Is an easy bake oven a waste of $?

[r4blessings]

Good morning everyone! I was on walmart online this morning checking out their web only specials and saw that they have an easy bake oven bundle. Last year my dd wanted the disney princess one and we bought it for her, but it was total junk IMO. I know she would love an easy bake one, since she still tries to use the princess one.

I always wanted one when I was a little girl, and never got one so I'd love to get it for her too, if it is fun. I know I can bake with her for real with our oven and we do (and she does with my dad who is a chef!) but the idea of her having her own oven is what makes it fun. Does anyone have it? If so, do you like it or is it junk? What would I need to buy now for it so she has a fairly good starter set?

 

[scrapbookworm]

Yes, I think so. It cooks an itty bitty bitty size cake. I think they are a total waste of money.

 

[neffernie]

If you bake with her already, why don't you just buy her a special set of bowls or small cake pans just for her?

Our easy bake was junk that just sat in the garage. I think DD used it twice.

 

[Disneylush]

they are really junk after the recall. Now the bulb that cooks can't be as hot so nothing cooks evenly. You will see they have tried to make everything smaller to fix this but it doesn't work. A lot of the mixes make hot pudding! IMO

 

[mjkacmom]

I wanted one as a child, so I bought one for dd years ago. It was used once (had to go out and find the special lightbulb), and is now in the toy closet.

 

[luvmy3]

Santa got dd the easy bake oven 2 years ago and it has been used 2 times. Its sitting in a box taking up precious space in her closet. I was planning on going through the kids rooms this weekend to get rid of some things, thanks for reminding me we have this

If your dd likes to bake, I would just get her her own stuff. You could get her a little apron, mixing bowls, spatulas, etc. She can use her own "equipment" but you can control the oven.

 

[maslex]

Like someone else said, if she already cooks/bakes with you....you could probably get her a bunch of her own "kid sized chefware" (bowl set, apron, maybe silicone pan set, utensils, etc) Maybe even get her a basket and fill it with some of those little Jiffy mixes (cake mix, muffin mix, cookie mix, etc)

Check out this website. You'll be able to get a whole bunch of stuff for her.

http://www.growingcooks.com/?OVRAW=...advanced&OVADID=2389321522&OVKWID=22874668522

In my opinion, Easy Bake Oven is a waste.

 

[Kellydelly]

It depends on whether you are the type of parent that will take the time to get it out and help her play with it. I think the main reason they don't get used is that it take's parent initiative and time too. We have one and we've taken it out twice, I think. The kids would definately love to use it more if I let them.

 

[kldmom2000]

Total waste of money IMO!

I always wanted one as a kid.... never had one.

About 3 yrs ago, I suggested it as a gift for my DD to her grandmother.... she got one and we used it all of twice.

I second the idea to get a set of child sized baking pans and just use your regular oven

 

[Misty89]

Yes.

 

[pantherlj]

Yep, waste of money! I got DD one a few years ago and it's in the garage. We use it once a year or so.

How about getting her a children's cookbook? My 9 yr old has one and really enjoys having one. I am going to get my 6 yr old one this year.

You could get her an apron and utensils to go with it.

 

[clh2]

Skip the easy bake...and this is coming from someone whose DD loved it. The mixes are astonishingly expensive. Just check them out before you would buy some.

As a PP said - buy her a children's cookbook such as: The Pink Princess Cookbook We got this for my niece when she was about 6...she loved this!!!

 

[npmommie]

I agree waste of money and the mixes are expensive and taste awful.

my kids do like using it though, but they also love cooking with me in the regular oven.
I like the idea of getting them their own cookware. never thought of that!

 

[loco4dis]

I totally disagree with most folks here. An Easy-Bake Oven is a rite of passage gift for most little girls. It is the toy I remember most as a child, and I am pushing 50 years old. My childhood wouldn't have felt complete without it. I remember making those silly little cakes for my dad and watching him eat them and say how delicious they were — so I'd rush back and make him another. Whenever my girlfriends and I reminisce about childhood, someone always brings up the Easy-Bake Oven and we all go "Oh my God! I lovvvvved it! I remember exactly which Christmas i got it!"

My daughters had one, and they loved it, too. True, it wasn't used a lot, but I know they will remember using it more than probably any other toy. And, yes, they are a pain with the little pans and the expensive mixes, but heck, we're talking about maybe a two- to three-year window in their childhood here.

Easy-Bake Ovens rock!

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

Gotta go with the majority - total waste of money. Ours has been used once.

 

[AwaitingMagic]

I think they are a waste too - my daughter got a deluxe something one from SIL a couple of years ago. I think she used it once - it was ridiculous.

 

[zumbergc]

i remember getting one. At some point the thing broke, or we decided to make cakes in the microwave instead, an they turned out ok. After that I don't remember using the darn thing. So, i like the idea of getting your daughter her own aprin, kitchen items, that are special for her, when she is your little helper. I remember helping mom make cakes, cookies more fondly than using the easy bake over. Thats just me.

 

[kellia]

I wanted one as a child, so I bought one for dd years ago. It was used once (had to go out and find the special lightbulb), and is now in the toy closet.

I always wanted one as a kid, too! I got dd one so I (umm, I mean SHE ) could play with it. What a piece of junk. Nothing cooked and the tiny packages were SO expensive.

I agree with the others about getting some kid (or just fun) pans, utensils, apron, etc.

 

[bumbershoot]

I totally disagree with most folks here. An Easy-Bake Oven is a rite of passage gift for most little girls. It is the toy I remember most as a child, and I am pushing 50 years old. My childhood wouldn't have felt complete without it. I remember making those silly little cakes for my dad and watching him eat them and say how delicious they were — so I'd rush back and make him another. Whenever my girlfriends and I reminisce about childhood, someone always brings up the Easy-Bake Oven and we all go "Oh my God! I lovvvvved it! I remember exactly which Christmas i got it!"

My daughters had one, and they loved it, too. True, it wasn't used a lot, but I know they will remember using it more than probably any other toy. And, yes, they are a pain with the little pans and the expensive mixes, but heck, we're talking about maybe a two- to three-year window in their childhood here.

Easy-Bake Ovens rock!

I think maybe your daughters used one several years ago, from the way you worded your post? You might not be aware that 2 years ago they recalled the Easy Bakes that we knew and loved (or just wanted). Back then they were kinda fun, but the ones post-recall are just junk. The bulb was getting so hot that people were burning themselves on it, so now the bulb can't get hot enough to burn aka hot enough to "bake".

I think that even 3 years ago I would have a different answer (and I have a boy who would have loved one of them), and when we bought one for our nieces I was bummed that DS wasn't in the recommended age range yet, but then they were recalled and I saw what came out after, and was very very disappointed.

 

[cristbaby]

Well, I hate to agree to disagree but.....my DGD has one here at my house and she just loves when she comes over because it is her most favorite thing to do. We bake cakes an cookies all day. Yes, the mixes are expensive but she is so excited that she has her own oven to cook in. Yes,. we could bake in the real oven but why take that joy away from her for such a short time. They are junk but good lord she has a great time with it, so I'm going to say that it is worth it. Did any of that make any sense?