If your child is a budding chef or simply looking to expand their Barbie collection, the Barbie Ultimate Kitchen play set from Mattel will serve up some delicious playtime treats!

 

The sleek design offers multiple play spaces that can be linked together or kept separate—enabling kids to use the set in various ways. But, it’s the realistic working features that takes the cake. There’s an oven with a timer that dings, a stovetop with a red ‘heat’ light, and sizzling and boiling sounds.

Want fries with that? The center counter holds a play dough fry press. Of course, fries are a great side dish to a sandwich! Fill the sandwich maker with dough and press to create sandwich layers. Craving some Italian instead? Make a veggie pizza with the incredibly detailed molds for mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, and tomato slices.

Have leftovers? The set features a mini-fridge with a working door to store the creations for when Barbie gets the late night munchies or if she wants to pre-make marvelous meals when she has brunch with her besties.

A chef should not have empty hands, so the Barbie Ultimate Kitchen has two place settings, a spatula, serving spoon, pair of tongs, knife, frying pan, pot, and bowl. Some of the tools have handles a doll can hold for realistic role-play.

With 20 pieces in the set, however, parents may wonder how to keep track of them all—no worries! There are built in storage options that grownups will appreciate.

The set comes with five dough colors—orange, yellow, white, green and beige—in mini containers, suitable for a variety of culinary creations. The small containers can be reused when the contents run out, and they are just the right size to place on the play set’s shelves for easy clean up.

The recommended age is for kids 4 and up, but little hands may find the detailed molds and tools a bit frustrating to use. Don’t let that spoil dinner, though! Little ones don’t have to use the molds to make their own delectable delights for Barbie. They can work their way up from line cook to sous chef—making this set a masterpiece of longevity.

The set also fosters creativity and role-play possibilities. Kids have to decide what to make and use fine motor skills to mold their meals and communication skills to work with a friend or caregiver. The fun continues with role-play opportunities when kids serve up the creations in their imaginary faux food facility, or preparing for a pretend party.

Parents and kids alike will appreciate Barbie in the the set for immediate play. What is not included though are batteries, and while Barbie is set in her ways (as far as her arms, legs, and features are concerned) the sweet polka-dot apron can be removed so Barbie can entertain her friends in style when her cooking is done.

About the author

Charlene DeLoach

Charlene DeLoach

Charlene DeLoach is a contributing editor at The Toy Insider where she primarily covers parenting topics. Charlene has been featured in print and on television more than 100 times. Before joining The Toy Insider, Charlene was an attorney, real estate broker, and interior decorator. In her current life, she has vowed to get grownups using toys as decor and to teach parents and toy companies to think outside the toy box at her websites playroomchronicles.com and totaltoycreative.com. Follow Charlene on Instagram where you'll see that her account is mostly dedicated to pics of her cute dogs, kids, and fun finds.

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