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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Nice But Not Solid Wood, April 27, 2009
Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: KidKraft Deluxe Big & Bright Kitchen (Toy)
I went back and forth between buying the Bright & Bold kitchen versus the more subtle, pastel KidKraft kitchen. The ONLY reason I went with the Bright & Bold set was due to the fact that it is advertised as "made of wood" while the pastel kitchen description notes it is made of composite wood. This language is found both on Amazon and on the KidKraft website. The Bright & Bold kitchen is NOT 100% solid wood, there are composite wood components--i.e. pressed wood. Some of the pieces may be solid wood, but a lot of them are not. The back of the kitchen is made of slide-in panels that are either really study cardboard or flimsy wood paneling. However, the hardware used to construct the pieces use the screw and hex nut system--where you put the nut into a pre-drilled hole and then thread the bolt through another pre-drilled hole, so that the metal bolt and metal nut are holding the pieces together--you do not have to worry about stripping a screw into a piece of pressed wood. There are only 6 screws that screw directly into the wood.
I ordered my kitchen a month in advance of my daughter's birthday in case I needed replacement parts as other reviewers noted. I needed 5 replacement pieces. Various pieces had chunks of pressed wood missing, and the solid wood phone rest was chipped and cracked. The paint is also a little less than top-notch. Apparently the pieces are painted a solid color and then the fake phone pad and the fake ice/water dispenser are applied and then a glaze is put on over these fake areas--all of these areas had a sloppy, glossy sheen over them while the other areas had more of a matte finish. I really do think the paint job could have been better.
Having said all of that, and keeping in mind this is a toy not a piece of furniture, I was really thrilled with the end product as well as the ease in ordering the replacement parts through the KidKraft website. I never had to speak to a customer service rep, I simply ordered my replacement parts online with no costs associated.
It did take me about 3 hours to put this together on my own (it would have been nice to have another set of hands for a few of the steps, but obviously not necessary). The amount of hardware was intimidating at first, but all of the kitchen pieces are clearly labeled (although you have to use a chart to figure out the hardware pieces--not super difficult, just time-consuming). Once I received the replacement parts, I basically had to take the entire kitchen apart and rebuild it, but it only took about an hour and a half the second time through (all of the busy work of attaching handles and locking mechanisms did not have to be repeated).
Last things, the freezer, refrigerator, and microwave open up like normal ones do. However, the oven and dishwasher open up the same way--like the refrigerator door in the picture, not from top to bottom, like real oven doors and dishwashers. This seemed very weird to me at first, but I figure the manufacturer must have thought children might try to sit or stand on the doors if they were constructed like that and certainly break them off quite quickly. Also, all of the doors have a plastic locking system that has a straight plastic piece that "locks" into a set of plastic wheels, you really have to tug and push, I think, to get the doors opened and closed. I think it would have made a lot more sense to use magnetic locks, and may eventually install them myself if the kids have trouble with the plastic locks.
Lastly, as far as accessories, I was a little disappointed to find that KidKraft doesn't offer any kitchen appliances in the Bright & Bold colors, only the pastel colors. I turned out to be really happy with the Bright & Bold colors.
We haven't given this to our daughter yet, but we don't have to wait to know that she and her siblings are going to love it. Even though I was disappointed that the kitchen was not solid wood, and that I had to go through the extra step of ordering and installing replacement parts, this kitchen is just too cute to be mad at! Just order the kitchen with enough time to order replacement parts in case you need them (the replacement parts took about 9 days to get).
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