I was about six when my father decided to show my older brothers and I how to use a knife. He cut his finger and I’ve never forgotten it. I’m very careful with knives.

Anonymous wrote:You all are inspiring me with your awesome cooking kids. My kid's almost 11 and does nothing but a bit of slow, careful chopping (he's a slow and careful guy). I'm going to try to do better and teach him some real cooking!

I would not encourage him to be less slow or less careful. But expanding his kitchen skills is a great idea. Stirring pasta for you while you're making salad. Scraping carrots or other vegetables. Scrambling raw eggs and pouring them in, then stirring those. Slow and careful is great especially in the kitchen.

Started around 6.5 years with these: https://www.kuhnrikonshop.com/kinderkitchen-essential-set-pinkpurple/KHN+21271.html

You all are inspiring me with your awesome cooking kids. My kid's almost 11 and does nothing but a bit of slow, careful chopping (he's a slow and careful guy). I'm going to try to do better and teach him some real cooking!

We are starting at age 10.

Depends on the kid. Manual dexterity does not come easily to my kid (he was on the late side for drawing, too), so 9-10 for knives.

Younger for boiling water, if it's just filling and switching on a kettle, then pouring a little bit of water out. But like PPs said, not on the stove with a full pot.

Anonymous wrote:8-10. I started them cooking to help break up quarantine. After just a few meals, my 10 year old can cook a full meal (protein, carb, and veggie) with just verbal prompts from me. They can both boil eggs or hot dogs alone. They can also both scramble eggs alone. They can also make waffles and pancakes from scratch, and pan fry breakfast meat.

I honestly wish I hadn’t waited so long.

PS - my really big 10 year old had problems rocking a regular chef’s knife, so I am going to buy a smaller one.

8-10. I started them cooking to help break up quarantine. After just a few meals, my 10 year old can cook a full meal (protein, carb, and veggie) with just verbal prompts from me. They can both boil eggs or hot dogs alone. They can also both scramble eggs alone. They can also make waffles and pancakes from scratch, and pan fry breakfast meat.

I honestly wish I hadn’t waited so long.

DD is five and is allowed to use a knife when I'm there to help prep dinner. Usually a small knife or a plastic one. She doesn't use the stove yet. I would say 9 or 10 for stove use.

My kids were all using knives by the time they were 3.

The issue with boiling water is that it's heavy. It's heavy to carry to the sink to pour out and water can slosh over the sides and burn you. So they were probably 7 or 8 when they started boiling water, and cooking in it, but were asking someone to pour the water/drain pasta for them.

Between 5-7 all my kids were cooking eggs and doing stir-fry and such.

DC has been using knives since age 3 or 4. We bought special knives at that age because our child loved to help prepare dinner. We progressed to real knives at about age 8. Boiling water is about age 11 for my other child. I grew up with a girl that had terrible scars on her face from boiled water so we are more cautious there.

To avoid hauling boiling water to strain/dump over the sink I use the "Joseph Joseph Scoop Plus Large Colander" to scoop out pasta, peas, etc. The pot of boiling water just stays on the stove. I would have my kids do the same.

For stove-cooking, electric is less risky than gas. I am worried about my kids lighting a gas stove while I am out, so the 11-year-old boy has still not been taught to do that. I was probably cooking by this age but we had electric burners.

Anonymous wrote:Between 6 and 10, depending on the child.

+1.
The more years in Montessori primary, the younger.

My 8 year old has been using a knife to cut things since he was 6. We supervise. His first knife was a hard plastic and we only had him cutting softer things, to get used to it. He has a kids Chef knife now and helps with fruit and vegetables but with supervision. He doesn't touch the stove yet but that is because he is not tall enough. I don't want him using a step stool around the stove, it strikes me as potentially dangerous. When he is tall enough to be able to stand and see what is happening we will start letting him use the stove.

We have the plastic chef’s knives and my kids started using them around 3. They do a surprisingly good job at cutting produce.