One of my most popular articles is The 5 Best Kids Play Kitchens: They Will All Encourage Language and Learning!
In that article I review 5 amazing kids kitchens. But I don’t like when things get outdated, so I figured why not write another article pointing out some of the best toy kitchen sets for 2019-2020!
These kitchens are all different than the ones featured in the other article. They have been carefully selected based on customer reviews, style and features!
Since I have quite a few articles about play kitchens, many of which discuss why this is my #1 recommended toy for language development and learning, I won’t be going into details about this here.
- Find out why this toy is on the top of my list by reading Kids Toy Kitchens: 10 Reasons Why Every Child Should Have One!
- For language and skill building ideas found with pretend play kitchens click here.
The following kitchens are featured. To jump to one in the list, click on it’s name.
KidKraft Ultimate Corner Play Kitchen
KidKraft Farm to Table Play Kitchen Set
Hape Gourmet Chef Kitchen and Cookware Set
Step2 Best Chef’s Kitchen Set
Step2 Upscale Party Time Kitchen
Rainbow Sophia Timeless Wood Kids Play Kitchen
Melissa & Doug Chef’s Kitchen Pretend Play Set
Teamson Design Kids Sunday Brunch Wooden Play Kitchen with Black Board
8 Best Kitchen Sets For Kids In 2019-2020
KidKraft Ultimate Corner Play Kitchen With Lights and Sound
All KidKraft kitchens are made of wood, but that being said, it is composite wood and not solid wood.
But if you are looking for a non-plastic kitchen, these “wooden” ones are much more cost effective than a solid wood kids kitchen.
Those are much smaller than this one and typically start at about $300 and go all the way up to $1000.
This is a large kitchen so be prepared to spend some time setting it up (3-4 hours is average).
It’s so realistic looking you’ll probably have a hard time getting your kids away from this kitchen!
Now let’s look at what comes with this amazing kitchen!
♦ Interactive features including doors that open and close, an ice maker which lights up and sounds like ice is coming out and burners that light up!
♦ Includes a washing machine (most kitchens don’t have this feature)
♦ Sleek modern design
♦ Large size makes it ideal for multiple children to play at the same time, and makes it more realistic for older children.
♦ 2 large windows are great for more pretend play, like turning one into a puppet theater or a drive thru window!
Unfortunately this kitchen does not come with any accessories such as pots, pans, dishes, utensils, play food, etc. However, the Melissa & Doug 22-Piece Play Kitchen Accessories Set would be all you need to get started!
KidKraft Farm to Table Play Kitchen Set
This is a great play kitchen if you are looking for something with clean lines that will fit the decor of the rest of your house!
I love how simple and natural it looks!
This kitchen includes:
♦ Sleek modern design, espresso finish with grey and turquoise accents
♦ Doors on fridge and oven open
♦ Ice maker comes with 3 “ice cubes”
♦ Cook top lights up and has sound motion sensors
♦ Large farmhouse sink has faucet that lights up blue and makes running water sound.
♦ 2 wood print storage crates and 2 window boxes
♦ Comes with an 18 piece food and accessory set including 3 carrots and 3 red onions which can be “chopped” with the pretend play knife on the accompanying cutting board.
Hape Gourmet Chef Kitchen and Cookware Set
Hape is a brand known for it’s high quality children’s products and this kitchen is no exception.
This is another small kitchen meant for toddlers. However, older children can still use it, but they may need to kneel down.
Unfortunately it does not come with any accessories.
Here are some great options that would fit well with this kitchen!
Here are some key features:
♦ Dimensions are 27.5 x 12.99 x 18.7
♦ Wood comes from environmentally sustainably sourced forests.
♦ Knobs are large and make clicking sounds
♦ 2 burner stove with overhead shelf
If you find your child loves this play kitchen, you could always add on the fridge/freezer which is sold separately.
Like all of the other Hape products it is made of wood and the color scheme matches the Gourmet Chef Kitchen. This freezer also has an ice maker with ice cubes!
Step2 Best Chef’s Kitchen Set
Here is a great small plastic kitchen! Since it is plastic it won’t cost over $100 like the wooden play kitchens do.
My kids play kitchen is plastic and it’s still going strong after almost 8 years of constant play.
The Best Chef’s Kitchen set is still sleek and stylish with neutral colors that will fit in well with most decors.
Since it is plastic and small the assembly time should be under an hour!
This kitchen comes with:
♦ Oven and fridge doors that open
♦ Clicking knobs on stove top and oven
♦ Stove burner that has lights and sounds
♦ Pass through window for more play opportunities (e.g. puppet theater, drive thru, ticket booth, etc.)
♦ 25 piece accessory set included (coffee carrafe, utensils, 2 plates, bowls, cups, condiments, pan, pot and recyle bin)
Step2 Upscale Party Time Kitchen
Another wonderful plastic play kitchen for 2017 is the Step2 Upscale Party Time Kitchen. This kitchen has a more traditional feel than some of the others mentioned.
As this kitchen is larger than the Best Chef’s kitchen set it will take a bit longer to set up.
Here are some of the key features:
♦ Realistic looking kitchen with a clock, fridge, stove/oven, cupboards, microwave, overhead light and a condiment storage rack above the sink
♦ Microwave, phone, stove top and light all make realistic sounds
♦ Comes with a special pot and frying pan that activate the sounds from the burner. But, if these go missing, the stovetop will no longer make any sounds. That’s ok though, your kids can make the sounds themselves!
♦ Includes 33 piece accessory kit which comes with a phone, utensils, plates, bowls, cups, a pot, a pan, condiments, oven mitt and 2 storage baskets. Unfortunately there is no food in this kit.
See it in action here!
Rainbow Sophia Timeless Wood Kids Play Kitchen
This elegant country style kitchen is adorable!
It comes with a realistic looking fridge and all knobs making clicking sounds.
This kitchen does not make sound effects (so you won’t need to worry about batteries and annoying noises).
It also does not come with any accessories (other than the cup that is in the picture in the fridge).
Melissa & Doug Chef’s Kitchen Pretend Play Set
I have been a fan of Melissa & Doug toys since before I had kids of my own.
I used many of these toys during my time working as a Speech-Language Pathologist.
This kitchen is modern and comes in a charcoal color with some grey and blue accents or in pink.
Be prepared that this kitchen will take a couple of hours to set up.
Unlike the KidKraft kitchens which use various different types screws, this Melissa & Doug play kitchen uses only one type of screw which should help somewhat.
This kitchen does not come with any accessories, however the Melissa & Doug 22 Piece Play Kitchen Accessories Set can be added on!
This kitchen features:
♦ Realistic gas stove top, oven, microwave, sink and fridge/freezer. It also has a large open space that could fit a nice sized bin to store all of your child’s kitchen accessories such as food, pots, pans, dishes (these do not come with this set)
♦ The fridge has a working ice dispenser!
♦ Interactive features include knobs that turn, 2 ice cubes for the ice dispenser, a microwave plate that spins, movable hooks, removable burner grates, moving sink faucet and a grocery check list.
Teamson Design Kids Sunday Brunch Wooden Play Kitchen with Black Board
Here is another great wooden play kitchen.
What sets it apart from the others is that it the fridge/freezer is a separate unit which can help with the layout of the kitchen if space is an issue.
And both pieces are included in the price!
Give yourself about 1 – 2 hours to set this kitchen up. Unfortunately this kitchen does not come with any accessories such as food, dishes, etc.
Features of this kitchen include:
♦ Realistic looking farmhouse sink and faucet. The faucet looks like it is metal, but it’s actually plastic.
♦ Chalkboard on the fridge
♦ Stove/oven knobs that turn and click
Which Play Kitchen Is Best?
There are literally hundreds of kids toy kitchen sets to choose from. I have tried to narrow it down for you.
But in the end you have to make the final decision.
From a language development and learning standpoint, any play kitchen will be a great asset to your child!
Hi Tanya! Thanks for this article. The timing couldn’t be better. My wife and I have started looking for a gift idea for our kids that they would both like. These kitchens are great! I think my wife will agree that this is a good gift for both of them. And it will help to get them away from the TV!
You’re welcome Magalu. Glad I was able to help you to figure out a gift for your kids. Pretend play at a toy kitchen is definitely much better for your kids than sitting in front of the TV!
Thank you so much for the awesome post! I really like this because my little girl has recently gotten into cooking with my wife and me, and in particular, she likes baking. I feel like she would really like the KidKraft Farm to Table Play Kitchen Set, because it has a lot with it, but not so much that she wouldn’t know what to do with it. My wife and I have been trying to find a good set for her and this might be it!
I love the Farm to Table kitchen! It’s adorable, stylish and simple. Perfect for pretend play. I think all kids and adults will love this one.
I bought the Hape Gourmet Chef Kitchen and Cookware Set for my son’s 2nd birthday, and he loves it so much. He plays with it several times a week. My older kids (7 and 5) also play with it too. We had
a plastic kitchen when my other kids were younger and even though they
liked it, it was an eye sore. This little kitchen looks great tucked in
the corner of the living room. The quality is great. It’s simple but
sweet.
Regards!
Thanks for sharing your experience with the Hape kitchen Jordon! I’m happy to hear that you (and your kids) love it. We have one of those plastic eye sore kitchens – but the kids still love it at 10 and 12 years old. Luckily we have a play area in the basement so we don’t have to look at it all the time. The kids don’t mind that it’s plastic.
Hi, Tanya. Thanks for this great review. I have been trying to come up with a fun, but educational Christmas gift for my daughter. I never even thought of a play kitchen. But this really is a great idea. And I think she will love it. I really like the Melissa & Doug Chef’s Kitchen Pretend Play Set. I think that is the one I will get for her!
You’re welcome! I am a big fan of Melissa & Doug toys so I highly recommend that kitchen. I am sure your daughter will love it.
Wow! What a great article. I’ve recently been looking for reviews related on toy kitchens for my kids, but I never found a well detailed article like yours. There is a flow of information making it easier to understand especially the way you attached the images, you must be an experienced content creator and clearly have experience in this niche. Anyway I have to subscribed to your newsletter to learn more about this and other related articles. And many thanks for including links to your other play kitchen articles, it has really helped me in my reviews. Feel appreciated. Thanks
Thanks Joy! I am happy to hear that you found the article helpful! Be sure to check out the 5 Best Play Kitchens article as I have included specific tips for how speech and language skills can be developed and strengthened with a pretend kitchen.
Thank you for this great information on kids play kitchens! No doubt you are the good writer! Looking forward to reading more of your articles.
Thanks Siya! I’m glad you enjoyed the article. Toy kitchens are wonderful for so many reasons! Here are just a few.
There are many toy kitchen available on the market. But choosing best one can be really tough because of the number of choices available. Thanks for your help! This should make it easier for me to get a good pretend kitchen for my kids!
Thanks Sierra! Yes, there definitely is a lot of choice out there when it comes to kids kitchen sets. You may want to take a look at some of my other articles about play kitchens. If space is an issue then click here. If your kids are over 5 then check out these kitchens. And if you are looking for some language development and learning tips that a child can learn through play with a play kitchen then this is the article for you!
Hi, really enjoyed reading your review. What are your thoughts on the hape multifunction kitchen? https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00IEDWZLC/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492308598&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=hape+multifunction+kitchen&dpPl=1&dpID=41SGldfTEAL&ref=plSrch
We’re looking for a kitchen for our 22 month old and find it hard to pick one that will grow with her!
Hape products are generally known for their quality and the fact that they typically use real wood as opposed to MDF. So you will pay a bit more for their products. The Hape Multifunction Kitchen would be great for your 22 month old and something that she will have for years to come. It doesn’t come with any play food, but Hape does have some great kids kitchen accessories like this and this!
Boy have they come a long way with toy kitchen sets! The KidKraft Ultimate Corner Play Kitchen With Lights and Sound really seems like the best pick to me. Seems a little fancy for a little one, but boy could she grow into it and have it a lot longer than a few of the other choices. It looks like it is made well, so might last a little longer as well. Great products for girls, thank you for sharing!
Yes, the Kidkraft Ultimate Corner Kitchen really is impressive! I know many parents like it because of how stylish and modern it is. So it doesn’t look like just another kids toy. But for your child to get the learning benefits of play kitchen, it doesn’t need to have all the bells and whistles.
Wow, they all look incredible. I wish I was a kid again! The WildBird Care Kids Dollhouse Kitchen is a really clever design as it is 2 in 1. I think my girls would love it. Actually, I think they will like everything here. Lol. My favourite is the Melissa & Doug Chef’s Kitchen Pretend Play Set as it has a lot of features like a working ice dispenser and large open space for storage. Thanks for the recommendations!
Agreed! The dollhouse kitchen is pretty clever. The only drawback I can see is that it could be tough to use both sides at once if you don’t want the kitchen/dollhouse in the middle of the room. But it could be used as a kitchen for a while and if the kids seem to get bored then turn it around and now they have a dollhouse!
When I was writing this article, my daughter was often hovering over my shoulder. She asked if we could upgrade our toy kitchen set and replace the plastic one with the KidKraft corner kitchen. If my kids were a bit younger I might consider it. But they are 7 and 9 now (and still love their kitchen) so I am not sure for how much longer they will be playing with it.
Hi!
The Kidcraft Corner Kitchen looks amazing! It almost makes me want to be a little girl again! But the beauty of it is that it doesn’t necessarily need to be for a girl. My son had a kitchen set when he was younger. Today, he is an amazing cook and baker. One day, he hopes to own his own restaurant.
I like that this product is wood–even if it is made from a composite wood. I imagine it would still be quite sturdy.
Kathy
For sure! The Kidcraft corner kitchen is very stylish and still provides all of the language stimulation that any other play kitchen would.
I know many people get frustrated when they find out a “wooden” kitchen is made of MDF, however, this is for a child, made to look like the real thing. You can get actual wooden kitchens for children but these will end up costing a lot.
Hello there,
Looking through and reading each reviews, I’ll pick Melissa & Doug kitchen set. The one factor which is overlooked but quite important is the convenience of a single type screw, compared to the requirement of other screws setting up the set. And a real dispenser? What more there is to ask for. Quite posh by the way but I’ll take it.
Thanks for your comment Tar. Yes, having only one type screw like the Melissa & Doug kitchen uses is definetly a benefit and should make setting up this kitchen a bit simpler than the others. However, the kitchens that use different screws do have them separated into different bags, so it should still be relatively straight forward.
Wow! Most of those kitchens are much fancier and more attractive than the actual kitchen in my apartment.
I kind of want one for myself…..even though I’m too old to play with kid’s toys 🙂
Are the wooden ones water/juice/real food resistant, or would they become damaged?
Are all of them equally easy to clean?
Yes, some of these kids kitchens are quite impressive, made to look just like the real thing. Although that isn’t really necessary because kids have great imaginations and can easily turn a cardboard box into a kitchen!
The wooden kitchens are pretty durable and can be wiped down. But since they are typically made of particle board with a nice overlay if liquids were to sit on the surface for some time, I assume it would start to bubble up. This wouldn’t happen with a plastic kitchen.
Love this site! It is very well written and easy to use and the photos are extremely good! You have given lots of good information on children’s toy kitchen sets. This site is brilliant you can get all you need for the kitchens as well. I love that some of your other pretend kitchen articles also include information on how these kitchens can help with a child’s language development and overall learning.
What kitchen would you recommend for a three year old, and items to put into the kitchen?
Hi Gareth,
Thanks for you comment and thank you for taking the time to browse the site and read some of the related articles. I would recommend any of these kitchens for a 3 year old. It will really come down to the space in your home, style (if that is important to you) and your budget. Some kitchens can be quite large (and pricey) but there are many to choose from. If you could give me some information (price range, where the kitchen will go in your home, etc.) I could help you narrow down the perfect kitchen.
As for accessories, many kitchens do come with some. But if they don’t I would recommend the Melissa & Doug 21 Piece Food Groups Wooden Set and maybe the Melissa & Doug 22 Piece Play Kitchen Accessory Set.