About Littlechefgear
Why I Started This Site
I bought my first "child-safe" knife set three years ago, and my daughter cut herself within five minutes. The packaging promised "safety edges," but the blade was too dull to cut a banana, so she pressed harder—and slipped. That moment crystallized what I'd been feeling for years: most kids' kitchen gear is designed by people who've never actually tried to cook with a toddler.
I'm tired of marketing hype. I'm tired of bento boxes that leak in the backpack and "non-slip" plates that slide right off the table. As a pediatric nutritionist, I've spent over a decade helping families build healthy eating habits, but I kept hitting the same wall—parents couldn't find tools that actually worked. They'd buy expensive baking kits that gathered dust, or sippy cups that claimed to be spill-proof but soaked the car seat within seconds.
Littlechefgear exists because I got fed up. I started testing products myself, documenting what happened when real kids—my three included—actually used them. No studio lighting, no styled photoshoots. Just breakfast chaos, sticky fingers, and the honest truth about whether something survives the dishwasher.
About Sarah Whitfield
I'm a pediatric nutritionist with twelve years of clinical experience, but my most important credentials are the three kids running around my kitchen. I've counseled hundreds of families on childhood nutrition, and the pattern is always the same: parents want to involve their kids in cooking and packing healthy lunches, but they're paralyzed by choice. They don't know which knives actually teach skills without sending them to the ER, or whether that expensive baby food maker is worth the counter space.
My expertise comes from the overlap between professional knowledge and daily reality. I understand the developmental stages—when a two-year-old can start using a dull knife versus when they're ready for something sharper. I've spent months analyzing how bento box compartments affect portion control and picky eating. I've tested snack containers by throwing them in diaper bags, stepping on them, and leaving them in hot cars to see if they warp or leak chemicals.
You should trust my judgment because I have no patience for gear that doesn't serve families. I don't care about brand names or free samples. If a product breaks, stains, or ends up in the back of the cabinet after one use, I'll tell you. My reputation depends on being the person who saves you from buying another overpriced piece of plastic junk.
What We Cover
This site focuses on kitchen gear and mealtime products for babies through elementary-aged kids. Specifically, we review and compare:
- Kids cooking sets and real kitchen tools scaled for small hands
- Bento lunch boxes and snack containers that actually seal
- Toddler plates, bowls, and utensils that survive drops
- Child-safe knives that cut food but not fingers
- Kids aprons, baking kits, and cooking accessories
- Sippy cups and water bottles (leak-testing is serious business here)
- Baby food makers and storage solutions
- Lunch bags and insulated carriers
- Popsicle molds and healthy treat-making tools
Our readers are parents, grandparents, and caregivers who want practical, safe solutions for feeding kids—not lifestyle aesthetics. If you need to pack lunch for a picky eater or teach a six-year-old to chop vegetables without anxiety, you're in the right place.
How We Test & Review
Every product on this site undergoes real-world testing before I write a word. Most items live in my kitchen for at least three weeks. The child-safe knives get used for actual meal prep. The water bottles get tossed in backpacks and rolled under car seats. I check dishwasher safety claims by running them through fifty cycles. If a product claims to be "leak-proof," I fill it with colored liquid and shake it upside down over my own laptop. (Yes, I've sacrificed a keyboard to science.)
My scoring criteria are specific and consistent: Safety (materials, certifications, design flaws), Durability (will it last past month two?), Usability (can a child actually operate this without an adult doing it for them?), and Cleanup (if it has seventeen compartments that retain mold, I'm counting that against it).
Littlechefgear participates in affiliate programs, which means I earn commissions on some purchases. This never influences my ratings. I reject more products than I recommend, and I've returned plenty of free samples that didn't make the cut. If I link to something, it's because I'd buy it again with my own money—or already have.
Get In Touch
Have a question about a product I reviewed? Want to suggest something I should test, or tell me about your own kitchen gear disaster? I actually read every email. Reach me at info@littlechefgear.com.
Questions? Reach us at info@littlechefgear.com