I have been on the hunt for a good, kid-friendly dessert set since my bad experience with the Cra-Z-Art Ice Cream Maker. This week I played with the Girl Gourmet Chill Treats Dessert Maker I had a lot more fun with this set. Not only did I have to supply minimal supplies but I also wasn’t totally disgusted by the dessert it produced, it was actually pretty good!
Unboxing and set up with this dessert maker takes a little patience and time. It is packaged simply and I was able to get everything out with ease. The dessert maker is packaged together and there are several packets included as well. The dessert maker has a really great accessory that spins around the middle of the unit and holds all the toppings for your dessert. I had to cut each of the little packets open and fill the small condiment cups as well as clean the unit before getting started.
The Playtime Experience
Making the dessert is extremely easy and there is plenty of mix to make multiple cups or have multiple different play times with this set. Essentially the only thing I had to add was ice cold water, the rest was taken care of. The instructions are great with step by step instructions and picture references to help you get the right consistency for the perfect dessert. There are also suggested “recipes” of dessert and toppings for different and unique flavors. The “maker” part of the unit is really nothing more than a dispenser and an additional thing to wash afterwards and it did make quite a mess because the minute I added the mouse it started running out the bottom. I hadn’t thought to put a cup there before because the instructions make it seem that you have to press down on the dispenser to get the dessert out.
Things I Liked
I really like that I didn’t have to supply a lot of the needed cooking items for this set. I literally just added water to the mouse mix and ended up with a platable dessert.
Things I Didn't Like
The instructions don’t tell you that the minute you put the mix in the dessert maker, it will start running out the bottom of the dispenser. It makes it seem that you have to press the top in order to dispense the mousse but that just isn’t so. Be prepared with a dessert cup under the unit BEFORE you empty the contents into the dessert maker.
Appropriate Ages
Although this Girl Gourmet cooking set is recommended for 8 and older. It is simple enough that with adult supervision I think this toy could be enjoyed by a much younger child. I would say 4 and older would all be able to enjoy this toy. Just keep in mind the mess factor with the little ones!
Final Note
Even though the Girl Gourmet Chill Treats Dessert Maker was a lot better than my previous Ice Cream Maker experience. I still wasn’t totally blown away. The dessert was good and the process was A LOT more simple than the other set from Cra-Z-Art but the “maker” in the Girl Gourmet version was just a middle man and really served no actual purpose. The hunt continues for the “best” kid-friendly dessert maker.