Kitchens for Kids

Toy kitchens have changed a lot since I was in kindergarten. Well, first of all, it's pretty common for middle-class kids to have one at home, while the only one I ever saw was at school.

This is the closest picture I could find to the type of kitchen we played with when I was five years old:


Rugged and unbreakable, I'm sure it lasted the school many years.

A friend with two young boys has this kitchen in their play room:


Note the microwave, water dispenser in the fridge door, CD player, and dishwasher. The range burners light up a nice cherry-red, and there are controls at left and right for some type of grill unit and another mysterious cooking surface.

I was amused by the variety of features in this modern kitchen, compared to the basics I remembered, until I went searching for photos of play kitchens and ran across these:






I suppose the functions of these three aren't much different than my friend's, but sheesh, someone put some money into the pseudo-stainless steel finishes, backsplashes, and fancy faucets. How about that paper towel holder!

Do the kids really care about the high-end look of these, or is that for parents with too much money, trying to impress their friends?