My Dexter is a very homely child. At playgroup there are only two toys he’ll make a beeline for; A toy pushchair, and the Little Tikes kitchenette. Both of these toys should be none-too-surprising for anyone who has been lucky enough to meet my 18 month old. He’s (thankfully) obsessed with babies, and loves to watch his daddy in the kitchen.

So when the very lovely guys at Cost Cutters UK recently asked if I’d like to review any of their toys, I simply had to plump for the very cute Casdon Hotpoint Electronic Cooker. Small, but perfectly formed, this bad boy has been very carefully scaled down to dinky proportions. Yet it offers an incredible true-to-life cooking experience for any budding Jamie Oliver’s out there. Quite unbelievably (for such a weeny cooker) it includes glowing ceramic hobs, an illuminated grill and oven, and grilling and cooking sounds!

First up, I was pleasantly surprised this wasn’t one of those toys where I had to pour over assembly instructions and ring my dad for advice for advice on screwdrivers. It was simply a case of taking it out of the box and inserting 3x C batteries. Immediately my little guy ambled over to give me a hand exploring his new toy.

Role play has never been a problem for Dexter. He absolutely loves getting under our feet and copying us as we go about the household chores. When an unsettling silence fills my home, I know I’ll find Dexter popping toilet rolls, remote controls, and other strange items into the washing machine, attempting to climb into the oven, or throwing his toys down the toilet.

I might joke, but in fact role play is actually an incredibly valuable experience for toddlers. When playing with peers it helps promote early social skills (learning to be in one another’s space, assisting each other in play, waiting one’s turn etc), also hand-to-eye coordination, cause and effect, problem solving and motor skills, and independent play. It seems children have never had so much choice with life-like vacuum cleaners, incredible tee pee’s, and scores of other accessories available. Even the slimmest budget can bag you something fun and engaging to fire up your little one’s imagination.

Back to Dexter’s cooker. You get an awful lot for your money when you buy this toy. All the pots and pans are included, and there’s pretend food too - for just £21.99. I don’t quite know why I’m so surprised - this seems to be a bit of a theme with Cost Cutters UK, and many of my blogger friends have been equally taken aback by how far their money went.

Unsurprisingly, Dexter has really taken to his new toy. He’ll bang away at all the pots and pans, and stick all the plastic food in his mouth. I can already see an improvement in his general dexterity as he’s able to place lids on pans, and feed baking trays onto oven shelves with ease. He’s also a fan of carrying pans with food in to where we are sitting so we can sample his cooking. I’ve definitely had more than my fair share of plastic roast chickens, burgers and sausages this week - clearly my child has no sense of portion control!

The illumination element has been largely lost on Dexter. He’s too absorbed in the additional accessories and hasn’t quite got to grips with the buttons yet, but he does seem interested when we press them for him. He likes the sizzling noise too and attempts his own version when we’re not on hand to press the buttons.

This space-saving toy cooker from Cost Cutters UK is great if you have limited play space. Dex is a fairly small child (is it bad I have no idea how tall he actually is?) so can play comfortably with the cooker from standing, however if you child is slightly older I’d recommend popping it on a table so they’re not bending over too much. Of course, If you did fancy a bigger one, then Cost Cutters have plenty of these too. There’s also a mini Hotpoint electronic washing machine and sink unit from Casdon too, and the entire set lined up next to one another looks incredibly sweet, don’t you think?

Would I recommend this toy. Of course! What’s not to like?

If you like what you see here, why not say hello to Cost Cutters UK on Facebook, Twitter or G+. They’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have, and often run fabulous competitions too.

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge in exchange for this review. Thanks Cost Cutters!