 Very Nice But Not Solid Wood |
| Review Date: April 27, 2009 |
| Reviewer: T. Hough, Carlisle, PA USA |
I went back and forth between buying the Bright & Bold kitchen versus the more subtle, pastel KidKraft kitchen. The ONLY reason I went with the Bright & Bold set was due to the fact that it is advertised as "made of wood" while the pastel kitchen description notes it is made of composite wood. This language is found both on Amazon and on the KidKraft website. The Bright & Bold kitchen is NOT 100% solid wood, there are composite wood components--i.e. pressed wood. Some of the pieces may be solid wood, but a lot of them are not. The back of the kitchen is made of slide-in panels that are either really study cardboard or flimsy wood paneling. However, the hardware used to construct the pieces use the screw and hex nut system--where you put the nut into a pre-drilled hole and then thread the bolt through another pre-drilled hole, so that the metal bolt and metal nut are holding the pieces together--you do not have to worry about stripping a screw into a piece of pressed wood. There are only 6 screws that screw directly into the wood.
I ordered my kitchen a month in advance of my daughter's birthday in case I needed replacement parts as other reviewers noted. I needed 5 replacement pieces. Various pieces had chunks of pressed wood missing, and the solid wood phone rest was chipped and cracked. The paint is also a little less than top-notch. Apparently the pieces are painted a solid color and then the fake phone pad and the fake ice/water dispenser are applied and then a glaze is put on over these fake areas--all of these areas had a sloppy, glossy sheen over them while the other areas had more of a matte finish. I really do think the paint job could have been better.
Having said all of that, and keeping in mind this is a toy not a piece of furniture, I was really thrilled with the end product as well as the ease in ordering the replacement parts through the KidKraft website. I never had to speak to a customer service rep, I simply ordered my replacement parts online with no costs associated.
It did take me about 3 hours to put this together on my own (it would have been nice to have another set of hands for a few of the steps, but obviously not necessary). The amount of hardware was intimidating at first, but all of the kitchen pieces are clearly labeled (although you have to use a chart to figure out the hardware pieces--not super difficult, just time-consuming). Once I received the replacement parts, I basically had to take the entire kitchen apart and rebuild it, but it only took about an hour and a half the second time through (all of the busy work of attaching handles and locking mechanisms did not have to be repeated).
Last things, the freezer, refrigerator, and microwave open up like normal ones do. However, the oven and dishwasher open up the same way--like the refrigerator door in the picture, not from top to bottom, like real oven doors and dishwashers. This seemed very weird to me at first, but I figure the manufacturer must have thought children might try to sit or stand on the doors if they were constructed like that and certainly break them off quite quickly. Also, all of the doors have a plastic locking system that has a straight plastic piece that "locks" into a set of plastic wheels, you really have to tug and push, I think, to get the doors opened and closed. I think it would have made a lot more sense to use magnetic locks, and may eventually install them myself if the kids have trouble with the plastic locks.
Lastly, as far as accessories, I was a little disappointed to find that KidKraft doesn't offer any kitchen appliances in the Bright & Bold colors, only the pastel colors. I turned out to be really happy with the Bright & Bold colors.
We haven't given this to our daughter yet, but we don't have to wait to know that she and her siblings are going to love it. Even though I was disappointed that the kitchen was not solid wood, and that I had to go through the extra step of ordering and installing replacement parts, this kitchen is just too cute to be mad at! Just order the kitchen with enough time to order replacement parts in case you need them (the replacement parts took about 9 days to get). |
Awesome Buy!
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| Review Date: September 8, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Busy Mommy, NC |
| We searched through many different wooden kitchen sets before we decided to get this one. It had all the features we were looking for plus it is a great size for our child and home and it was a good price. Our daughter loves this kitchen and plays with it everyday. It is also large enough that she is able to play alongside her friends as well. The unit was also easy to assemble and the instructions were very clear. We did not have to use the company's customer service but they provide good instructions for contacting them and seem thorough in making sure that you have what you need to assemble the unit. |
fun in the kitchen
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| Review Date: November 10, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Mrs. Clarendon, |
| It took more time and patience to put together than I thought it would, but the pieces fit well, and the end result is a really sturdy play kitchen. The twins love opening and shutting the doors, clicking the knobs, "talking" on the wall phone, and putting pots and pans in place. Keeps them busy. |
Sturdy and Fun! Great value!
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| Review Date: October 26, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Maria, Nashville, TN |
After reading all the rave reviews for this brand of play kitchen, I purchased it for my two year old grandaughter's birthday. It was the hit of the party for all of the children! Several parents asked me where I pruchased it. They were amazed at the price. I will tell you this is a great value. Very well constructed. It took my husband every bit of two hours to assemble, but he raved about the packaging and instructions. Everything went together perfectly and it looks so good.
My grandaughter plays with this kitchen every day. She just loves it. She is not quite tall enough to reach the microwave and top shelf, but a small stool solved that problem.
She makes the beep-beep sounds when dialing the phone or using the microwave which cracks me up.
This is so much nicer than the plastic kitchen models. |
perfect -daughter loves
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| Review Date: January 12, 2009 |
| Reviewer: J. Bufford, Jasper, GA |
| I searched several different kitchen versions before I purchased this one for my almost 4 year old daughter. I wanted something durable because I have 2 older boys and I know how things wear out. I know it sounds petty, but she had to have the kitchen with the "phone". Some other similar products don't have one. I also liked the height-it is several inches taller than her so she will not out grow it any time soon. It is heavy but I don't plan to move it often. Older versions were also critiqued as having plastic "burners" that scratched later. These "burners" are solid- not painted. It did take my husband several hours to put it together and there were 2 small chips in the paint that my daughter has yet to notice. I knew no "food" came with it, but that is OK because you can find "food" inexpensively. I also did not want a kitchen that had electronic devices because I have known other parents to say that they got tired of changing expensive batteries and that their child stopped playing with it when the electronic features broke. My daughter plays with this everyday!! Better investment than a "fancy" electric plastic kitchen. |
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US $165.23
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