Holiday Gift Guide: Kids Who Cook: 2000s Archive : gourmet.com

Young cooks look professionally polished in miniature chef’s whites ($37.50, size 6 to 8; The Children’s General Store, 212-426-4479). And just imagine them at work in this solid-wood-veneer miniature kitchen: The doors of the three-foot tall refrigerator open and the ice machine dispenses wooden ice cubes; the chic little stove (22” X 16” X 24.5”) has turn-able knobs that click, four realistic burners, and a double-doored oven with a removable rack ($299 for each appliance; potterybarnkids.com, 800-993-4923). The .63-quart Sitram saucepan makes the perfect kid-sized pot, complete with pour spout for great control of make-believe ingredients ($34.95; broadwaypanhandler.com, 212-966-3434).

Most cooking utensils made specifically for kids are really nothing more than toys. Standard tools are a better choice, but in the smallest sizes. These color-coded measuring spoons and cups are great for anyone learning to count or mastering fractions ($4.99 and $9.99, 4-piece sets; bedbathandbeyond.com, 800-462-3966). The ergonomic handles on OXO’s Good Grips spatulas and whisks are easy to hang on to, and OXO’s angled measuring cups are easy to read (spatulas, $5.99, whisk, $7.99, measuring cup, $6.99; OXO.com, 800-545-4411). Sil-pin Jr rolling pins are covered in food-safe silicone, so dough doesn’t stick and rolling is fun ($11.95 each; broadwaypanhandler.com, 212-966-3434).

These kitchen tool kits—cake making on the left, bread making on the right—come with washable oven mitts, brightly colored spatulas, geometric baking pans, simple recipes, and cute little animal timers. You provide the adult supervision ($19.99 each; sassafrasenterprises.com, 312-226-2000).

The Heath Ceramics Kid’s Set will turn youngsters into design-ophiles nice and early. This 50-year-old pottery company has made a smooth mug for small hands, sturdy dishes that can stand up to inevitable accidents, and warm colors that complement David Mellor’s delightful flatware (3-piece set with flatware, $135; heathceramics.com, 415-332-3732).

Kuhn Rikon’s Cookies & Cupcake Dec Kit was designed for adults but works for tiny hands, too: The short plastic bottles make for simple squeezing; the colored tops appeal to the finger-painters in any crowd; and the offset spatula is a cool tool for smoothing and frosting ($20; factorydirect2you, 866-233-6587).

These sweet kits are like chemistry sets for aspiring molecular gastronomists. The Soda Pop Science Kit comes with ingredients to make soda, several flavorings, measuring scoop, and an experiment manual—everything your little researcher needs to come up with the next Real Thing. The Tasty Science kit explores the finer points of cupcakes and candy. Of course, no lab is complete without books: Science Experiments You Can Eat and The Inquisitive Cook help make learning delicious (kits, $19.90, books $6.90 and $17; exploratorium.edu, 415-561-0393).

The rubber bottoms of these nesting plastic mixing bowls prevent them—and their contents—from accidentally flying off the counter ($24.99 for 3; target.com, 800-591-3869). Bambu, the company known for organically grown bamboo utensils, also makes small mixing forks and spoons that are just for kids ($14.95, set of 5; greenfeet.com, 888-562-8873).

These goofy-looking utensils practically drip with kid-appeal. The Head Chefs silicone spatula, spoon, and baster have bendable legs and suction-cup feet, so they stand upright and save counter space ($9.95 each; mxyplyzyk.com; 212-989-4300). Boston Warehouse’s Monkey Peeler and Veg-Hog brush will turn reluctant helpers into children who can’t wait to peel and scrub ($7.99 and $9.99; target.com, 800-591-3869).

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