and will be appreciated, there’s nothing wrong with this one.

2: Mcc Large Pink Play Kitchen

As we said in our intro, play kitchens are for both boys and girls, but it does tend to be the little girls who go for this form of entertainment, perhaps mimicking their mothers. This model is a wooden one, and it is aimed squarely at the girls, thanks to its rather fetching pink finish. It is very nicely built and surprisingly sturdy, and is a cut above some of the others on here when it comes to quality. The design has some very neat touches, too, which make it a stand out option for us.

This one is more than a kitchen; it comes with a sink, hob, cooker and microwave, plus shelves and cupboards, but perhaps the best touch is the backboard which features a mock window with curtains. This one is quite large – it’s 100cm across and 30cm deep – and there is no accessory pack, so you have to buy your own, but that means you can get what you want and add to it. It’s nice, if a little more expensive than some, and will appeal to older than toddlers so you will get plenty of use form it.

3: 69pc Kids Kitchen

If you want a lot for your money, and have very young children who would like a play kitchen, this might be the best option for you. It’s a very cheap deal indeed, and you get a lot of bits and pieces with it – some of them small so it’s not recommended for tiny children – but be aware it is cheap and though very cheerful, not one you want if it’s a quality item you’re after. That’s not to say it’s not worth considering, as it’s perfect for a family on a budget – and what family isn’t!

You get a nice, quite compact and brightly coloured plastic kitchen complete with oven, hob and shelves, and you get all the accessories including utensils, cutlery and food, plus a dishwasher for that modern touch. It is a nice design and the children will have great fun playing with this, and for the price is worth looking at, yet we do recommend you check the others out before deciding on this one.

4: Tidlo Wooden Play Kitchen

While the above model is the epitome of cheap and cheerful – and that’s no bad thing – this play kitchen is firmly at the other end of the scale. This beautifully crafted wooden kitchen is a piece of furniture in its own right, and as such is certainly worth a look, even if it is more expensive than most. It features an oven and hob with a nice backboard including a clock, and you also get some very neat design touches such as a Belfast sink, which is unique in kids kitchen designs.

The dials on the front turn with effective clicks which will please the kids, it has a cupboard and comes with a set of utensils, and it is finished in nice neutral colours so will appeal to both girls and boys. It’s also larger than some, so will last longer and you’ll get more out of it. It does require assembly but is sturdy when once erected, conforms to all the required safety regulations, and is a very nice item indeed – certainly worth a look if you want a toy kitchen that will last a long time.

5: Plum Terrace Wooden Kitchen

We have to admit that, overall, the wooden play kitchens have a greater appeal for us, and this one is a very nice item indeed. It is tall and made from very sturdy timber, so will give you many years of fun for all the kids, and being finished in a very nice red will appeal across the board and not just to little girls. Like all of those featured, it’s not recommended for kids of three and younger. It’s designed to emulate a modern yet traditional kitchen, so your kids can do what mum does while she does it!

This one features an oven and a variety of cupboards, a fridge-freezer compartment and clicking buttons, and also a microwave and turning taps. It’s nicely made from quality wood, and comes with a few essential wooden utensils that the kids will love. Though it does require assembly it is not difficult, and it will last a long time. Not the cheapest, but not the most expensive, and we think one of the best choices on the list.

6: URBN Wooden Kitchen

This is another wooden model and one that is more compact and perhaps more basic than the others featured on here, yet it’s a nice toy that will give you years of use and will entertain. It’s finished in pink and blue so clearly they’re aiming for a unisex approach, and it measures just 59cm across so is perfect for families with limited space. It comes with the usual features, and also with a nice accessory set that is worth checking out.

A sink with turning taps, a hob and oven, and a cupboard and hanging hooks on the back make this a very nice little set, and the wooden utensils are also very nice and neatly put together. You get a bowl and pans – in total it’s a 25 piece accessory set – and the bright and breezy colours make it a very nice little play kitchen. Once again this one is recommended for ages three and over, and it requires self-assembly from a flat pack. At the price it is also very good value for a wooden kitchen.

7: Vortigern 51032 Wooden Kitchen

Aimed firmly at little girls, this pink wooden set is a very nice one if you want a simple yet stylish play kitchen at a sensible price. It’s very compact and requires basic self-assembly, comes with a sink on one side under which there is a storage cupboard, and a two ring hob with mock oven underneath. It’s very neat and will not take up too much space – it’s just 800mm across – and will provide a lot of fun for young, growing girls.

Accessories include a saucepan and frying pan, spatula, spoon and condiments set, and the obligatory fried egg! Made with quality wood and finished in non-toxic inks, as required by the regulations and as all those featured conform with, and we reckon that at the price it is hard to beat. Bear in mind, however, there are others with more comprehensive features, but this one should keep a child occupied no problem.

8: Kiddi Style Modern Wooden Kitchen

This one professes to be ‘large’ but in fact while tall, is narrower than many at just 60cm, so would be perfectly suited to a smaller home. It’s finished in pink, so is another aimed at young girls, and comes with a variety of features that make it attractive, not least the fact it emulates a more modern kitchen design than some others here. It is made from quality wood and does require assembly, but is simple to put together.

You get the usual sink and oven, plus a hob onto which the child can put the pans that come as part of the accessory set. The cupboard is spacious enough and the dials all turn, while the shelving underneath is also handy for added accessories. It does not come with the greatest number of additional items, but it is perfectly good. It’s not the cheapest – but by far not the most expensive – though it does have a certain quality so is worth a look.

9: Little Tikes Cook ‘n’ Store

This is a plastic play kitchen, but it is a quality design with some rather interesting differences from the others we’ve seen. First, it comes fully assembled, which is unusual, if not unique. Also, it can be folded away for storage – with places to fit all the accessories too – which is also an interesting feature. It’s finished in red, is made from quality moulded plastic, and it’s equipped with all the functions your child will enjoy in a play kitchen.

It has a hob, oven and overhead microwave, plus the sink and cupboards, and it also comes with a series of clever spinning shelves underneath that are designed to store the accessories. The accessory pack amounts to 34 items including plates, cups, pans and bowls, plus cooking utensils and a selection of goods, mock tins and even spices. It’s a comprehensive play kitchen that is well made and, while one of the more costly plastic models, is not expensive given the overall package, so well worth checking out.

10: KidKraft Uptown Espresso Kitchen

Our final choice is a quite magnificent offering from KidKraft, and is a wonderful modern-look wooden kitchen that will delight any child. As it is finished in black and grey it could appeal to boys as well as girls, so the budding chef in the family can have a great deal of fun. You get the usual hob, oven, and sink, plus a microwave, freezer and fridge, in addition to cupboards and shelves that are designed for handling the accessories that come with the package.

In addition to the opening doors and movable knobs, you also get a working chalkboard, plus a very neat and modern feature in the form of a toy cordless phone that hangs on the kitchen unit. It’s very well made, but also large at 109cm wide, so you need adequate space for this one. Also, you need to consider the price; bear in mind the cheapest on this list you can buy for around £25. You could have six of those for the price of this one, but you pay for quality and clever design!

That’s our list of the 10 best play kitchens on the market right now, and as we are sure you will have noticed there is plenty of choice and a wide variety of options, so which is for you? Before we give you a verdict, let’s check out some of the important features to consider when choosing your kids play kitchen.

Important Features to Consider

The primary purpose of a play kitchen is to entertain your child, and you also want it to encourage them to use their imagination and to educate them. Here are a few things you need to consider when you are looking for one of these for your child:

• Wood or Plastic – it’s a consideration you need to think about; do you want a wooden, higher quality model that will last a long time and will be sturdy, or do you want a cheaper plastic model? Each has its benefits, and there are plenty of each to choose from on the list.
• Style – do you want modern, or do you want traditional? There’s a choice of each on our list, so make sure you look at the images before you make your final decision.
• Size – what sort of space do you have available? Some of the play kitchens featured measure just 600mm across, while others are more than 1000mm. Some are taller, and also the depth needs to be taken into account. Make sure you know the space you have available before you make your choice.
• Colour – it may not sound like an important consideration, but if you want your little boy to enjoy a kitchen, he might not want a pink one!
• Accessories – some of these come with extensive accessory packages, while others just have a few items. The latter tend to be higher quality, the former perhaps more fun – it’s really up to you!

That’s it as far as features to look for are concerned, so which would we recommend? There are a few on the list that stand out, so let’s wrap things up!

How It Works

The play kitchen makes a great deal of sense when you think about it. Popular especially with girls – but there are also many boys who like the idea of mimicking the family cook – they come in a variety of different designs and types, and you will also find you generally have a choice between plastic play kitchens and more traditional wooden versions.

What can your child do with a play kitchen? Most come with all the usual accessories – you’ll find that, as these are for children, they are designed to be safe and there are no parts small enough to be dangerous – and you can also buy accessory packs that add to the breadth of enjoyment the kitchen brings. They tend to brightly coloured for effect – always a bonus when keeping kids entertained – and you will also find they offer a great way of teaching kids about cooking, and about safety in the kitchen.

Of course, kids play kitchens are not functional, so you don’t have the worry of heat and power, and they serve only as a varied and enjoyable plaything, but there’s nothing a child likes more than doing what mum or dad is doing, and if that is cooking, baking or even the washing up, your kid can have a play kitchen that suits their needs!

Let’s have a closer look at the top 10 play kitchens on the market right now, and see if we can find one that is right for you.

Let’s Wrap It Up!

So you want to buy your kids a play kitchen. It’s a great idea, and they will get hours of fun from it. Which should you choose? Here’s our verdict!

If you want cheap and cheerful, there’s no getting away from the fact that no.3 on the list, with its 69-piece accessory set, gives you a lot for your money. Do bear in mind, however, that it is cheap – very cheap – and there’s not much in the way of quality about it. However, it’s also fun, so look at it again.

If you want plastic but also want quality, the Little Tikes example, no. 9, is the one to look for. It’s a clever design, is good quality, has some neat features and also folds away when not in use, and comes with a decent set of accessories too.

In the wooden selection we should say that the final one on the list – from KidKraft – is a very classy choice with some excellent features, and is also very well made and stylish. However, for half the price of that you can get the Tidlo model, number 4 on our list. It’s well-made, comes with all the features and a decent accessory pack, and is sensibly priced for a quality item.

So, there you go, that’s our decision – find your kids a great play kitchen and they will have endless hours of fun!