Baby food makers are an excellent addition to the baby essentials list for new parents. Available since the early 1990's in Europe, and in the U.S. for nearly two decades, baby food makers have saved millions of parents' time and energy when making fresh, wholesome purees. And the systems have gotten much better over the years, with higher reliability, ease and convenience, more powerful motors, dishwasher-friendly parts, and phthalate-free plastics.
Carrots? Peas? Sweet potato? Got it. Fun and healthy dessert blends like banana blueberry puree? No problem. Once you get your hands on a good baby food maker you'll be inventing recipes like a professional chef! And your baby will love you for feeding them so many delicious fruits and vegetables.
As a mom, you want to give your baby the best start in life. Homemade meals for babies are not only healthier, but also potentially easier on your pocket. Plus, if you have a baby food maker on your team it might just make things a whole lot easier, too.
You know exactly what’s in your baby’s food as you have complete control over the ingredients you use and can adjust the recipes to your baby’s likings. This way you can always opt for fresh, whole foods that will nourish and help your baby grow strong and healthy.
Do You Need a Baby Food Maker?
Figuring out whether or not you need a baby food maker is going to depend on your lifestyle, culinary comfort level and what existing kitchen gadgets you already own.
Skipping the jars and pouches and making your own baby food will definitely save you money and reduce environmental waste. Your role as head chef puts you in charge of ingredients and quality, and gives you free rein to get creative and experiment with fun food combos as much as you’d like.
If you’re not super comfortable in the kitchen, don’t mind sacrificing some counter space and are looking for a foolproof way to dive into making your little one’s food, then a baby food maker is a wise purchase. No matter what type of gadget you go with, the process is pretty much the same: prep the ingredients, steam, puree or chop, and eat. (Your baby will add a few more messy steps in there…so be ready with the wipes). Check out our baby food-making how-to video for step-by-step instructions.
If you’d rather skip the baby food maker altogether, it’s definitely possible to take the DIY route, as long as you have a few key kitchen items on hand. Things like a large pot, a steam basket, some type of blender (a food processor, immersion blender or standard blender will all do the trick) and even your microwave are all key when it comes to making your own baby food.
Features to Consider in Good Baby Food Makers
Safety
Your baby’s safety should always be your priority, and you should check to confirm that the food maker’s construction will not harm your child in any way. Some plastics containing BPA, lead, and phthalate, which are unsafe to your family’s health, and you must avoid them. Also, ensure the construction is shatterproof to ensure that your baby won’t have to deal with parts of the food maker in their meal.
Portability & storage
Select a food maker that has a small footprint to make it easy for you to store as well as move it from place to place.
Ease of use
How long does it take you to assemble it? Does it allow you to operate it with ease? These are some of the questions you should ask yourself before picking the food maker for your little one. Your hands are already full for the most part, and you do not want to add more work into your life.
Efficiency
How fast is the food maker? Choose a food maker that gets work done with ease and in a short time. The unit should be able to prepare an array of foods perfectly.
Durability
We are sure you wouldn’t want a unit that forces you to replace it within a short period. Select a food processor that has a solid construction that can withstand years of use. It is also prudent to check on the warranty to allow you to use the unit without worrying about something going wrong with it.
Cleaning
It’s evident that your hands are quite full at the moment and you do not have much time to perform duties such as cleaning. Select a baby food maker that is quick to clean. A dishwasher safe unit would be perfect. You should also consider one with a detachable blade for ease of cleaning.
Included accessories
What are some of the items the unit comes with? Some packages will include storage containers, trays, among other accessories. Consider a food maker that comes with the essential items you need that would incur an extra cost if you were to get them separately.
This is completely new to our list for the year 2020, and we fell in love with it! The Grownsy's baby food maker is fierce new competition for the Beaba and others, providing awesome capability at a price point about $60 less expensive than the Beaba. Out of the box, we thought that everything felt very high quality and well-made. There are so many junky baby food makers on the market that it's always nice to see a high quality unit show up. And it was easy to use and follow the instructions; if the written instructions aren't clear, there are awesome video instructions at Grownsy's website. The features are great, including steaming, stirring and constant temperature preservation, and sterilizing functions. It also has a self-cleaning function that helps you clean the blade after use without having to detach or touch it (and risk a cut), which is an awesome feature to increase the ease of cleaning. It only takes about 15 minutes to prepare your baby’s food. The water reservoir holds about 6-7 ounces of water and is super easy to clean - it's big enough to fit your entire hand and a sponge in there, making things less likely to get covered with mineral scale, slime, or mold. The steaming basket and stirring cup are top-rack dishwasher safe, and all parts that come in contact with food are BPA-free.
【Intelligent Operation】 The Baby food steamer and blender provide you with a truly intelligent operation. Just press the automatic button, and the baby food processor can complete the steaming and mixing work for you, eliminating tedious and redundant steps.
【Multifunctional Baby Food Processor】 It is suitable for all fruits, vegetables, and meats. It can also heat milk, keep warm, and even self-sterilize.
【Constant Temperature】 The LED digital version in the Baby Food Warmer Machine can set the constant temperature time to keep milk and baby food at an optimal temperature, care for the baby’s intestinal health, and enhance the baby’s resistance.
【Customize the ideal food】The baby food blender has two different mixing modes. When the results of automatic mixing are not satisfactory, you can use the touch screen to precisely control the degree of mixing food. You can stop or activate the stirring function at any time to meet the baby's needs for different food tastes.
【Intimate Design】 Baby Food Maker is thoughtfully equipped with a large-capacity mixing bowl and high-quality precision 4 blades to help you easily complete baby food mixing. It is also equipped with a water shortage smart reminder function that will remind you when the baby steamer is short of water
Also, the Grownsy's company is super responsive on Amazon or Facebook (or email at hello@evlas.com) and will resolve any issues you have immediately and with a smile. Not that you're likely to have any issues, but just in case! When we tested this food maker it included a bunch of reusable food pouches, which was a nice extra to find in the box! Also, if you register the warranty they will send you a free baby spoon and bowl, and registering takes about a minute. Cons? Not a huge capacity, and it doesn't have the dual-layer steamer baskets. Outside of that, we think this is an awesome new option to consider! Interested? You can check out the Grownsy's Baby Food Maker here.
Final words
If you’ve been thinking you aren’t that caregiver who can spend the time and effort to make your own baby food, think again.
It’s not something just for an elite echelon of parents — it’s for every mom and dad. The right tools can make all the difference.Making healthy, homemade baby food is a lot easier than it sounds, especially with one of these.
Knowing exactly what your baby is eating and being sure that it is safe and fresh would make any parent comfortable and happy. Homemade food is also healthy and it’s a good way to introduce your baby to a variety of foods and a good baby food maker allows you to prepare the meal in the comfort of your home.