Melissa & Doug Cook’s Corner Wooden Kitchen Review

Melissa & Doug Cook’s Corner Wooden Kitchen Review – The Melissa & Doug Cook’s Corner Wooden Kitchen is one of the more compact, feature rich childrens kitchens you can buy today. It’s also proven to be quite problematic when it comes to assembly. Looks really neat, has some nice touches but between the complexity of putting it together and some issues (although relatively minor) with design and functionality, you might want to think this one over carefully.

There are certainly things we like about this toy kitchen – the attached timer and the quality of the finished product are not to be overlooked. Here’s what we liked and a few things we thought could be fixed up.

Read the rest of the Melissa and Doug Cook’s Corner Kitchen review:

Melissa and Doug Cook’s Corner Wooden Kitchen Features

This children’s kitchen has a lot going for it:

• 3-burner cook top and oven with clicking knobs
• storage shelves
• cutting board
• working 3 minute timer screwed into the top of the unit
• removable sink (you can remove and fill with water so kids can pretend they’re really washing dishes in their own kitchen)
• swiveling faucet over the sink
• open cupboard space under the stove
• large cupboard under the sink

The product description says it has a refrigerator but there isn’t really a traditional refrigerator. There’s a cupboard under the sink which one could pretend was a fridge but as that is not where most are located in today’s kitchens, kids will have a hard time believing that’s what that area is supposed to be. You might plan on buying a separate unit to act as a refrigerator at some point.

Other than that, the kitchen looks pretty whole and well set up at first glance. However, there are other little oddities that might throw your child for a loop when they try to do things in this kitchen like they see you do in your own kitchen.

For example, the oven has a bar across the top which resembles a real oven yet it opens to the side like a door rather than being pulled down by that bar.

The cupboard/refrigerator under the sink of the Melissa and Doug Cook’s Corner Kitchen has a door that opens to the inside of the unit and not to the outside which means that a child can’t easily reach into that cupboard and leave it open while working on the stove top. They have to either close the door or walk around it. Perhaps this was designed intentionally to force children to keep the door closed but it’s rather annoying, at least for an adult.

There is a good deal of storage space which is a plus. You can add lots of accessories and store them in the cupboard, the open area, or on the small shelves on either side of the kitchen.

This is a compact unit that fits well in a corner space. If placed up against the wall, it would be accessible to one or two children to play with. Placed away from the wall, you may be able to make it work for 3 children.

Melissa and Doug Cook’s Corner Kitchen Material

As is the case with many of the “wood” toy kitchens today, this one is made of a manufactured wood product (MDF) that is painted with non-toxic coatings. Some pieces are painted to resemble stainless steel. The egg timer and faucet are plastic. The back panels are a thin particle board and the window in the oven door is made from plexiglass. The color scheme is pleasantly gender neutral, bright without being garish, and attractive to children.

Melissa & Doug Cook’s Corner Wooden Kitchen Review – Noise and Lights

The knobs for the burners click and the timer works so it does ding when it goes off but there are no other sounds and no lights.

Melissa & Doug Cook’s Corner Wooden Kitchen Review – Included Accessories

None – you’ll want to buy some play food and kitchen toys that children can use with this model.

Melissa and Doug Optional Kitchen Accessories

Melissa and Doug make a whole line of play kitchen accessories and it’s almost (I said almost!) no fun playing with a pretend kitchen if you don’t also have pretend pots and pans, pretend food, and pretend utensils. A number of parents recommended a set of stainless steel pots and pans for kids and the Melissa and Doug Cookie Set as the trays fit into the smaller oven on this particular model.

Melissa & Doug Cook’s Corner Wooden Kitchen Review – Age Range

Manufacturer’s recommended age is 3+ for the Melissa and Doug Cook’s Corner Kitchen. We suggest this is best for kids who are five and under based on the height of this kitchen.

Melissa & Doug Cook’s Corner Wooden Kitchen Review – Dimensions

37” L x 16-1/2” W x 26” H
Weight 31 pounds

Melissa & Doug Cook’s Corner Wooden Kitchen Review – Ease of Assembly

Let’s not beat around the bush on this one. It’s a monster to assemble. Anticipate 3-4 hours to assemble. For some, it took even longer. More than a few parents noted frustration although some seemed to sale through. The instructions are very well written and very thorough, it’s just that there are a lot of tiny pieces to put together with the Cook’s Corner play kitchen.

Melissa & Doug Cook’s Corner Wooden Kitchen Review – Consumer Reviews

“its a real pain to put together. Our son loved pretending to cook before we got this but once we got it he went full bore for about a week and now never…”(read more here: Melissa & Doug Cook’s Corner Review)

“am so glad we got it. It’s perfect. I’ve had it for about a year now, and my boys play with it every day, always have. It easily fits two children (mine are 2 and 4 yrs old), it’s very well …”(read more here: Melissa & Doug Cook’s Corner Kitchen Review)

Melissa & Doug Cook’s Corner Wooden Kitchen Review – Pros and Cons

Pros: Compact size but lots of play value. Working timer helps kids learn the importance of time. Removable sink. Lots of storage space.
Cons: The bright paint on the kitchen rubs off on the wall if the unit bumps against it during play. More complex to assemble than most. Thin, particle board back panels can mold or disintegrate if they are exposed to water. Doors open to the middle which isn’t overly convenient for single user. Plastic pieces can break off easily. Kitchen sink does not snap in so is very easily removed by children. Does not have a refrigerator which kids do notice and miss. You may want to add on a cabinet as a refrigerator at some point.

Melissa & Doug Cook’s Corner Wooden Kitchen Review – Price

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Aspiring young chefs will flip over this wooden kitchen! It’s complete with a stove, oven, sink, cupboards and shelving units—everything needed to keep budding cooks busy for hours. Special features include a working timer and clicking knobs on the oven and stove.

This compact kitchen is easy to assemble (hardware included) and fits perfectly into small spaces. The sleek design means it can be used as a standalone play set or as an addition to other Melissa & Doug® role-play toys. Either way, kids three and up are sure to love whipping up imaginative meals for their family and friends!