Babble Best: Play Kitchens

Pottery Barn Kids Gourmet Kitchen Collection - $299 - $879

If you have money to burn and space to spare, the Gourmet Kitchen Collection by Pottery Barn Kids is downright gorgeous.  This four-piece collection — including a sink, stove, fridge and island, all sold separately and in various combination packages — are constructed out of durable MDF board and covered in deep cocoa birch veneers that beautifully complement the stainless steel accents.  The fridge has two shelves, an ice dispenser in the door that actually dispenses four wooden ice cubes, and a bottom freezer.  The stovetop has a double-door oven, four burners and a griddle, as well as knobs that click.  The sink includes a faucet and soap dispenser, while the dishwasher underneath has sliding dish racks.  The island is a combo unit that contains a stovetop, oven sink and storage.  In addition to being beautifully made, the Gourmet Kitchen Collection has solid construction, nice attention to detail and (hallelujah!) comes mostly pre-assembled.  Just try to hide your kitchen envy from your toddler.

Get the Kids Gourmet Kitchen Collection at Pottery Barn Kids.

Step2 LifeStyle Party Time Kitchen  - $169

If you're in the market for a plastic play kitchen, check out the Step2 Party Time Kitchen.  The Party Time Kitchen décor is not for the minimalist or modernist, but the kitchen does have lots of modern conveniences, including a microwave, stovetop, phone, overhead light and clock. This kitchen required the most batteries (ten) of any tested, but also made the most beeps and bings, which kids inevitably love (our tester's favorite was the boiling-water noise for the pot). The kitchen has decent storage (two cabinets, two wicker baskets, one drawer), which is good because it comes with thirty-three cooking accessories (but no food).  As another plastic option, we also liked the Little Tikes Sizzle & Serve kitchen ($169), which offers thirty accessories (including a coffee pot) and a number of fun features (like flickering flames on the grill). For both units, assembly isn't difficult, but does take time (don't forget about all those decals!), and while we didn't have any problems with pieces fitting together, we've heard from lots irked parents who did — but such is the nature of mass-produced plastic pieces.  Those who did have problems said Step2 and Little Tikes were very accommodating with replacements.

Get the Party Time Kitchen at Step2.

Get the Party Time Kitchen at Amazon.

Get the Little Tikes Sizzle and Serve at Little Tikes.

Get the Little Tikes Sizzle and Serve at Amazon.

Little Tikes Deluxe Wooden Kitchen & Laundry Center - $199

If you're worried that a standard kitchen might bore your child too quickly, the Deluxe Wooden Kitchen & Laundry Center by Little Tikes surely won't.  In addition to the stovetop, oven, dishwasher, fridge and microwave, this unit has a washer/dryer, ironing board, telephone, clock and chalkboard.  The play center's battery-free features include clicking knobs, an audible timer, some plastic cooking tools, an iron and a laundry basket.  Storage of play food and dishes is often a problem with play kitchens, but the 44"-long Deluxe offers storage space in the fridge, under the dishwasher and oven and in a unique curved shelving unit at one end.  Be warned –– the directions have no words for the forty-three steps to assembly the unit, which took us about three hours (and we're pros!).  One time-saving tip we'll pass along: look for the number underneath the plastic screw holder to help determine which screw goes where.  Once assembled, the Deluxe is sturdy, easy on the eyes, gender-neutral and made us hope that our kids will one day be as excited about doing real laundry as they were pretending.

Get the Wooden Kitchen and Laundry Center at Little Tikes.

Get the Wooden Kitchen and Laundry Center at Amazon.

Fisher Price Dora's Talking Kitchen - $63

While this kitchen is pretty cheap –– and I do mean that in all the word's connotations –– kids love it. (Even my cable-less children, who have never seen an episode of Dora, were thrilled.)  It comes with a stovetop, oven, sink and fridge as well as a built in noise-making blender, radio and telephone where you can "talk" to Boots, Diego or Abuela.  It also includes five interactive "recipe adventures," with audio food-making instructions (the foods are named in both English and Spanish).  While this kitchen isn't guaranteed to turn your kid bilingual, I did overhear my son tell his imaginary guests: "I need fresas!" In addition to the five recipe adventures, this kitchen comes with twenty-eight accessories, including pans, utensils and more play food than any of the other sets.  If you're looking for a kitchen that is small, lightweight, cheap and comes with a ginormous head of Dora on the side (which is easily detachable), you've found your match.

Get the Fisher Price Dora's Talking Kitchen at Toys R Us.

Get the Fisher Price Dora's Talking Kitchen at Amazon.

Bonus: DIY Play Kitchens!

Can't find a kitchen to suit your needs, space or budget?  We were inspired by a post over at Apartment Therapy's Ohdeedoh about parents who used a little creativity and some grunt work to put together their own unique, stylish and affordable play kitchens.  Click here for photos, material lists and directions.