KidKraft Grand Gourmet Corner Wooden Play Kitchen Set with Washer, Chalkboard, Curtains & 4 Accessories - Pretend Play Toy for Kids Ages 3+ | Perfect for Imaginative Play, Birthday Gifts & Preschool Learning Activities

Putting It Together:I had read other reviewers before purchasing this kitchen and did not believe reviewers claiming a long assembly time. My husband and I do this sort of thing on a regular basis and I assumed together we could knock it out on 2 hours. I was wrong! It took over 5 hours before it was complete, with 2 adults working on it (and with a toddler climbing over the pieces during assembly).Here are tips to make your assembly go smoother then ours did (The instructions are not detailed enough to make it easy or fast):1. The ends of screws/bolts are color coded: yellow for wood pieces, pink for microwave door and to attach pegs to pink valance, silver for oven door, curtain rod, and metal pieces, and white for the majority of it (which is white). This is fairly logical, but since the instructions do not state this, you find it out half way through and waste time correcting the mistakes.2. The screws/bolts are neatly identified by number (example: J) in separated compartments, however there are multiple compartments for each number (example: J)) containing the exact number of screws/bolts needed for each job (example: attaching oven door handle). Again, the instructions do not make this clear, so it is easy to think you ran out of screws/bolts or worry you don't have enough if you don't know that you have to look for them in multiple places/sections.3. The instructions have you start off attaching hardware (handles, knobs, etc) to separate pieces in a haphazard fashion, which waste time because you have to find and handle each piece more then once. It is completely not logical the way it is laid out. If you are good with visualizing the final work from the various pieces then, skip ahead in the instructions to where the pieces are formed together into the final structure and attach the stove pieces/sink/valences before attaching the counter, attach oven shelf grooves to interior of oven and attach the knob/handle to the oven door before attaching it to the rest of the structure and do the same with refrigerator/freezer/ washing machine doors so you don't have to handle them multiple times.4. Keep plastic snack bags/masking tape/pen available to label and use them to separate extra screws you don't use (you will need them later on and they easily become lost) if you are assembling this while your child is awake. The best option is to do it while the kids are in bed, but do it on a weekend because you will be up late and fairly comatose the next day.Playing With The Toy:The kitchen seems sturdy, is made of medium density fiberboard/particleboard (MDF) with real wood poles (soft not hardwood) and wood veneer counter-top, plastic clicking knobs and accessories, fabric curtain and oven mitt, 2 small metal pot/pan, 1 thin metal spatula, and 1 metal ladle. The metal cooking utensils are a little flimsy and will probably need to be replaced by others if your child is hard on their toys.I purchased this kitchen because it was the cheapest one I could find with a refrigerator and enough counter space to place the 'Melissa and Doug Wash and Dry Dish Set' next to the sink. It does fit the dish-washing set, however the counter top is much smaller then I expected. This kitchen is a fine size for one child, but I do not think it is large enough for two to play comfortably. The space is very cramped. For example: The oven and microwave doors hit each other while being opened which will potentially shorten the life of the doors (damage), but your child may like the banging noise the collision produces :)My daughter loves playing with this kitchen while I make dinner and I am glad I bought it, however there are a few things a perspective buyer should be aware of:Even though the kitchen is a corner kitchen, the back of both sides are not very pretty if you don't want to use it in a corner. The backing for the cabinets is white, but has 2 unsightly circular holes in each piece. I used this kitchen to divide the room and had to cover the backside with art board to give it a smooth look. You could also attach a chalkboard or farmers market stand to the front if you wanted to cover the holes and add play options for your child.The circular door for the washing machine is pretty small and it can be hard for a guy with big hands to empty out all the things their child throws into the opening. The interior of the washing machine is larger then the opening, so it can get really jammed and crowded with toys.A child under 3 years old will need to be constantly observed during play because the kitchen provides many unstable climbing surfaces. My daughter is two years old and almost flipped the entire kitchen on top of herself while climbing when my back was turned. She also can not get the oven shelf back into its grooves and complains every time she takes it out. Save yourself a headache by removing it/hiding the oven shelf until your child is coordinated enough to play with it properly.I prefer unisex colors for all the kids toys, but this was $100 less then the unisex kitchens... so if your child has a sibling on the way (might be a boy!) you can prevent future embarrassing photos for your little man, by using red/blue/yellow contact paper on most of the girly pink parts. You will need basic sewing skills to change the curtain/potholder fabric color. The pink plastic oven knobs/handle can be sandpapered/spray painted or replaced with wooden ones.I would replace the chalk board completely with a good quality slate chalkboard. The pink part is plastic. The chalkboard surface is porous and will not hold up to years of chalk use without becoming disgusting.I did get this on sale for around $150 and think it is a good value for what I paid, however there are better options out their if you are paying more.Honestly, if I lived in a house and had some work space (instead of a small apartment without a yard), I would have built my little girl a real sturdy hardwood kitchen from scratch... the kind of heirloom piece that would last generations. It would be sturdier, safer, last longer, might be cheaper to build, and I think I could even assemble it in half the time! :) It's all just boxes put together with doors on them, so it isn't hard to design your own if you have some creativity and ingenuity.If you do decide to build your own instead of buy: For safety reasons make sure your doors open from the side (not top down oven doors), or your child will use them like a ladder and the door will come off/kid will fall.Hope that helps!