By Alicia Betz Forbes Staff
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I always enjoyed making homemade baby food for my kids because I knew exactly what was going into their food, and I could control the consistency and texture. The best baby food maker can make prepping their food a breeze by combining features like steaming and pureeing, and simplifying cleanup by having dishwasher-safe parts or self-cleaning features. My top pick, the Beaba Babycook Solo steam cooks, purees, thaws and reheats baby food, and it has a large cup so you can make a big batch of food at once. Plus, it has a one-button operation, making the entire process super easy.
The best baby food maker is simple to operate, making life with an infant easier.
ILLUSTRATION: FORBES / PHOTO: RETAILERS
“Baby food makers also make it easier to delay the introduction to sweet and salty flavors, since you can decide what to put in them,” says registered dietitian Jennifer Anderson. “It can also make it easier to expose the baby to the exact flavors of foods in the home, which may be different than what is available in purchased baby food.” To help you begin the journey into feeding your baby solid food, we selected some of the best baby food makers from the Nuby Mighty Blender, which is an intuitive option that blends and chops, to the Oxo Tot Mash Maker Baby Food Mill, which is ideal for making baby food on the go. Below, find our other top picks.
Best Baby Food Maker Overall: Beaba Babycook Solo
Best Value Baby Food Maker: Bear Baby Food Maker
Best Baby Food Blender: Nuby Mighty Blender
Easiest To Use Baby Food Maker: Baby Brezza One Step Baby Food Maker Deluxe
Easiest To Clean Baby Food Maker: Evla’s Baby Food Maker
Fastest Baby Food Maker: Nutribullet Baby Steam And Blend
Best Baby Food Mill: Oxo Tot Mash Maker Baby Food Mill
Best Baby Food Maker Overall
A 4-In-1 Multitasker
Beaba Babycook Solo
Capacity: 4.6 cups | Functions: Steam cook, puree, thaw, reheat | Dishwasher safe: Yes
The Beaba Babycook Solo streamlines the baby food making process, and anything that makes life easier with an infant is a win in my book. It’s a multifunctional four-in-one option that steam cooks, purees, thaws and reheats food. Pediatrician Dr. Amanda Thomas recommends choosing a model that steams and purees. “Not only does steaming help preserve more nutrients than boiling, having a 2-in-1 model saves an extra step for busy parents,” she says. It takes 20 minutes to steam food in the generously-sized 4.6-cup bowl, which also means you can make a good amount of baby food at one time that you can then freeze for later.
A one-button operation makes things in this already chaotic time that much easier—especilly if you’re holding your baby in one arm while making their food. Dishwasher-safe parts are another (much loved) time-saver.
Best Value Baby Food Maker
Comes With Four Storage Containers
Bear Baby Food Maker
Capacity: 2.5 cups | Functions: Puree | Dishwasher safe: Yes
Making your own baby food is a great way to save money, and the affordable Bear Baby Food Maker can help with that. According to Anderson, you’ll probably only use a baby food maker for a few months, so choosing something that fits within your budget knowing you won’t use it for too long can help you save even more money. The Bear Baby Food Maker comes with four storage containers with lids and a tray, as well as two spoons, so you can start storing baby food right out of the box. It’s an easy-to-use baby food blender that purees and offers no other functions. To operate it, simply press down on the container and let go when you’re done.
The glass container holds 2.5 cups, which isn’t a super impressive amount, but it’s definitely enough to feed your baby and still have some to store for later. Though you can make a good amount of food, the entire baby food maker is pretty compact, meaning you can store it in your cabinets easily or even bring it along when you’re traveling.
Best Baby Food Blender
Included Cookbook Helps With Baby Food Inspiration
Nuby Mighty Blender
Capacity: 1.9 cups | Functions: Chops and purees | Dishwasher safe: Yes
The Nuby Mighty Blender is a really nice option that comes with quite a few accessories that simplify making baby food. These include a steaming basket, two types of blades, a soft-tip spatula, food storage cups, a freezer tray and spoons. A two-piece lid allows you to add food while you’re blending, just like a traditional blender. It’s very easy to operate by pressing down on the food cup. It also comes with a cookbook and nutritional guide, which helps relieve some of the mental load of feeding your baby. The steaming basket allows you to steam food in the microwave before pureeing it in the blender.
One blade is designed for pureeing food for younger babies, while the other can more coarsely chop food for toddlers and older babies. Anderson recommends moving on to more textured purees as soon as babies are able to. Having the option to chop rather than just puree the food is a great way to support their transition to thicker, more textured foods.
Easiest To Use Baby Food Maker
Automatic Mode Steams And Blends In About 10 Minutes
Baby Brezza
Baby Brezza One Step Baby Food Maker Deluxe
Capacity: 3.5 cups | Functions: Automatic steam and blend, steam only, blend only | Dishwasher safe: Yes
A one-step baby food maker that steams food then automatically moves on to the blending step can make any busy parent’s life easier. To use it, put the food in, select your mode via the LCD control panel (automatic steam and blend, steam only or blend only) and let the baby food maker do the work. It takes about 10 minutes to complete the steam-and-blend cycle. The included reusable food pouches and easy-fill funnels are ideal if you love the convenience of pouches but want to avoid store-bought options. It can make an impressive 3.5 cups of food, too.
The bowl and blade are dishwasher-safe, simplifying clean up. Parents looking for something they don’t have to think about will really appreciate the “set it and forget it” aspect of this baby food maker. Because it’s an automatic baby food maker, be sure to check the consistency when it’s done. If you want it to be a bit smoother, simply run it again.
Easiest To Clean Baby Food Maker
Self Cleans At The Touch Of A Button
Evla’s Baby Food Maker
Capacity: 2.5 cups | Functions: Steam, blend, puree, reheat, defrost, self-clean | Dishwasher safe: Yes
If there’s one thing I didn’t realize would be so time-consuming once I became a mom, it was the dishes. Bottles, baby food makers, sippy cups, lunch boxes… sometimes it seems like the dishes never end. Evla’s Baby Food Maker takes at least one item out of the never-ending sink thanks to its self-cleaning design. When you’re done making baby food, the brand recommends adding water and a drop of detergent then pushing a button to run a clean cycle, which takes around 45 seconds.
When it comes to actually making the food, this machine makes that pretty easy, too. It steams and blends food, and you control it via a touch screen on the top of the unit. There are lots of ways to customize the functions: you can choose the temperature, blending speed, time and more. You can also reheat and defrost food. Included reusable pouches make feeding your baby on the go super convenient.
Fastest Baby Food Maker
Ready In A Minute Or Less
Nutribullet Baby Steam And Blend
Capacity: 2 cups | Functions: Steam and blend with automatic option | Dishwasher safe: Yes
The Nutribullet Baby Steam and Blend is about as easy as it gets, allowing you to operate it with the push of a button. You can choose to have it run automatically or manually pulse the blades. The manual option is great for controlling the texture of your baby’s food. If you’re blending only, the automatic setting runs for one minute—or less. When steaming, cook times can vary, with the brand recommending 15 minutes for apples and string beans, and 25 minutes for harder foods like carrots and sweet potatoes.
It steams and blends in one container, reducing dishes and mess. The bowl and lid are also dishwasher-safe, making cleanup even easier. It’s capable of self-cleaning by running a cycle with just water in the container. Just keep in mind it’s a smaller option, with only a 2-cup capacity.
Best Baby Food Mill
A Manual Option Ideal For Travel
Oxo Tot Mash Maker Baby Food Mill
Capacity: About 3.9 fluid ounces | Functions: Manual puree | Dishwasher safe: Yes
A baby food mill works a bit differently than a traditional baby food maker, but it’s a great option for travel or eating out at a restaurant. “Any time you come across a table food that your baby can’t eat yet, you can quickly turn it into a textured puree and give your baby a spoon to eat it with. If a family is doing baby-led weaning, the food mill is still a great addition for those meals that aren’t as easy to adapt,” says Anderson, who recommends the Oxo Tot Mash Maker Baby Food Mill.
It’s manually powered, so you can toss it into your diaper bag and have it on hand whenever and wherever you need it. To operate, just place the food inside and turn the crank. If you need to thin the mixture, add a bit of water or another liquid. The base of the mill collects excess liquid so it doesn’t create a mess.
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Why Trust Forbes Vetted
The Forbes Vetted baby and kids gear team is comprised of a dedicated team of parents, journalists and editors who have combined decades of experience covering parenting topics.
The author of this article, Alicia Betz, is a mom to three who has experience making homemade baby food. She frequently covers topics pertinent to parents and caregivers of babies, including the best sleep sacks and the best baby books.
The editor of this article, Esther Carlstone, is also a mom to three and an experienced parenting journalist and editor. She also reports on products that are top of mind for parents of babies, including the best infant life jackets and the best baby pool floats.
To learn more about baby food makers and how they can be helpful for parents, we interviewed two experts: registered dietitian and founder of Kids Eat In Color, Jennifer Anderson and pediatrician at Bluebird Kids Health, Dr. Amanda Thomas.
How We Chose The Best Baby Food Maker
I considered and compared features and specs of various baby food makers as part of my selection process. Here’s a further peek into how I chose the best baby food makers:
I compared specs and features such as capacity, function, ease of use and ease of cleaning, giving preference to baby food makers that make life easier for busy parents.
I considered input from Anderson and Thomas and used their expertise to help learn more about what makes a good baby food maker. I also learned about how baby food makers can help parents provide nutritious meals for their kids.
I scoured online reviews, considering feedback from parents who have used each baby food maker. I only included options that have a rating of at least 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Knowing that everyone’s lifestyle is different, I included various types of baby food makers, from those that can do it all at the touch of a button, to a manual mill. I also included options at various prices.
What To Look For In The Best Baby Food Maker
Consider what you’re looking to get out of a baby food maker. If you want to puree the occasional dish, a simpler option might be fine. If you want to make all of your baby’s food, a more robust option is ideal.
Some baby food makers solely puree food, while others can steam cook, reheat and even self-clean. “Some families care about the ability of a baby food maker to make a smooth puree,” says Anderson. “If you decide to start your baby with pureed foods, your goal should be to move them to table foods as quickly as is appropriate for your child. My team and I like to see babies eating table foods and quickly moving toward mostly table food by around 8 or 9 months.” Keeping this in mind, barring any medical reasons that your child may need to stay on pureed food for longer, you may want to consider a baby food maker that can chop as well as puree.
Thomas also recommends time-saving features such as dishwasher-safe parts and automatic shut-offs.
Some parents prefer glass containers, so if that’s important to you, look for a glass option. If you choose one with a plastic container, Thomas recommends a BPA-free option. It should also be made of food-grade materials.
Container Size
Most baby food makers have a capacity somewhere between 1.5 and 4.5 cups. If you are planning to make large batches of food that you can freeze for later, a larger capacity baby food maker is better. For the occasional puree, a smaller capacity might be easier to manage.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The best baby food maker is the Beaba Babycook Solo because it’s easy to operate, and combines many feeding tasks in one. It can steam cook, puree, reheat and defrost food.
“A baby food maker streamlines the process of preparing fresh, age-appropriate purees and textures, allowing parents to offer a variety of whole foods,” says Thomas. “It can make it easier to introduce fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins in safe, developmentally appropriate forms. It also allows for better control over ingredients, such as avoiding added sugars, salt or preservatives.” If you want to make homemade food for your baby, it’s definitely worth the investment.
“Both homemade and store-bought baby foods can be very nutritious, but homemade baby food may retain more nutrients, especially when prepared using gentle methods like steaming,” says Thomas. A baby food maker that can steam and puree food can assist you in preparing nutritious food for your baby. “It’s important to note that most store-bought options are regulated for safety and convenience, and can be a healthy choice when selected carefully (e.g., low in added sugar and salt),” says Thomas.
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