Step2 Mixin’ Up Magic Kitchen Review

As a Step2 Ambassador, I had the privilege of visiting their headquarters this past August.  We were able to see a number of the new Fall 2014 toys and I immediately fell in love with the Step2 Mixin’ Up Magic Kitchen. It was at the top of my Christmas list for the kiddos, and I was delighted when Step2 agreed to send it to me (at no cost) to feature in our Holiday Gift Guide.

We are saving this kitchen to give to my kids on Christmas morning, so I waited for a day when they were visiting Grandma & Grandpa to assemble it. This proved to be a blessing because for once, they weren’t jumping all over the place and “helping” while I assembled it.  If you’ll be assembling this kitchen set Christmas Eve, plan on spending about 45 minutes from start to finish. It’s also best to have a second adult to hold it together while you secure it with screws. Speaking of screws, you can use a screwdriver, but the electric drill will be much faster, so grab one if you have one! You’ll also need a total of 5 AA batteries.

Now that I’ve talked about set-up, I can jump into all the reasons why I love the Mixin’ Up Magic Kitchen! This kitchen is loaded with details that really put it over the top! I love the color scheme that Step2 went with for this kitchen. It’s bright and cheerful but not too over-the-top.  The cute details make me think of a country kitchen. I’ve gotta mention the dog dish, as it’s one of the first things that caught my eye. I have a feeling that our kids will enjoy leaving bones in the bowl for our real dog to come eat. Check out those shutters – they really open and close!

The farmhouse sink allows your child to wash their own dishes and (if you’re brave enough) you could even add a few inches of real water. Speaking of dishes, Step2 includes a LOT of accessories (like dishes) with this set:

• 2 plates, 2 bowls, 2 forks, 2 spoons, 2 knives, 2 cups, & 2 mugs
• 2 serving spoons, 1 ice cream scoop, 1 spatula
• 1 colander
• 1 frying pan
• 1 pot
• 1 lid that fits both the pot and frying pan
• Salt and pepper shakers, plus a pepper grinder
• 5 condiments with a storage tray that really spins
• 4 small blue storage
• 1 large storage bin
• 1 large recycling bin
• 1 washcloth
• 1 oven mitt
• 1 coffee pot
• 1 portable phone
• 1 popcorn popper
• 1 blender

One of my biggest complaints about other kitchen sets we’ve used in the past is the lack of storage. Finally, this kitchen set from Step2 solved that problem! There is space for storing items in the microwave, refrigerator (including a bin that fits in there), freezer, and oven. There is also a cupboard above the freezer, a place for the recycle bin below the refrigerator, 4 small blue bins located on shelves below the sink, plus 5 total hooks to hang the oven mitt, serving spoons, ice cream scoop, and spatula.

Remember how I mentioned batteries in the setup? Well, the batteries power the stove and appliance mount which causes the following to happen:

• Popcorn in the popcorn popper starts popping (the Styrofoam balls bounce around inside and popping noises are heard).
• The blender turns on (Styrofoam balls swirl around and blending noises are heard).
• The frying pan makes sizzling noises and lights up.
• The pot makes the sound of boiling water.

It all sounds great I know – but it’s so much better to SHOW you these great features in action, so I made a quick video:

I’m thoroughly impressed with the Step2 Mixin’ Up Magic Kitchen! I know Maggie & Jacob are going to be thrilled when they see this by the tree on Christmas morning and I bet your kiddos would be too!

Connect: You can connect with Step2 on Facebook and follow them on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube. You’ll also want to make sure to sign up for their Birthday Club where you’ll get great coupons before your child’s birthday plus other special offers and deals!

Buy it: The Step2 Mixin’ Up Magic Kitchen Set is a Toys”R”Us Exclusive. It is priced at $199.99, which to be honest, I think is a steal! Watch for sales to get it for even cheaper before Christmas!

Disclosure: As a Step2 Ambassador I’ve partnered with Step2 for this review. I received this product to facilitate my review and honest opinion.