The Plan Toys play food is much nicer quality than M&D so I would start there for basics like cutting food. The breakfast, condiments, and tea set are really nice. And we like the meat too.

The Haba food in tines is small, but that is a big part of the appeal. Beautiful quality. And very popular with my kids and ever kid that plays at our house. The wooden items are made in Germany. I like the cloth items less (made in China) but the grilling set with the fish and kabob are fun and the little box of cakes is pretty awesome.

FInally, this little coffee machine complete with little coffee bean beads that flow into the coffee pot is awesome. I tricked amazon.co.uk to mail it to me. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Santoys-ST437-Coffee-Maker/dp/B000QGBLQU/ref=sr_1_12?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1335459944&sr=1-12

And these are sweet... http://www.etsy.com/listing/86044389/custom-listing-for-jbikel

I love, love, love play food of all kinds and so do my kids! I even like the plastic stuff when it's done well. My favorite of the above pics is the Haba market bag and fruit.

Soap box...

"My ploy to force my children to make play food out of LEGOS and wooden blocks has come to an abrupt halt."

I just read a similar comment the other day on AT family and I have to say, I don't get it. I mean, I GET wanting your kid to be imaginative and develop play skills without things being all made up for them, but there's so much imagination that goes into pretend play with food and a play kitchen as it is. I am a speech therapist and I have to say that children really flock to play food. So much language can be gained from it. And many very young children don't have the skills to do that level of imaginative play (i.e. pretending a wooden block is a piece of bread) until they are a bit older, even 2 1/2, 3 or even 4. WIth LEGOS and blocks, they may be missing out on a lot of good play and opportunities to develop a whole repertoire of amazing language. After all, aren't we all attracted to really beautiful and colorful things? Especially as children?

OH HOW I LOVE MOULIN ROTY!!!!!! I just love every inch of it. And that Amazon price beats the pants of a price I saw displayed on an online toy boutique....

Oh I'm totally with you Upstate Girl -- the whole appeal I think, for small kids, is to have their own mini versions of what they see in the hands of the big folk. I want pretend food to look like food! Especially cute food!

Upstategirl, I do come across in the post like I have some diabolical plan to force my children to invent their own toys. I phrased it like that, and it's really only partially true. I took my cues from my children. They would make me salads with legos, use Grimm's rainbows as fruit. They have always played like this and it just seemed unnecessary for all their toys to have only one purpose. It's only now, at four, that she really wants it. My daughter has lead the way, and now that she's asked for play food, I more than happily acquiesce.

Now I'm trying to decide if we build a larger play kitchen, a store, or just use shelves and crates and let her make what she wants out of THAT on any given day. ;-)

elisabeth-- i vote for the "store" over the kitchen if your kiddo is already more flexible about stuff like that. we have both (and tons and tons of play food, though my child at 4 is just getting into that too...she cooks with pom-poms or natural things she brings inside more often than not up until recently :) the play food is a mommy indulgence ;) (more than a child led thing...) still-- i'd say the store is more flexible than the kitchen. the fridge in particular is mostly just storage.

the store can be a farmer's market, a floral shop, a bakery, seasonal (we've done a christmas shop, an easter store, etc.), even a library! on may 1st ours is being converted to a pet shop ;) we've also done a "baby shoppe" (in homage to the little cat baby book for a playdate).

we have a cash register, a scale and a shopping cart, but these things aren't completley necessary (more often than not the kids who play at our house like to shop with baskets-- we have lots of baskets :):):)) the store we have is a cheapy that was at target about 4 years ago-- the retail was 60 dollars, and that would have been a deal for all the play we've gotten-- i actually picked it up at 15 dollars!!!! best toy purchase ever (and oh boy do we have toys ;))

have fun!

We have a few kinds and the Plan Toys food is my favorite. The ikea stuff is also nice and inexpensive. Of course the M&D sushi is pretty cute. Both kids (3 and almost 1) love play food.

I have a real soft spot for play kitchens and toy food. We probably have more fake food in the house than we have actual food in the pantry. The Plan Toys foods are really nice. They have the best feel to them and have held up the best out of all of the things we have.

If you're kids like tiny than Haba is nice. We have the Haba wooden tea bags and sugar cubes (we have lots of tea parties around here, both real and pretend) and those are definite favorites.

Voila Chop Chop Chicken is my 2 year olds favorite piece at the moment. http://www.heirloomwoodentoys.com/Chop-Chop-Chicken-pr-21566.html

The quality on M&D varies depending on the set. We've had the sushi for years and it's held up really well. The velcro cutting foods and pantry items have not.

Oh and this icecream set rocks: http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Deluxe-Cream-Parlor/dp/B000Y0M7I4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1335493844&sr=8-2

Play food is a great toy that kids use for many years -- well worth it! Don't forget you can make some yourself. You could get really crafty and make little veggies and fruit out of felt or plasticine (or buy them made by someone else on Etsy). You can use old food packaging -- look for stuff at the store that comes in cute, small packages or decorative tins. Maybe it will be a little pricier but you are just buying it one time then using as a toy once the food is consumed. Don't forget to save little baskets and handled bags for your food.

My favorite improvised food toy is champagne corks used as "mushrooms" in my kids' play kitchen. These are probably not choke-proof, so for older kids only.

Loving play food too !

Here in France, Ikea just released another play food set with a fish, lemon and herbs. We added this to the two veggies and fruits sets he already had. I favor fabric play food since it can be thrown without damaging lamps and limbs.

I love the round-up you made. When I was looking for some play food in major toys stores, I was horrified at what I found: McDonald's play-happy meals, fully-branded pantry items like flour or sugar, and disgusting sugary cakes. All of them plastic of course. I guess you are never too young to be a marketing target...

My kids love their play kitchen. We made some food that is very similar to the pasta set shown above. I painted little round wooden balls from the craft store green for peas, some white cubes to be sugar cubes, and the little wooden plugs as mushrooms (this was actually my 6-yr-old's idea). We store them in little tins (the kind with a clear top) that also came from the craft store. Other home-made hits are a set of fish simply cut from felt and some old wine corks. They pretend the corks are juice (some have pictures of grapes), but I've also seen them serving them as glasses of wine while playing restaurant! Next on the to-do list is lettuce leaves cut from felt so they can make salads. We've also equipped their kitchen with a shopping basket that is also storage, a small chalkboard, and little bowls for serving/mixing.

We have the IKEA fruits and veggies, and we love them. Even our adult guests like to play with them... and we get lots of comments on the fact that there's a leek and some garlic bulbs in the set. Real food. Who'd'a thunk?