Large Kitchen
by KidKraft
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List Price: Our Price: $194.97 You Save: $31.02 (14%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-3 weeks Category: Toy See more product details |
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Toys and Games Reviews of Large Kitchen
Customer Review: Best money ever spent!
Summary: 5 Stars
I hesitated about spending this much money on a toy for my three-year-old daughter, even a really nice toy. But she kept insisting she wanted Santa to bring her a "stove" so she could cook (I cook a lot, and she is in the mimicking phase). So I researched kitchen sets extensively and the reviews from all over the Internet kept bringing me to this one. I could not be more pleased with this purchase, for LOTS of reasons, some of which are listed below:
1) My husband, engineer by trade and furniture craftsman by hobby, is incredibly picky and critical of nearly all pre-fabricated kits/sets when it comes to things like this. A few years ago I purchased a very expensive, professional-grade dollhouse kit for him to build for a Christmas gift, and he was woefully unimpressed and I have never forgotten his displeasure. So I was really worried about this kitchen, and so was he. About halfway through the construction of this kitchen, he looked up and said, "This is one of the best kits I've ever seen." Which is the highest possible compliment he could have given, I promise. It did take him between 2.5 and 3 hours to put it together, because there are a LOT of screws. But the upside is this seems to be a remarkably well-constructed, sturdy piece, so it's worth the effort.
2) My daughter is completely in love with this set. She opened it first (biggest present under the tree), and my husband and brother-in-law moved it into her room so that we could get to everyone else's gifts under the tree. My daughter followed the kitchen to her room, and we had to bribe her out for the rest of Christmas Day to open other presents, eat, etc! And she has repeatedly told me how much she loves her "stove." She received a set of play food and a shopping cart to go with this, and she has spent many hours "shopping" and then putting away her groceries and "cooking dinner."
Considering this set is so well-constructed and she is only 3, I think this purchase was well worth the investment for several years of quality imaginative play.
Customer Review: A very long Christmas Eve
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm writing to you in a state of delirium and exhaustion. Any of those folks who said installation is easy should be immediately tested for Human Growth Hormone. The last thing I said to my wife, as she went to bed just after midnight Christmas Eve was, "I'll be up in about 30 minutes." I finally made it up around 3:30 AM - which was, by coincidence, just about an hour before my son decided to investigate whether Santa had, as promised, made his appearance.
To be fair, the instructions are clear - although I still made a mistake or two along the way. But, also, some of the pieces weren't well machined and getting them to fit required some fiddling, banging, and profuse profanity. At one point, I had to burrow the machined holes a little deeper with a drill to get a fit. Or several times I exchanged supposedly identical pieces to get a fit. In the end, I think I was short one screw. (I've scoured the carpets and believe it just wasn't included.) And, finally, the very last bolt didn't fit with the very last nut (there are 36 of each), and I just left it out. I'll probably go to the hardware store and try to find a replacement.
All the while I was watching the same ESPN highlight of LaDainian Tomlinson over and over and over. And, most troubling, although I suppose I shouldn't blame KidKraft for this, the gingerbread man left for Santa was badly overcooked.
All that said, the Large Kitchen is a wonderful toy. It is attractive, sturdy, and fun. All the doors open and close very nicely. And both children were very busy playing with it all morning while neglecting many other gifts. I'd sure hate to feel this tired and not have such a fine product to show for the sacrifice.
It does make you wonder, though, why we do so much for our children at Christmas and then give all the credit to Santa Claus. What's that guy ever done for me?
Customer Review: Beautiful Kitchen! POOR quality controll.
Summary: 4 Stars
I ordered this kitchen for my children (2 y.o. girl, 3 y.o. boy) a week before Christmas despite knowing full well that it might come after the holiday. To my surprise, It arrived quite promptly with a few days to spare. I opened the box, ready to scrutinize the pieces. Most were chipped of paint, the graphic designs were askew or scratched, one piece had a piece that was cracked off, another had a hairline. UG. So I can't set it up, no biggie (I already was expecting this after Xmas). KidKraft has what seems to be a no questions asked warranty on their products(Amazing!). It was easy to order the pieces online but it took over 3 weeks to arrive with their in-house mix ups (The pieces hadn't arrived, I had to talk to a human, they reordered, yadda yadda yadda). The replacement order came in different shipments. Some were pristine and packed nicely, another arrived completely cracked (in two). Another 2 to 3 orders later I finally got it put together and it was February! So now that i have it up, the kitchen is beautiful, the kids are totally thrilled and you can't beat the amount of storage compared to the plastic kitchens. And it takes up about the same amount of space. I have a small house but because of all the storage, it's well worth it. I can store every piece of food, utensil and pot/pan inside. It's really a beautiful, sturdy kitchen and for the deal i got at the time ($105 + $46 shipping) I can't complain. It makes sense and is reasonable that Kidkraft should have such a replacement policy. But to not make sure that they get it right the first time is just plain sloppy and wasteful. I think if i didnt get such a great deal, i'd be thoroughly annoyed. So my three pieces of advice: shop for prices, BUY THIS kitchen, Order it EARLY (just in case).Customer Review: I smile just thinking about my kids with this kitchen
Summary: 5 Stars
After buying a useless and boring Little Tykes kitchen for Christmas last year we decided to upgrade to a larger, more functional wooden kitchen for my 1 & 3 yr old. We gave this to our girl last Sunday and I could not be happier with it.
First, it's adorable and layed out well. There is plenty to do so both girls can play at once. The knobs on the stove and sink turn and the attention to detail is impressive. It is the only toy in the house as far as they are concerned and have played with it every minute we are home (and they are not sleeping) since they got it.
Second, it was well constructed. My husband had no trouble putting it together. It took awhile because it IS a large wooden kitchen but he was very impressed with how clear the directions were. There was a letter included with instructions on how to reach someone for help or if parts were missing. This was a very different from Little Tykes customer service. Now that it is let up in our kitchen it will not be pushed or moved around by the kids play, like with the plastic models. I think this will last through my kids and still be a great item to pass along to the next kids in our family.
Third, THERE ARE NO BATTERIES!!! Imagine!! My kids are actually using their imaginations! There is nothing to tell them what to do next and it is a blast to watch them come up with things on their own. We bought a wooden cookie and tin cookie sheet with this and so far our oldest has made about 100 batches of cookies, cookie stew, and fried cookies. She has other food too but (big shock) the cookies are the fav.
Great buy!!! I couldn't be happier!!
Customer Review: Perfect for my daughters
Summary: 5 Stars
I researched awhile before settling on this kitchen. I wanted a wooden one that wasn't too pricey, but still sturdy enough for my kids. I had owned plastic kitchens in the past and they aren't sturdy enough because they have a tendency to tip over. This one is perfect! I have 3 daughters, ages 16 months to 9 years. Since I received this I can't get them out of the playroom. They play almost constantly with it, and my 9 year old son even gets in on the action. Assembling was rather easy as all the parts are numbered with easy to understand instructions. I though it would take hours considering all the screws included, but it took me only an hour and my husband only helped on the first 4 large pieces. The only negative was that it smelled chemically after opening it and assembling. We had to crack the playroom window in order for the smell to air out of the room overnight. I suggest that you open the box after receiving and let it air out for a day or so before assembly. The smell was enough to give us a headache. But I highly recommend this kitchen for anyone looking for a middle of the road price for a wooden kitchen - and some of those wooden kitchen's can be very expensive. It is large enough for a real feel in a kitchen, but not so oversized that it consumes the whole room. The clencher came when I was shopping for food-stuffs and went to Target where I found all varieties of food (meat, veggies, fruits, can goods, boxed goods, etc.), for a dollar each. For $20 I filled the whole kitchen full of stuff. This is really a perfect kitchen for my kids.