My sister’s little baby girl is just going on solids, which is just so exciting because now we are digging up the baby food recipes to make for her. Homemade baby food is healthier than those store bought jars of puree that contain preservatives, and we have peace of mind knowing what goes into baby’s mouth.
In any case, baby food is very easy to make by steaming the vegetables until soft and then turning them into puree. I used to make it for my children with just a steamer and my usual food processor, but my sister wanted a baby food processor (which is basically a 2-in-1 steamer and processor unit) for those times when she travels.
Cuisinart BFM-1000 Baby Food Maker and Bottle Warmer – Best Value
Many consumer sites recommend the Beaba or the Brezza, but I searched for sometime and found this Cuisinart unit for the best value – it is a steamer, food processor and bottle warmer all in one! The price is even lower than the Beaba and we love the look of this simple grey and white unit which is going to fit in anywhere.
It is compact – a coffee maker might be bigger – and easy to use with a dial for steaming and pureeing. The convenient bowl is also a large 4-cup size, which means we can prepare a few batches in one go, and keep them in the fridge until baby needs them.
Simply dice the vegetables or fruits (baby loves squash and apples) and put them in the bowl with the right amount of water, then turn the dial to ‘Steam’. When steaming is done, turn the dial to ‘Chop’ and the processor will make smooth puree. All of this is done in no time. Clean up is easy too!
The bottle warmer is a nice addition which works nicely keeping one bottle warm for baby. We actually use it to keep a bottle of pureed food warm!
Read more about the Cuisinart BFM-1000 baby food processor here.
Beaba Babycook Pro Baby Food Processor and Steamer
The Beaba is the best food processor for baby food according to ConsumerSearch. It is a steamer and food processor with assorted colorful housing and a large 4.7-cup bowl and yet very compact; even smaller than the Cuisinart because it doesn’t have a bottle warmer. It’s pretty if you like colorful baby stuff.
You can cook and blend a batch of baby food to keep in the freezer, then reheat or defrost it in the Beaba itself. The control is a very simple dial-and-button-in-one, and it only takes about half an hour to prepare a bowl of baby food.
Find the best price for Beaba Babycook Pro Baby Food Processor and Steamer here.
Kidco Electric Food Mill
On the other hand, if you are looking for a cheap and simple chopper or mill that will blend steamed food into puree, this is a good baby food mill that really works. If you have used some of the cheap mills before, you know how they don’t puree food into smooth consistency, leaving chunks of food that you need to mash by hand. This is not one of them.
This food chopper simply works by placing the housing on the jar and pressing down to start the motor. The super sharp blades then turns everything into goo, including chicken or ham. After that you just throw the parts into the dishwasher or wash them by hand; it’s really easy. Storing and transporting this appliance is even easier because it is so small.
More about Kidco Electric Food Mill here.