IKEA Play Kitchen

Heat Up the Play Without Breaking the Budget

We all know you can get a great budget kitchen renovation at IKEA. But did you know you can score a fabulous kids’ play kitchen there, too? Like many IKEA things, their Duktig play kitchen has changed very little over the years. Additionally, it retails for much lower than many other inferior kids’ kitchen set ups.

We bought our kitchen more than five years ago when we discovered our child;s obsession with pretend food and its preparation. I’m so glad we did. Not only do my kids use it daily five years and running, but it still looks as good as it did the day we brought it home in a flat box.

The plastic kitchen sink comes out, and the faucet rotates, as does the handle attached to it. The stove includes two burners, both of which light up without warming up. Underneath, it offers a ton of storage for kitchen play and much more with a shelf on either side. One door has a see through panel centered in it, much like a regular oven, while the opposite side has a solid door, more like a fridge. It also sits off the ground, leaving clearance for heating vents, more storage, or even robotic automatic vacuums (the real kind, not the a fancy toy).

The hutch expands storage even more, adding a bar over the counter space with five hooks to hang pots, pans, and whatever else your kids can contrive. Above, it has a door that opens with another see through panel, much like a microwave. On either side of the door, two open shelves can hold a myriad of other items. The flat surface that runs along the top makes a great shelf for older kids that stays out of the reach of crawlers.

This kitchen grows with your kids. It features three height adjustments thanks to a set of four plastic legs, included in the purchase. You can use the kitchen resting directly on the floor for young kids. Once they get taller, you add the plastic feet to each leg to get an extra couple inches of height. Flip the plastic legs over, and get another boost for an even higher setting.

When we bought ours in store five years ago, you could buy the kitchen alone or add the hutch on top. We opted for both, but kept the hutch resting on the floor until about six months ago, so it works either way.

IKEA makes their kid kitchens from durable recycled materials without dangerous chemicals or any irritating noises. The burners on the stove light up and turn off with the push of a button. We’ve replaced the batteries in that once in five years. Let’s all take a moment to let that sink in. Two sets of batteries (one of which is still in use) in five years. That’s more than 2.5 years of turning them on and off and on again on one set of four AA batteries. Luckily, the lights turn off on their own after a certain period of time, which has probably saved us a set or two.

I can’t imagine spending more, even if you get an equally outstanding product. In my opinion, you can’t go wrong with the IKEA Duktig kids’ kitchen.