For the longest time when I cooked with my toddler, I would just get Amber to stand on her dining chair so she could reach the worktop.
There were two problems with that:
Firstly, she could only just reach over the counter, which was no good if she needed to reach the food processor or anything further back.
Secondly, her little wooden chair was getting covered in all the stuff she spilled (which was pretty much everything in the beginning), and a lot of it didn't wipe off.
I had been looking at kids' kitchen steps for a while and was in 2 minds whether or not to go ahead and get one. After all I'm Scottish through and through and I really begrudge spending money if it's not absolutely necessary!!
But enough was enough!
Amber was getting bigger and more involved in the cooking. Although she was becoming more coordinated with her pouring and mixing I felt it was the time to get her the equipment she actually needed to make life a little easier so she could develop as a great little chef.
On my mission to find the perfect stool, I did A LOT of research, and in this article I'm going to share my research with you to make your life a little easier 🙂
So Here's My Top Picks
#1
5/5
From the 3 steps I looked at theses were the most expensive, but what I love about them and what sets them apart from the other steps I've seen is the fact that they are adjustable. So no matter how young you start your child off in the kitchen, they will always be able to reach the counter!
Available on Amazon - Price £89
#2
4/5
These are a little more of what I think of when I am thinking about kid's kitchen steps. With the side bars there should be no stress about turning your back for a minute if you need to check something in the oven or grab something out of the fridge.
Easy to assemble, with removable safety bars. They are a little more expensive but compared to some other steps I have looked at, these are very reasonable. It has a really cute cow motive and little pom-poms to catch your child's interest (if your cooking's not doing it for them).
Although the step is slightly higher on this, at 35cm for me, this was still a little low.
Available on Amazon - Price £75.99
#3
3.5/5
These are cheap and cheerful. They are easy to clean, and stackable for easy storage. They have grippers on the step to stop slippery feet from sliding off after your little one has undoubtedly spilled something. And obviously, because there's two they are great value, so you can have one in the kitchen and one in the bathroom for potty training if needed.
This type don't have the safety bars some of the other kitchen aids have, and because of the size (they are less than 30cm high), I would definitely recommend these for older toddlers.
Available on Amazon - Price £25.99
For me, I am fairly confident in Amber's abilities in the kitchen (she's been 'cooking' with me since before she could even stand. I used to sit her in her highchair so she could play with the ingredients).
I mainly use the steps to give her independence and so she doesn't have to stretch or need help reaching for things. Because overreaching is definitely a slip risk in the kitchen and something I want to avoid.
In the end I chose a stool with safety rails (although I am sure she could have done without them), it gives Amber a little more confidence when standing high up.
However, in saying that, even with the safety rails, I did read one review of a little boy who was using his stool in the bathroom and slipped, fell over the safety bars and cracked his head on the floor. So as always, no matter what stool you choose, be aware and never leave your child alone for any length of time.
Good luck and happy cooking!!!!
