A large, yet space-saving cooker: how can this be?

Did you think that Justine had covered every possibility in her recent, exhaustive investigation of toy cookers? Well, I have another few options for you from my European perspective. I won't apologise for it, either, as I know that cookers are a very popular Christmas present for toddlers, and now is the time to be making decisions about what type will suit your budget - and your home.

That's the main problem we have, see - space. It's not so much that we live in a small flat, as that each room is quite pokey, and fitting in a full-sized toy cooker would take a bit of thought. If we were to add a toy sink and washing machine, as in some of the lovely sets we've seen, well, that'd be rather tough.

That's why this all in one kitchen centre caught my eye (I have to apologise because the photo you see above is not as appealing as the one they have in their paper catalogue, but I hope you can get the general idea). It's such a simple concept, I'm surprised more brands haven't embraced it: on one side is the cooker, and the other, a washing machine. The other two sides are storage cupboards. This is a large piece, but at the same time it's a space-saver. What's more, up to four kids could play in harmony, each with easy access. I'm impressed.