A purpose-designed baby-food maker or blender saves you time and trouble when you’re making homemade baby food - perfect for when you are weaning your baby.
When you wean your baby at around the age of six months, you might want to make at least some of their food. Cooking your own baby food means you know exactly what they're eating, can adjust your recipes to suit their tastes, and often works out cheaper. Even if you are doing baby-led weaning, then you’ll still be making purées with a baby food blender, as they’re great for your little one to have as a dip with finger food.
A purpose-made gadget can make the whole process easier. There are all sorts on the market, ranging from a simple tool to blend food into a purée, to a gizmo that cooks the meal as well.
These ‘one-stop-shop’ gadgets mean there’s less washing up as everything stays in the machine’s bowl or jug from start to finish. You might even be able to programme the whole process so you simply press one button and everything happens automatically, allowing you to get on with other things. We all know the importance of being able to do ten things at once, so if there's a great gadget like a baby food blender or steamer that does three things in one, we're a fan.
The best baby food makers and steamers
1. BABYMOOV Nutribaby
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The BABYMOOV blender has a big capacity, plus loads of functions - it warms baby bottles and jars, sterilises, steams, defrosts and blends. You can separate foods with the two baskets, and the LCD screen means it's easy to control.
It was Shortlisted in the 2020 M&B Awards Best Weaning Product category.
Maximum capacity: 600ml
Our mum tester Caroline Kirk, mum to Sonny, six months, and Rowan, five years, said: "Wow! I had no idea such a great all-in-one product like this existed. It’s not cheap, but comes with a lifetime warranty, looks sleek and modern, and takes up minimal space on my kitchen work surface. I particularly like that it collects the liquid from the food so you don’t lose any nutrients."
2. Philips 4-In-1 Healthy Baby Food Maker
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A great option if you're a fan of batch cooking and freezing portions for your little one - aren't we all? This versatile gadget can steam, blend, defrost and reheat. It’s easy to clean - bonus. We love that it’s designed to steam and blend in the same jug – use it one way to steam and then flip it up the other way to blend. Maximum capacity: 1000ml
Tested by Ramya Krishnamoorthy, mum to Niralya, eight months. She said: "Expensive but a good investment, as it has everything you need for stress-free weaning. It’s stylish, compact and very easy to use – one button does everything from setting the timer to blending, reheating and defrosting. The storage pot provided is useful – shame there’s only one. I like the visual indicator to let you know when food is ready."
Read our full review of the Philips Avent 4-in-1 Healthy Steam Baby Meal Maker here
3. Tommee Tippee Quick Cook Baby Food Steamer and Blender
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Preparing food in minutes, the Tommee Tippee blender is perfect for all busy mums on-the-go. This can be used for fruit, veg, meat and fish, offering a range of textures from smooth to chunky, making it ideal for all stages of weaning. It's smart memory function will remember your last programme, making batch cooking that much easier. The handy recipe guide is also great for gathering inspiration for your little one's meals.
Maximum capacity: 200ml
Mum of four reviewer Emily says: "Fantastic. I have just had baby No.4 so these products are all new too me as I never had anything like this before and I can't believe I didn't. Now this is in my life, its so much easier. I can just pop the food in, set the settings up and wait for it to be done instead of boiling/cooking the food, waiting to cool and then blend. Without the worry of one of the other children getting in the kitchen and knocking the pan off the hob or having to stand over it and watch. This saves washing up, utensils and time. Very delighted with this product and I would be lost without it."
4. Babymoov Nutribaby
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An updated version of the classic Babymoov Nutribaby, this blender steams, blends, heats bottles, sterilises and defrosts for the ultimate all-in-one gadget. The easy to use led screen helps you keep track of your food, and the high capacity means its perfect if you've got more than one tot to cook for.
Maximum capacity: 1500ml
One reviewer said: "This is a must have product if you have a baby/toddler. I ordered by recommendation and I am satisfied with it. It is very easy to use, large space where you can make food for the next day as well and keep it in the refrigerator."
5. Béaba Babycook Neo Baby Food Maker
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Looking for a blender that does it's job well and looks great doing it? If so, then we've found your match. This stylish four-in-one food processor steam cooks, blends, defrosts and reheats to meet all your cooking needs. The soft steam mode maintains all the nutritional benefits of your baby's food, and in only 15 minutes? Your bubba's meal is ready before you know it.
Maximum capacity: 1250ml
Review: "Absolutely love it! It is so easy to use. I can steam the veg prior which maintains all of the nutrients and take out and put straight back in to blend. Plus it looks nice too!"
6. Judge JEA75 Electric Mini Chopper
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Small but powerful, this food processor will whip up your baby's food in no time. Simply fill the bowl, attach the lid and press the button; your food will be blended, chopped, mixed and pureed in seconds. The fact that it's dishwasher safe is simply the cherry on top - we'll do anything to reduce clean-up!
Maximum capacity: 500-700ml
Review: "This is easy to use, clean and store due to it's small size. No large food processor bowls that don't fit on a drying rack. Easily makes fairly uniform breadcrumbs and chops onions. Have yet to try hummous or a burger mix but I'm sure it will be fine in here as well. A good alternative to a full size processor."
7. NutriBullet Baby Food Blender
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Popular blender brand NutriBullet have got their very own baby food maker! Simply add your chosen ingredients to the short cup or batch bowl, place on the power base, then push and twist for instant results. Switch easily between making pureed baby food for younger babies and chunkier baby food for older babies. You'll also receive six storage cups so you can store your baby food to keep it fresh.
Review: "Great for weaning babies, Nutri Bullet is always brilliant brand."
How many functions will you actually use on your baby food blender?
More functions typically mean a higher price tag. So, consider carefully what you will use – do you like the idea of lots of different modes or prefer something relatively uncomplicated?
Which gadgets do you already own?
Thinking about what’s already in your kitchen cupboards will help you work out which functions will be worth paying for. For instance, some baby-food makers also double as bottle warmers, but if you’ve already got one, then you can ignore this function when deciding which gadget to go for.
How often will you use a baby food maker?
If you’re planning on cooking all your baby’s food from scratch, then this gadget will probably sit permanently on your worktop. But if you’re simply intending to whizz up some of whatever you’re already cooking for tea at the weekend, then a smaller, more portable machine that you can easily take in and out of a cupboard might be better.
How much kitchen space do you have?
If this will be a permanent addition to your kitchen for the next year, check that the machine’s footprint won’t take up too much of your worktop space and that its height allows it to slide under your wall cupboards. Or if it’s going to be stored between uses, will it easily fit in your cupboards?
Are baby food processors easy to clean?
There’s no point saving time cooking if it means you’ll spend more time washing up. Check that the different components can go in the dishwasher if you have one and that they aren’t fiddly to take apart and assemble again after each use.
Check what’s included
Some baby food blenders come with additional weaning accessories, such as cube trays for the freezer, or food-storage pots. Think about whether you’ll use them and whether it would make more sense to buy them separately.
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