There’s a very frustrating phase in cooking with kids. That is when they are proficient enough to chop a cucumber using their plastic nylon knife but the moment they try to cut a raw carrot or an apple with skin, this plastic blade just slips off.
- MATCHING KNIVES TO FOOD -The kids chef knife set is ideal for cutting and chopping large food while the paring knife is …
- KIDS FRIENDLY DESIGN – This kids kitchen knife set is designed to safely practice cutting food in the kitchen. Both kids…
- TAKE CULINARY SKILLS TO THE NEXT LEVEL-Cooking is fun for kids, especially when getting to use kids’ knives to cut throu…
The tendency then is to press a bit harder to compensate, the knife slips, and suddenly this “safe” plastic knife feels dangerous.
That was when we exactly looked at the Kibbidea 4-Piece Kids Knife Set. It positions itself as the bridge between “toddler toys” and “mom’s chef knife.” But does it actually work safely in a chaotic kitchen? Here is our experience.
The Big Difference: Slicing vs. Sawing
If you’re coming from the world of serrated plastic knives at least, like Tovla Jr. the learning curve here is real.
Plastic knives must be used in a sawing manner (back and forth). The Kibbidea knives are stainless steel. They cut by slicing action push down and forward.
- The Good News: Your child won’t mash the tomatoes anymore. These blades just glide through apple skins, potatoes, and zucchini without brute force.
- Bad News – Scary News: Yes, the edge is metal. It’s not razor-sharp like a professional Japanese blade, but it’s sharp enough to slice skin if dragged across a finger.
Quick answer: For whom is this set?
The Kibbidea Stainless Steel set is best suited for children ages 5 to 10 who have already mastered basic knife safety with nylon tools. It features a blunt, rounded tip to prevent accidental punctures, but the blade edge is sharp enough to cut root vegetables. It is not recommended for toddlers or unsupervised play.
Safety Features That Actually Matter
Since we’re working with metal here, design details become an issue. The handle isn’t the star of the show here albeit the grip is fairly good and well-sized for elementary school hands but rather it’s the blunt tip.
Children tend to whirl around with things in their hands or drop them. Since the point of these knives is totally rounded off, the stabbing factor which often proves to be more serious than a small cut is all but eliminated.
read more: The Complete Guide to Cleavers: Choosing the Right Weight for Meat and Bone
Performance of the “Hard Stuff”
We tested the largest knife in the set on a raw sweet potato.
- Result: It took some pressure, but it cut clean.
- Comparison: A plastic knife would have gotten stuck halfway.
- Note: For really dense veggies, younger kids might still need you to make initial “plank” cuts so the vegetable sits flat.
Where It Comes Short
Honesty here: do not expect these to stay sharp forever like high-end adult cutlery. The steel is softer to be safer which means it can dull over time if thrown in the dishwasher constantly, although they are technically dishwasher safe.
Also, going from “impossible to cut yourself” to “possible to cut yourself” is a jump for the plastic, and more so, it requires a mental shift from the parent. You cannot just hand this to your 6-year-old and walk away to check your phone. It really demands active supervision.
Making the Switch
If your child is getting frustrated that their current tools just can’t manage “real food,” then this set is the logical next step. It gives them the respect of using a real tool, which usually means they take the safety rules much more seriously. It makes meal prep feel less like play and more like a genuine contribution to family dinner.
[…] everyone does. I went to the store and bought one of those massive wooden blocks filled with 18 different knives. It looked impressive on the counter. I felt like a professional chef just looking at […]