Step2 Lifestyle Fresh Accents Kitchen Playset - Realistic Pretend Play Toy for Kids with Sink, Stove & Accessories - Perfect for Indoor & Outdoor Playtime, Birthday Gifts & Preschool Learning

OK, so you've already heard below that it's a great little kitchen.It's actually spectacular for the price point! Amazon's price is much less than other vendors and the manufacturer.One of the kids on my Angel Tree Santa list wanted a play kitchen for her (7) and her baby sister (1.5).I figured it would grow with the 1.5 year old, and her captive playmate could enjoy it from her probably too tall perspective. This 3 foot high kitchen seems great for the 2-4 year old crowd, and then it will start to be less proportionate.Here are the questions I wanted answered, so I hope the answers will help others:1. DOES THE BOX FIT THROUGH THE CAR DOOR OF A TRUSTY 1st GENERATION PRIUS?Yes! It just made it into the back seat of my car. The box is about 24x22x21.It seems bigger and bulkier than that though; visual tricks I guess.2. DOES IT FIT BACK INTO THE BOX ONCE ASSEMBLED?It's a little wide, but you can squeeze it back into the box.The problem is the height, once constructed. It stands about 3 ft. high.So it is a foot or so taller than the box once assembled. (SEE PHOTO)3. WHAT SIZE PHILLIP'S BIT SCREWDRIVER?I was giving this as a gift to a needy family and wanted to include the right tool(s).As I didn't want to chance it, I opened the box, realized it was way too time consuming for a mother of 5 little kids to assemble, and built the kitchen myself. I didn't want to risk mistakes and crying children on Christmas.The answer is it takes 2 SIZES of Phillips bit screwdrivers: a large one for the long screws that connect the base to the cabinet piece and then the counter to the base, and a small one to insert the batteries into all the electronic gizmos. Otherwise, you will strip the tiny screws, as I almost did before giving up until I could get my small Phillip's bit. Be forewarned!4. WHAT BATTERIES WILL BE NEEDED?4 AA (2 for the burner and 2 for the microwave) and 2 AAA for the phone. None are included in the box.5. WHAT ARE THE FINISHED DIMENSIONS OF THE KITCHEN?APPROXIMATELY 25" WIDE, 37" TALL AND 15" DEPTH FROM THE WALL6. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO ASSEMBLE AND HOW DIFFICULT IS IT?It takes about an hour to construct it carefully, install all the batteries in the various bolted compartments, and get the stickers perfect. Before opening the box, get both a small and alarge Phillips bit screwdriver, 4 AA batteries and 2 AAA batteries, as you'll need them as you go along. The instructions are pretty poorly done, but they are adequate. First you align the upper and lower pieces. I found it easiest to line them up against a wall and to push hard with the screwdriver on the screw that had to penetrate the hard plastic and the next piece to hold it together. DON'T overtighten. Once you feel resistance, slow down and use moderate force until the screw is flush with the plastic. It wasn't too hard, once you get the screw going through the plastic. You do this again on the other side and on both sides of the countertop/sink panel. The knobs on the cabinets shouldn't be overscrewed, or you'll see the points coming out through the front! The hardest little things are the electronic gizmos, of which there are three. The microwave keypad, the phone and the cool burner. That's where the tiny Phillips bit comes into play and you'll need your batteries to insert and seal off from little ones. It's a pretty cool set, and you get everything you need to play kitchen. I know my adopted family will have tons of fun playing with it :)PROS: THIS kitchen has GREAT storage space. Not sure what the negative reviewer in this section was talking about AT ALL. There are two cabinets up top that easily held the plastic bags with the plates, utensils, etc. and the coffee pot, etc. All the food fits there as well, or in the frig, and the pot and pan plus lids can go in the oven. There is plenty of room to spare, including in the microwave. Space is not an issue at all. The counter next to the sink is large enough to play on a bit, but whatever surface will be used to serve the food can be used for prep work, be it a children's table or whatever.CON: The telephone holder is installed behind the back burner on the stove!!!!! Not a good safety lesson at all. I would have placed it on the sidewall somehow if I were Step2. NOT A SMART DESIGN DECISION. It's a bit crazy and detracts from an otherwise exemplary compact kitchen.This was a gift for my year and a half old daughter. I knew the recommended age for the product was two years old, but I bought it anyway in hopes of keeping her entertained over the summer. I was a little nervous making this purchase because of the age gap and the size of the kitchen. I have another baby on the way, and I was scared this kitchen wouldn't allow both of them to play together in the future. Before buying this kitchen, I scoured the internet looking for a "bigger, better" kitchen within my price point. I saw a few that were bigger, but not necessarily better. My daughter loves pushing buttons and making noises, so I wanted a kitchen with realistic sounds and push pads. This model fit the bill with all the buttons and sounds I knew my daughter would like, had a variety of appliances, and was gender neutral for her and her incoming brother. So regardless of my fears about the size and age limit, I made my purchase. I'm so glad I did!It arrived today and my husband assembled it right away. (He did mention having trouble getting some of the parts to align properly with the screws. But it came together and looked good!) My daughter was instantly attracted to it and began playing with the dishes, coffee pot, burner, phone, and everything! It was so much fun watching her explore and play! Because of her age, she didn't use everything properly (she didn't understand the concept of heating up food on the stove or in the oven) and was more interested in putting lids on the pots and randomly pushing buttons to hear the noises. But in time, she'll learn how to properly mimic and use the toy as intended. For now, she's just exploring and having a blast doing it! She played with this kitchen for at least two hours today off and on- independently and with her father and I- proudly serving us coffee and corn. (I took away the hamburger pieces because I was afraid they might be a choking hazard, but I will let her have them back when she hits the recommended age of two.) The only thing she really struggled with was hanging up the phone, but that will come with age and practice. And as far as my worries about the size, it should easily let two children play together. Larger families may have trouble fitting a lot of little ones around it, but it should work for my kids.So, all in all, here are the pros and cons of this little play kitchen.Pros- All the buttons make noises when pushed. (Some kitchens only had sticker pads for their buttons.)- Great variety of appliances.- Comes with pots, dishes, and starter food.- Gender neutral colors.- Clever stove design. The coffee pot and stove pot make a bubbling sound, but the frying pan makes a sizzling sound. It also turns on red lights so it looks like it's heating up.- Fun extras like the phone and coffee pot.- Excellent price point.- Highly engaging.Cons- Awkward assembly, but not impossible.- A little small, but some people may find that a plus.- Little to no counter space for food prep.- Limited storage.- Telephone is quiet and hard to hear the buttons.All in all, I'm so glad I bought this toy. It is really going to stretch my daughter's imagination and provide many hours of entertainment. It will be neat watching her playtime evolve and mature as she gets older.I felt a review is a must on this item. I always read reviews to decide on buying an item. I was mixed on this one. There were so many bad reviews but also good reviews so I was praying that my item came in perfect condition. Assembly of item wasn’t easy nor was it too difficult. I am a little disabled so I had a little disadvantage. The hardest part was screwing in the screw to the plastic that had no pre-drilled holes, but thankful it had divots to follow. I am disappointed that this item costed as much as it did. In my opinion the cost did not meet the value. If I spent only $50 then I’d accept it more. The one cabinet is a little warped but to a 1 year old, they don’t really care. I was really concerned about the sturdiness of this kitchen. My Grandson cannot stand on his own yet so I was afraid he would pull it down on himself. I was very pleased when I watched him actually pull himself up on it, and he even tried pulling it back. It held up very well. Right now he’s only interested in putting things in his mouth and he really likes the utensils. I took away the knives for now. His playroom is small so this kitchen is compact enough for his space. He turns one year old in a couple weeks so I’ve posted pictures so you can get an idea of the size next to a child. I know he’ll have a lot more fun with it when he learns how to really play pretend.Love! My daughter loves too. Easy to assemble. Accessories nice and durable. The telephone included makes it fun. My daughter pretends she’s a restaurant owner getting phone orders for food.Una cucina giocattolo "made in USA", completamente in plastica, ben fatta e ben rifinita, facile da assemblare anche se alcuni passaggi richiedono precisione e attenzione. Viene consegnata in una scatola molto voluminosa, ma una volta montata questa cucina occupa poco spazio ed è bella da vedere. Un fornello emette luci e suoni, il cellulare e il forno a microonde emettono solo suoni. All'interno sono presenti alcune suppellettili come la brocca del caffè americano, piatti, posate, due pentole, frutta, verdura, una pizza e un hamburger. A mia nipote è piaciuta molto e si diverte a sistemare piatti e pentole all'interno dei mobiletti. Il prezzo forse è un po' alto (è costata più di 190 euro con spese di spedizione incluse) però è una cucina giocattolo ben fatta.Tenia un detalle, la devolvi y todo perfecto con el saldo de regresoLas puertas no cierran bien podrían mejorar la calidad de plástico, pero le gusto mucho a mi hija.A mi niña le encantó, muchos detalles.Es un poco pequeña para niñas de tres a seis