MAIN Toy Reviews Cutting Set

Tadpole Young Cooks Cutting Set

Tadpole Young Cooks Cutting Set; for Rachael Ray Yum-o!; made by Furi, MSRP $39.99USD

First and foremost I have to say that this is not a toy. It is not to be purchased for young children, or to be used without hands on supervision by an adult. A portion of the proceeds from the purchase of The Furi Tadpole Knife Sets are donated to Yum-o!, Rachael Ray's charity to empower kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking.

The Furi Tadpole Knife Set is designed for small hands with safety and healthy eating in mind. The knife measures 8"L x 1-3/4"W, the blade is 5"L x 1-1/2"W. Intended for supervised use by your chef in training with an easy to grip handle and rounded tip of the blade, cut-resistant glove, and a blade guard. The blade guard helps keep the knife safe when carrying or storing.

The knife's handle extends over the top of the blade, so small hands have greater control than with conventional size knives. The handle is made of polypropylene covered with Gusto-Grip synthetic rubber for a non-slip grip. The blade is made from hardened and tempered professional-grade stainless steel alloy. It resembles a rounded tip santoku knife. The blade and handle designs make slicing and chopping easier for kids. I'm not going to lie this was by far one of the most nerve wracking tests we have done. However we felt that encouraging kids to get in the kitchen with parents and cook up some healthy snacks was worth a few gray hairs.

The cut-resistant glove is made to keep hands safe from the sharp knife blade. The glove is made from polyester woven with stainless steel, and it will fit both right and left hands. The crew thought it to be difficult to use and very uncomfortable to wear. We'd love to see them swap out the glove for a cutting guard, which is much easier to use.

The Furi Tadpole Knife Set is made in China and comes with a limited lifetime warranty. All in all it's a great way to encourage young cooks to be comfortable in the kitchen. And get parents and kids cutting veggies together. Again this is a real, professional quality, knife set meant to be purchased for an adult to use with a child.

About the Author: Mary Rose is a Mommy, a writer and an early childhood educator who believes in learning through play and the value of good toys.