Best blender for homemade baby food

The 8 Best Blenders for Baby Food of 2023

The best gear to help you feed your baby homemade meals

Sharon Lehman, RDN

Sharon Lehman is a freelance writer and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist specializing in food, health, and wellness topics. She is the Small Appliance Expert for The Spruce Eats.

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process

Updated on 07/13/22

We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

The Spruce Eats / Lecia Landis

Making your own baby food puts you in control of what goes into your child's meals and will save you money at the grocery store. It also gives parents a more hands-on role in the process of discovering their little ones' culinary preferences. What better feeling than watching your baby happily devour a meal you lovingly prepared? It might sound like an intimidating and time-consuming task, but in reality, the process is pretty simple.

You can make an endless variety of single- and multiple-ingredient baby blends with just two basic steps: steaming or roasting, and then blending. Fruits, vegetables, and proteins can be roasted in the oven or steamed on the stovetop, microwave, or in an electric food steamer. While you could mash by hand or process steamed food through a food mill, a blender saves you the time and mess by making quick work of pureeing everything from baby’s first bites to thicker, more advanced textures. Plus, blenders are a staple for making smoothies and frozen pops, both useful recipes when introducing fruit and veggies.

Standard blenders, handheld stick blenders, and baby-food makers are all options for creating both single-ingredient purees and more complex recipes.

To help you figure out which style is best for your needs, here are the best blenders for making baby food.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Vitamix Ascent Series Blender Family Pack at Vitamix.com

Best with Steamer:

Baby Brezza Glass One Step Baby Food Maker at Amazon

Best Glass System:

BEABA Babycook Neo Baby Food Maker at Amazon

Best Handheld:

Vitamix Immersion Blender at Amazon

Best Budget:

Sage Spoonfuls Baby Puree & Blend Immersion Blender at Amazon

Best Ninja:

Ninja Foodi Power Blender and Processor System at Amazon

Best Mini:

Nuby Mighty Blender Baby Food Maker Set at Amazon

Best with Storage:

Nutribullet Baby The Complete Baby Food Prep System at Amazon

In This Article

Our Picks
What to Look For
FAQs
Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Vitamix

View On Vitamix. com

What We Like

Versatile
Powerful motor
Easy to clean

What We Don't Like

Yes, the price tag on this Vitamix model is splurge-worthy, but it takes our top spot because it’s one of the most versatile and coveted blenders on the market.

Vitamix created this family pack to include extra storage containers to make and store batches of baby food or smoothies to go. It comes with the trademark Vitamix 64-ounce, low-profile blending container, a 20-ounce lidded blending cup, and a pair of 8-ounce lidded bowls that are the perfect size for making fresh baby meals. Additional bowls are available for separate purchase and all bowls, cups, and blender jars are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.

The blender is equipped with “Self-Detect Technology” that enables it to recognize when the blending cup or bowls are being used and adjust the blender’s speed and power for their smaller size. The Vitamix A2300 packs a whopping 2.2-horsepower motor, which is more than enough power to make ultra-smooth purees out of tougher ingredients, like leafy greens and dried prunes, and whip up smoothies (great for the whole family, including young children), frozen desserts, fresh nut butter, soups, and more.

The dial lets you control the speed with 10 settings so you can achieve any consistency you need. The Ascent series also has built-in WiFi connectivity and can be paired with the Vitamix app for access to a recipe library.

Price at time of publish: $650

Power Rating: 2.2 HP | What’s Included: Blender base, 64-ounce container, 20-ounce cup with lid, 2 8-ounce bowls with lids, tamper, blade base, and cookbook | Maximum Capacity: 64 ounces | Dimensions: 11 x 8 x 17 inches | Weight: 11.86 pounds | Warranty: 10 years

Amazon

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What We Like

Glass work bowl
Automatically cooks, blends, and shuts off
Dishwasher-safe parts

What We Don't Like

If you’re looking for an all-in-one system to streamline the baby food-making process, the Baby Brezza is going to be your new favorite kitchen tool. It steam cooks, then automatically switches to blending, so you can fill it, start it, and walk away while it works.

Doing all the cooking and blending in the same appliance helps cut down on dirty dishes, and the Brezza works quickly, with most recipes ready to serve or store in 10 to 15 minutes. An LCD control panel houses the versatile settings making it easy to choose between steam only, blend only, or steam and blend.

The glass bowl holds up to 4 cups of food and is dishwasher safe. If you want to save a few dollars, there’s also a Baby Brezza model with a plastic work bowl that costs a bit less. The Baby Brezza includes a spatula to help you scrape every last bit of food from the blender and a recipe book to start your creative cooking juices.

Price at time of publish: $130

Amazon

View On Amazon

What We Like

What We Don't Like

The Beaba Babycook Neo is an all-in-one system, but the big draw with this model is its eco-friendly materials. Parents who prefer plastic-free items will appreciate the glass and stainless steel construction.

The Babycook system can steam and blend fresh ingredients. It promises to turn raw fruit, vegetables, and even meat and fish into ready-to-eat or freeze baby meals in just 15 minutes. The Beaba can also be used to warm and defrost cold or frozen baby meals straight from the fridge or freezer—a useful feature if you prefer not to use a microwave for heating.

Parents who prefer baby items that fit in with their decor will appreciate Beaba’s modern design and attractive color choices. It has a small footprint, so it won’t take up too much space on the counter or could even be tucked into a cabinet.

Whether you want to make apple sauce, veggie purees, or multi-ingredient toddler meals, the process is easy. You just fill the water reservoir and place your food in the steamer basket insert. Just touch the steam button to start the cooking process. When food is cooked, the unit will automatically shut off and sound a timer. Then, you can transfer your food into the blender and hold the pulse button until the desired texture is reached. The brand also sells lidded glass storage containers and an insert for cooking rice, pasta, and grains.

Price at time of publish: $260

Amazon

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What We Like

Compact, space-saving design
Can be used to puree in pots, jars, and bowls
Quiet
Easy to clean

What We Don't Like

Vitamix Immersion Blender Review

You don’t need a huge blender to make big batches of baby food in advance. A handheld immersion or stick blender can process both small and large quantities of food without taking up too much kitchen real estate. The Vitamix Immersion Blender is a plug-in model with a 5-foot cord, so you’ll have plenty of reach. The 625-watt motor with 5 variable speeds helps you create any texture you want and control exactly how smooth or chunky baby’s meals will be.

A big draw of an immersion blender is the ability to blend one-handed right in cooking pots, bowls, cups, and wide-mouth Mason jars. The Vitamix can fit in any vessel with at least a 3-inch wide opening. As infants begin to transition to eating what the family eats, this immersion blender can be used to process their portion into an age-appropriate texture and consistency right before serving.

To clean, simply submerge in a jar or bowl of soapy water and let it run for a few seconds, then rinse off and dry. It’s backed by Vitamix’s legendary customer service and will provide tons of versatility since it can also be used to make grown-up recipes, like pureed creamy soups, sauces, dressings, marinades, and dips.

Price at time of publish: $150

The Spruce / Donna Currie

What Our Testers Say

"It had no trouble blending cooked fruits to make a tasty mostarda, it handled freshly cooked dried beans to make refried beans, and it made a silky smooth tomato soup. " — Donna Currie, Product Tester

The Best Immersion Blenders for Soups, Sauces, and Smoothies

Amazon

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What We Like

What We Don't Like

The Sage Spoonfuls Baby Food Maker has all the tools you need to get started making baby food with a minimal investment. It’s also the right size for small kitchens or households that already have a full-size blender but want a dedicated tool to use just for making baby food.

The 2-in-1 system works as both an immersion blender and a food processor. The handheld stick blender can be used to blend full pots of soups, sauces, and steamed fruits and vegetables. Or, you can detach the motor from the immersion blade and attach it to the work bowl to create a mini food processor—great for creating finely chopped and minced foods as your baby progresses to more advanced textures.

Attachments are dishwasher safe, and the work bowl is made from plastic that's free of BPA, phthalates, lead, and PVC. Glass storage jars in various sizes, which are highly rated by consumers, are sold separately to help you baby meal prep in bulk.

Price at time of publish: $49

The 9 Best Glass Food Storage Containers of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Amazon

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What We Like

Versatile
Powerful motor
Easy to clean

What We Don't Like

Noisy
Heavy

Like our top pick, the Ninja Foodi Power Blender makes the list because of its tremendous versatility and value. If you want a multifunctional appliance that can help you make baby food, but can also be used to feed the rest of the family, a powerful standard blender like the Ninja is your best bet.

It even comes with lots of blending containers for your family’s needs. It includes a standard blending pitcher, a blending cup for smoothies, and a bowl that’s ideal for churning frozen recipes without much liquid, like smoothie bowls and frozen desserts.

The Foodi blender has a 1,400-watt motor that can handle everything from crushing ice, blending frozen ingredients for smoothies, mixing dough, and yes, processing steamed ingredients into textured baby meals. The variable speed dial lets you control the consistency of your baby recipes and there are six preset blending functions for smoothies, extractions, bowls, spreads, chopping, and dough.

Price at time of publish: $200

Power Rating: 1400 watts | What’s Included: Blender base, 72-ounce blender pitcher, crushing/chopping blade, dough blade, 24-ounce cup with lid, 14-ounce smoothie bowl maker with lid, recipe book | Maximum Capacity: 3 cups | Dimensions: 8. 19 x 8.43 x 14.17 inches | Weight: 8.2 pounds | Warranty: 1 year limited

The Spruce Eats / Sharon Lehman

The 8 Best Ninja Blenders of 2023

Amazon

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What We Like

What We Don't Like

If you don’t have a lot of counter space to dedicate to baby food making, a mini blending set might be worth the investment. The Nuby Mighty Blender Baby Food Maker Set includes everything you need to get started steaming, blending, and storing fresh baby food.

It's a bullet-style blender that is powered by pushing down on the blending cup, so there are no settings or controls to navigate. You can control the consistency of your blends by adjusting the blending time.

The set includes two stainless-steel blades designed for blending cooked foods and grinding oats or other grains into fine powders to make your own baby cereals. The two blending jars included are a large batch bowl and a smaller blending cup. There's also a steamer basket that fits into the large blending bowl and can be used in the microwave. A freezer tray and six lidded storage cups are also included, plus a spatula and spoons to help you transfer your blends.

Price at time of publish: $70

Power Rating: 200 watts | What’s Included: Blending blade, milling blade, blender base, batch bowl, steamer basket, short blending cup with lid, spatula, 6 2-ounce storage cups with lids, freezer tray, 2 feeding spoons, recipe book | Maximum Capacity: 2 cups | Dimensions: 10.43 x 8.20 x 11.00 inches | Weight: 5.3 pounds | Warranty: 1 year limited

Amazon

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What We Like

What We Don't Like

Plastic construction
May not hold up with regular use
200-watt motor may not offer enough power

Similar to the popular Magic Bullet, the Nutribullet Baby is a miniature blending system that saves on storage space. You can blend in either the 32-ounce bowl to make large batches of purees or in the 12-ounce cups for smaller portions that will be eaten right away. It comes with enough baby food storage to get you on your way to building both a refrigerator and freezer stash of baby’s favorite meals.

If you’re meal prepping for a baby, you can use the two included silicone freezer trays to proportion and freeze your homemade blends. There are also a dozen lidded storage cups that fit neatly into a storage tray to help keep your refrigerator tidy. Everything is dishwasher safe, so cleaning up after a round of baby food prep is super quick and easy.

Some reviewers have been disappointed to find the blender begins to degrade or the motor gives out after several months of heavy use, so this model may be a better choice for occasional use.

Price at time of publish: $70

Power Rating: 200 watts | What’s Included: Motor base, blending blade, 32 ounce bowl with lid, 12 ounce short cup with handles and re-sealable lid, 6 storage cups with date ring lids and storage tray, silicone freezer tray with lid and recipe book | Maximum Capacity: 32 ounces | Weight: 4. 55 pounds | Warranty: 1 year limited

The 8 Best Food Steamers of 2023

Final Verdict

If you’re looking for a blender that can not only whip up fresh batches of baby food, but can also be used by the whole family for years to come, we recommend investing in a powerful standard blender, like the Vitamix Ascent Series A2300 or Ninja Foodi Blender.

What to Look for When Buying a Blender for Baby Food

Style

The type of blender you buy to make baby food depends on how often you’ll use it, how much baby food you plan to make, how much storage space you have, and your budget. If your plan is to prepare large batches of baby food and freeze in individual portions, then a standard countertop blender with a large capacity might be your best bet.

Standard blenders can be budget priced or cost several hundred dollars, but the more powerful ones tend to be the most expensive. They take up the most counter space, but they also offer the most versatility since they can be used to blend smoothies, sauces, batters, and frozen desserts.

An immersion stick blender can also handle large batches of food and is very useful as babies transition to eating what the rest of the family has for dinner. A quick pulse of an immersion blender can transform chunkier soups, stews, and sauces into a more manageable texture for young babies either right in the cooking pot or in a serving bowl. Immersion blenders are also easier to store than standard blenders.

If you have limited storage or think you’ll make some, but not all, of baby’s meals at home, then a smaller blender, like a personal bullet-style blender, can also save on space and cost. Dedicated all-in-one baby food makers are another option.

Included Storage

If you don’t want to bother with figuring out a baby food storage system, which could include investing in multiple freezer trays and airtight glass or plastic containers, look for a blending system that comes with some storage to get you started.

Some of the blenders on this list include several lidded cups or jars so you can place what you make directly into cold storage. Most dedicated baby food makers also have storage containers sold separately.

Freezer trays are useful for prepping large batches of baby food in advance. One or two frozen cubes can be popped out and thawed for baby’s meals when you don’t have time or are too tired to cook from scratch.

FAQs

How do you make homemade baby food?

The first step is to prepare the produce by washing, peeling, and removing any pits or seeds. If the vegetable or fruit needs to be cooked (to become tender), you can steam it on the stovetop or in the microwave, or roast it in the oven. Then simply place it in the blender and puree; if the mixture needs to be thinned out, you can add breast milk, formula, or water.

What's the best way to store homemade baby food?

Pureed fruits and vegetables need to be kept in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container. If refrigerated, the baby food will stay fresh for two to three days; frozen homemade baby food will last up to a month. Make sure to label and date the containers before storing. You can spoon the pureed food into an ice cube tray before freezing to create individual servings.

When do I feed my baby pureed food?

It is recommended that you start your baby on puree once they are 4 to 6 months old and continue until they reach 8 to 12 months. Keep this in mind if you are making large batches and freezing the homemade baby food for later.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Sharon Lehman is a registered dietitian nutritionist, a new mom (established 2020), and the author of this roundup. She owns a Vitamix blender, which she uses daily to blend smoothies and fruit ice pops, mash sweet potatoes, puree Bolognese, grind oats, and more for her hungry and growing baby boy. She happily makes space for any gadget that makes cooking faster and easier and specializes in small kitchen appliance testing and reviews for The Spruce Eats.

The Best New Baby Gift Baskets for Parents

Updated by

Amy Gordon

Amy Gordon is an expert recipe editor and food writer who has been contributing to online, magazine, and book publishing for over 25 years.

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process

Additional reporting by

Allison Wignall

Allison Wignall is a staff writer for The Spruce Eats who focuses on product reviews. She has also contributed to publications such as Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, and Southern Living.

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process

Article Sources

The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Food and Drug Administration. Bisphenol A (BPA): Use in food contact application.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Phthalates fact sheet.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ToxFAQs for vinyl chloride.

The 4 Best Baby Food Makers

	Ninja BL660	NutriBullet Blender	Oster Pro 1200 Blender	Sage Spoonfuls Puree and Blend	OXO Tot Food Masher
Awards
Price	$120 List $99. 95 at Amazon	$110 List $100.02 at Amazon	$90 List $89.99 at Amazon	$50 List $49.99 at Amazon	$12.00 List $11.99 at Amazon
Overall Score
Star Rating	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5
Pros	Top-performer, three-tier blade, safety mechanisms, and lots of extras	Easy to use, excellent purees, large batches, easy to clean	Glass, easier cleaning, above-average performance, and user-friendly	Quality puree, easy to clean, inexpensive	Minimal, small in size, compact, lid included, easy to clean, inexpensive, portable
Cons	Can't accommodate hot ingredients, blade can scratch pitcher	No cooking feature, not portable, takes up space	Loud on highest setting, trapped food chunks under blade	Does not cook	Below-average puree quality, small amounts, requires effort, lid may pop-off, staining
Bottom Line	A blender with a unique blade system, safety locking lid, suction-cup feet, and more extras, but can't handle hot liquids	A top-notch blender that consistently creates smooth purees and offers enough capacity to produce large batches of baby food but takes up kitchen counter real estate	A blender that performs decently and features a Boroclass pitcher that is durable and healthier for babies	Simple, inexpensive, and versatile, this unit makes baby food in a snap	A travel-friendly, manual food maker that mashes, but does not puree like machines
Rating Categories	Ninja BL660	NutriBullet Blender	Oster Pro 1200 Blender	Sage Spoonfuls Pure. ..	OXO Tot Food Masher
Puree Quality (35%)
Ease of Use (30%)
Health/Safety (20%)
Ease of Cleaning (15%)
Specs	Ninja BL660	NutriBullet Blender	Oster Pro 1200 Blender	Sage Spoonfuls Pure...	OXO Tot Food Masher
Capacity	72 oz. Pitcher (MAX Liquid Capacity : 64 oz./8 cups)	8 cups	6 cups	Not Listed for Food Processor, N/A for Immersion Blender	Not Listed
Footprint	Large	Large	Large	Small	Small
Steam	No	No	No	No	No
Settings	Blend, Puree	Blend, Puree	Blend, Puree	Blend, Puree	Blend, Mash
Special Features		None		None	None
Included Accessories	(1) 72 oz. Pitcher, (2) 16 oz. Nutri Ninja Cups with Lids, and (1) Small Blade	Tamper, Recipe Booklet	(1) 6 cup Pitcher, 24 oz. Smoothie Cup with Lid	HomeMade Essentials Package Available with (1) Recipe Book, (6) Glass 4oz Storage Jars, (60) Labels, (1) Immersion Blender with Food Processor Attachment and Pocket Guide	(1) Lid
Available Accessories	None	Yes	None	Sage Baby Eco Steamer, Sage Spoonfuls - Simple Recipes, Healthy Meals, Happy Babies; Sage Spoonfuls Pocket Guide, Assorted Storage Jars, Pouches, Snackie and Munchie Bag Sets	None

Best Overall Baby Food Maker

NutriBullet Blender

$100 at Amazon

OVERALL
SCORE

Electric: Yes | Cooking Capable: No

REASONS TO BUY

Excellent purees

Makes large batches

User-friendly interface

REASONS TO AVOID

No cooking feature

Takes up space

The NutriBullet Blender is an all-star machine that produces silky-smooth purees with the capacity to blend large batches of baby food. The container is BPA-free plastic, large (64 oz), and easy to clean. Wipe the motor base with a damp cloth; everything else is dishwasher-safe. However, we recommend hand washing to prolong the product's longevity, and a baby bottle brush, like the OXO Tot Brush, works well to reach nooks and crannies around the blade. We think this machine is excellent for families with multiples or those making extra baby food to freeze and store. The user interface is simple, with a range of settings from low to high that get the job done no matter what the task.

The NutriBullet's size takes up room on the countertop or cabinet. It is also not an all-in-one machine, meaning you will need to cook the food elsewhere before blending. However, we think steaming on the stovetop is just as easy as using an all-in-one machine, and it avoids the plastic-related health concerns that come from cooking in plastic. There is no doubt that the NutriBullet produces excellent, smooth purees that are perfect for a beginner baby embarking on a solid food journey. So, if you seek top-notch puree quality and want the capacity to make generous batches of baby food, NutriBullet is the one for you.

Read more: NutriBullet Blender review

Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Budget-Friendly Puree

Sage Spoonfuls Puree and Blend

$50 at Amazon

OVERALL
SCORE

Electric: Yes | Cooking Capable: No

REASONS TO BUY

Smooth purees

Versatile uses

Budget-friendly

Small footprint

REASONS TO AVOID

No cooking feature

The Sage Spoonfuls Puree and Blend produced near-perfect puree every time with a simple, intuitive interface that is ready to use right out of the box. Its compact size, versatility, ease of use, simple cleaning procedure, and high performance of puree quality are impressive. The immersion blender allows parents to puree softer foods to a perfect consistency in a matter of seconds and the smaller size means it can go anywhere and be easily stored. We think the food processor is equally effective, quickly grinding brown rice or oatmeal into tiny granules, perfect for baby cereals.

We did run into a few hiccups with some crunchier than desired carrots while using the immersion blender, so you'll need to double-check purees before feeding. This immersion blender is unequipped to handle hard, raw foods, but the food processor can take over to finish the job. In short, this product blends like a dream, sports a small footprint in your kitchen or on travel, and will remain a helpful cooking tool well beyond preparing food for your baby. With a budget-friendly price, it is hard to find fault with this healthy option.

Read more: Sage Spoonfuls Puree and Blend review

We found mason jars were easier to use with the immersion blender than other containers when pureeing with the Sage Spoonfuls.

Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Healthy Glass Choice

Oster Pro 1200 Blender

$90 at Amazon

OVERALL
SCORE

Electric: Yes | Cooking Capable: No

REASONS TO BUY

Boroclass pitcher

Easy to clean

Motor power

REASONS TO AVOID

Loud on high setting

Unlike any other competitor in our review, the Oster Pro 1200 Blender sports a Boroclass pitcher. We believe this material has multiple benefits. It is durable, not easily scratched (unlike some plastic contenders), and doesn't stain. We consider this material healthier than plastic as it does not have the potential to leech chemicals into food contents. The blender's puree quality score is higher than most, and considering the product's cost, we think this blender is satisfactory for most blending needs when making homemade baby food. We also appreciate that the blender's parts are easy to disassemble, making the cleaning process significantly easier.

One disappointment with this blender is that small chunks of food can become trapped under the blades, which isn't ideal when creating smooth purees and requires extra attention to ensure the final product is thoroughly blended. Of course, the Oster Pro is not a high-end blender, but we greatly appreciate its Boroclass pitcher and consider it a great perk when making baby food, allowing us to overlook most drawbacks. This glass blender is a good option for parents trying to limit their baby's exposure to plastic.

Read more: Oster Pro 1200 Blender review

Credit: Abriah Wofford

Best for Travel-Friendly

OXO Tot Food Masher

$12 at Amazon

OVERALL
SCORE

Electric: No | Cooking Capable: No

REASONS TO BUY

Portable

Compact design

Inexpensive

REASONS TO AVOID

Manual power

Below-average puree

Lid pops off

If you are prepping baby food on the go for your toddler, the OXO Tot Food Masher is a handy product. It is arguably one of the simplest baby food makers on the market and includes a masher, bowl, and lid. With a compact design, the masher can dismantle and nest inside the bowl, plus it is lightweight and small, making it portable and ready for your next adventure.

The OXO is manual and muscle-powered, so reaching the desired consistency when mashing some foods can take effort and time. Softer foods like steamed veggies and soft fruits like bananas and avocados yield the best results. It cannot remove skins or seeds, so it isn't suitable for younger infants. Considering the mashed food consistency, the OXO is best for a child who can manage texture, not a beginner baby. Also, some users report that the lid can come off in a diaper bag, creating potential messes. If you are a family who wants an inexpensive baby food maker useful to life on the go, and your baby can manage some chunks or texture, then the OXO is a great solution.

Read more: OXO Tot Food Masher review

Broccoli

Credit: Molly Bradac

Not Recommended: Concerning Scratches in Plastic Bowl

Hamilton Beach Food Processor

Check price at Amazon

OVERALL
SCORE

Electric: Yes | Cooking Capable: No

REASONS TO BUY

Large container

REASONS TO AVOID

Learning curve

Fine scratches

With the power, space, and a bowl scraper accessory, the Hamilton Beach Food Processor appears to be a handy machine when making homemade baby food. Across the board, it creates smooth purees suitable for most babies, and its container capacity makes it a strong candidate if you want to make large batches.

This machine has a bit of a learning curve as it has multiple parts compared to others. But, our most significant issue with this machine is that after multiple uses, we noticed fine scratches on the plastic bowl, leaving us concerned that those scratches might mean that plastic particles could be getting mixed with the baby's food. In our opinion, this issue alone left us uncomfortable using the product for making baby food, and we would not recommend it to a friend. We suggest looking elsewhere with other competing products in our review that both score higher and don't share similar concerns.

Read more: Hamilton Beach Food Processor review

Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Not Recommended: Unknown Black Residue

NutriBullet Baby

$60 at Amazon

OVERALL
SCORE

Electric: Yes | Cooking Capable: No

REASONS TO BUY

Easy to use

Extras

REASONS TO AVOID

Black residue concerns us

Thanks to its adorable and child-friendly design, the NutriBullet Baby is an attractive baby-centric option. It has many extras, such as two blender sizes, storage cups, and a freezer tray. Although you will need to house these accessories, the blender does not take up much space on your countertop. When it comes to puree quality, this smaller gadget did well, creating smooth purees that work for most babies.

While testing, we noticed an unknown black residue underneath the extractor blade, leaving us to worry about what is creating this substance and if it was entering the food. Multiple negative user reviews on Amazon also evidence this issue. The full review contains more details and a response from NutriBullet, which acknowledges the black residue but claims it does not reach the food. While we have no reason to believe this mysterious black residue presents a health or safety risk, it is nonetheless an issue we don't see on any other competing product. And, frankly, it leaves us uncomfortable using the product to make baby food or to recommend it to a friend. Therefore, considering this issue alone, we do not recommend this product, despite its blending performance.

Read more: NutriBullet Baby review

The NutriBullet Baby was ready to make baby food to be of service quickly after unboxing.

Credit: Abriah Wofford

Tip: We realize that our review includes mostly blenders. Since all-in-one machines have greater potential for mold growth and accidental burns, we think blenders are easier to clean and are the right tool for blending baby food.

Compare Products

We tested various top baby food makers on the market to determine which option is right for you.

Credit: Abriah Wofford

Why You Should Trust Us

We purchased each baby food maker in our lineup to complete hands-on testing and side-by-side comparison, assessing which contenders make baby food suitable for little ones. Our evaluation considered factors we believe collectively contribute to a product's overall performance, and these metrics include puree quality, ease of cleaning, usability, and health and safety. Each maker was tested in 32 individual tests, including 12 different purees using foods like carrots, rice, chicken, and more. We tested everything from durability and puree consistency to ease of use, quality, and more. We used the makers side-by-side to determine the scoring in each metric, overall ranking, and award winners.

At BabyGearLab, we present detailed scientific reviews of baby gear. Leading this review is founder, pediatrician, and mother of two, Dr. Juliet Spurrier. Dr. Spurrier guides our testing metrics and methods and product selection. Also contributing are Senior Review Editors Wendy Schmitz (mother of 2) and Molly Bradac (professional nanny for 15 years), who have extensive experience preparing baby food over the years.

The Ninja BL660's blade is unique, making it stand out from the competition.Our team of baby gear experts hands-on tested each product in our review.

Analysis and Test Results

During testing, we considered the following criteria when evaluating how well the baby food makers work: puree quality, ease of use, ease of cleaning, and health and safety. Below you'll find the details from our testing.

Value

Making baby food doesn't need to break the bank, and our lineup includes something for every budget. We consider the Sage Spoonfuls Puree and Blend to have the most value for your dollar in our lineup. It performs well overall, offers versatility and longevity as you can use it to make smoothies or shakes, and has an affordable price. If your budget is slightly more flexible, the Oster Pro 1200 may also fit the bill. We consider its price reasonable given the blender's Boroglass pitcher, which is durable, doesn't stain or scratch, and offers a versatile capacity to create large batches of baby food or smoothies for all.

To evaluate and rate puree quality performance, we selected various foods for testing, including ones that are not only soft but also raw, have skins, and frozen.

Credit: Abriah Wofford

Puree Quality

The most important factor of any baby food-making machine is its ability to puree ingredients smooth enough for a baby. We considered how well the products pureed various foods, whether there were chunks or skins left behind, and the overall texture consistency with each puree result. Issues with puree quality can include blade design, container and blade combination that can cause food to move away from the chopping area, the consistency of the food (how well it was cooked), and the blended quantity. For the best puree, you'll need to adjust your recipe as you go (adding extra water to dry foods) to achieve the right consistency puree for your child's age. Older babies more accustomed to eating solids might not mind chunkier foods, but you'll need to avoid solid chunks to prevent potential choking.

The blenders in this review created smoother, more consistent purees than the machines that steam and blend. We aren't sure if the all-in-one products failed to cook ingredients enough or the blade and container design were incapable of adequate blending. As a result, we think a blender creates the best puree results. The Ninja BL660 and the NutriBullet Blender rank the highest among our blender contenders, scoring 9.5 of 10 and 9.3 of 10, respectively.

A couple of low-ranking contenders include the NutriBullet Baby and Hamilton Beach, scoring 1 of 10. The NutriBullet Baby produces excellent purees that are smooth enough for younger babies. Still, we significantly reduced the product's overall performance score due to a black residue forming under the extractor blade. This issue concerns us as we are unsure of the residue's source and makeup. The Hamilton Beach also produces decent puree results, but its bowl scraper accessory leaves fine scratches inside the plastic container, potentially resulting in plastic mixing with the food. We don't care for either machine as we believe other products in our lineup do not share these kinds of food contamination concerns.

Contenders that require muscle power to mash food to desired consistency, such as the OXO Tot Food Masher, will inevitably rank lower as it is difficult for a simple option like this to match an electric blender's smooth consistency with rotating blades. Although softer foods yield better results, we believe the OXO Tot is best for a child who can manage texture, not a beginner baby.

Before purchasing a food maker, determine which features are important to you and meet your needs.

Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Ease of Use

Most of the products we tested were reasonably easy to use. Typically, the number of parts corresponds with the difficulty of setup and use. Still, the user interface varied from one knob to no buttons to settings that required a manual to decipher.

Instead of multiple features like some other contenders, the Nutribullet Baby offers one speed and less motor power. But, it is simple to use. Load up your container with ingredients, press down, and voila! Homemade baby food.The blenders offer multiple settings that are easy to understand and control to operate.

All of the blenders are fairly straightforward, have intuitive interfaces, and require little effort to assemble; however, the all-in-one machines and the Hamilton Beach required more research to operate correctly, with continual reference to the user manual to determine food cooking time. Nonetheless, these contenders ranked low, scoring low 5's of 10. It would be helpful if these companies included a magnet or laminated guide of cook times, so parents don't need to consult the manuals repeatedly.

Even though the blenders require stovetop cooking of food, we still think they are easier to use and less of a hassle than using the all-in-one steamers with a higher learning curve. Often, you can blend whatever dinner you've prepared for the family for your baby, saving time and effort. Among the competition, the NutriBullet Blender and Oster Pro 1200 earned top scores in this metric, scoring 8.2 of 10 and 8.0 of 10, respectively. Although these contenders do not steam and cook foods, they are easy to use out of the box, have user-friendly interfaces, provide high capacity to make large batches of baby food, and with several blending settings, there's bound to be one that meets your needs.

For blenders, one safety concern is handling and cleaning the blade, which is sharp. When handwashing, we highly suggest using a bottle brush.

Credit: Abriah Wofford

Health and Safety

We investigate each product for elements related to potential health concerns or the possibility of injury during regular use. For blenders, the main concern is the blades and whether there is a safety mechanism that prevents the blades from spinning when your fingers are in the range.

With steam machines, we considered the potential for plastic to leach chemicals into food, especially when heated during the cooking process and whether the devices had steam tanks that were hard to clean or difficult to see into indicating a potential for bacteria or mold growth that could end up in your baby's food. Steam can also cause burns, and we assessed the machine design and how well it tried to mitigate this potential.

The Sage Spoonfuls has limited plastic components, and nothing cooks in plastic, making it a healthier option than all-in-one options that heat baby's food in plastic.

Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Among the competition, the Oster Pro 1200 scores 9.9 of 10, allowing it to rank the highest. It has no water tank to cause steam-related injuries or nooks and crannies to propagate things like mold or rust. On the flip side, the BEABA Babycook, an all-in-one machine, requires transferring cooked food from the steam container to the blender container, creating a significant potential for accidental burns, causing it to rank low, scoring 4.8 of 10.

The Oster Pro 1200 Blender is one of the easiest options to clean with parts that are dishwasher safe.

Credit: Abriah Wofford

Ease of Cleaning

Cleaning food off of any surface can be challenging, especially if it is sharp or strangely shaped. Extra caution is required during cleaning every product in this review, and cleaning the all-in-one products is trickier, as the water chambers can't be accessed (these require periodic cleaning to prevent mineral deposit build-up).

Some machines have top-rack dishwasher-safe parts, which can be helpful, but we find a top-ranked baby bottle brush simplifies hand-washing, and quick rinsing immediately after use is better. We recommend hand-washing whenever possible to increase product longevity. This also helps prevent potential degradation of the plastic that could result in potential chemical leaching.

If you don't immediately rinse the blades on the Baby Brezza Complete, you will have difficulty cleaning it as the pureed food will dry and stick inside the holes.

Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

The Oster Pro 1200 earned one of the highest scores (9.5 of 10) for ease of cleaning as its parts are easy to dismantle and are dishwasher-safe. The all-in-one machines are the hardest to clean, with steam tanks that require regular maintenance and some areas you can't see or reach for proper cleaning. Unfortunately, the Baby Brezza Complete did not rank well, scoring 4 of 10. This baby food maker has many parts, and the unique blade with small holes requires rinsing immediately after use, or you'll be scrubbing for a while to clean the holes.

All-in-one machines, blenders, and food processors, oh my! What is best for making baby food? In general, we think blenders are an all-around better option and the way to go when creating homemade baby food.

Credit: Abriah Wofford

Baby Food Maker vs. Blender

When it comes to baby food makers, we have to admit the all-in-one cookers don't really compare to the puree-only options - plus, they are more expensive and have potential health concerns. As a result, we widened our scope to include other machines that don't cook food but perform better where it counts, making purees. There is no doubt that the results and data show that these machines create smoother and more ideal purees than the traditional baby food makers that also cook the food before pureeing. Our award winners do not cook food. We believe it is easier to steam/cook food on the stovetop before blending than to use the all-in-one machines in this review. Plus, this more traditional cooking method avoids the concerns of cooking food in plastic, which raises health and safety concerns of potential chemicals leaching into food. This is why our award winners include puree devices instead of all-in-one baby food makers.

Our review offers the details and recommendations you need to narrow down the options and help you select the best baby food maker on the market based on your needs and budget.

Credit: Abriah Wofford

Conclusion

Choosing a great baby food maker can be more complicated than you think, especially if you don't have experience in this arena. Luckily, we've done the messy and delicious research for you, and our detailed reviews provide the information you need to make the best buying decision for your baby. We are sure there is an option here that will meet your needs and baby food-making goals.

How to choose a baby food blender?

For baby food, you need to prepare mashed potatoes and cereals - any blender can handle this task. But modern models have various nuances that are not so obvious. We will tell about them below.

Baby food blender: things to consider

Materials are safe and durable

Blender bowls come into contact with food, so the quality of the material is in the first place, because the children's digestive system is very sensitive. There are blenders made of glass, polycarbonate and tritan. What is the difference?

Power: for cream soup or nuts

The more powerful the blender, the faster it grinds foods with complex and hard textures: nuts turn into paste and milk, fibrous herbs and wild plants into green smoothies, frozen fruits into ice cream .

To prepare puree and cream soup from thermally processed products, a stationary blender with a power of 1200 watts or more or a personal blender of 250 watts is sufficient. But if you want to turn peanuts into homemade Nutella in no time, and spinach leaves into absolutely uniform green juice, take a closer look at more powerful, semi-professional and professional models.

Portable: convenient to take with you

If you often travel with your child and cook outside the home, choose personal blenders. Such models are compact, they are convenient to take with you. The advantage of personal blenders in the small volume of the glass. You can cook in small portions without transferring food to another container and without losing part of the product and your time. There are also fewer dishes for washing: grind, close the glass with a lid and take it with you.

Silence of operation

Everything affects the volume of the blender: the materials and construction of the body, knives, bowl and fasteners. High-quality models make less noise without losing their power. Professional blenders are not quiet, but some models come with special noise-absorbing hoods (for example, Blendtec Professional 800). Blenders with tritan bowls tend to be a little quieter: tritan does not amplify, but absorbs vibrations. Due to their compactness and low power, personal blenders make less noise than professional models.

Additional options

When your child is older, you may want to please him with other dishes: frozen berry sorbet, nut paste, vegetable milk. Yes, and it will be useful for mom to restore strength with a glass of green juice. Choose from models that are suitable for different tasks: with medium power, special modes or additional knife blocks (separately for grinding dry and wet products).

What other nuances to consider?

Models to look at

Stationary blenders have more options than personal blenders. However, in a fundamental moment, they lose: they will not be able to cook a small portion of baby food (the products must at least cover the knife blades for normal grinding).

Another aspect is mobility. For regular trips to your parents or country house, a portable personal blender is more suitable.

Personal and stationary models complement each other in the kitchen, so ideally use both. But if this is not possible, choose the type that best suits your needs and lifestyle.

The Hurom BL-C01 blender is a novelty of this year from a Korean company that has been known on the market for more than 45 years. Portable model, which is convenient to take with you when traveling with a child. Two tritan cups of 350 and 600 ml allow you to prepare small portions of purees, soups and smoothies, as well as easy storage of the product, thanks to travel lids.

Tribest Personal Blender Glass PBG-5050 is one of the latest developments of the company, a personal, but at the same time quite powerful blender (as much as 500 watts). The model is suitable not only for purees and soups, but also for homemade sorbets, nut milks and healthy smoothies. And three glass bowls with lids of 240, 480 and 720 ml allow you to quickly chop and easily transport the right amount of baby food.

Tribest PB-350 is a versatile and compact model, a real classic that has proven itself in the market. The blender is equipped with two glasses (for whisking and chopping), as well as 120, 240 and 350 ml glass jars for easy storage (and preparation) of even the smallest portions of baby food. The model is equipped with automatic and manual pulse control mode, as well as two knives for comfortable grinding of liquid and dry textures.

BlendTec Classic 575 is a classic stationary model from a well-known American manufacturer. Equipped with blunt blades made of reliable stainless steel (10 times stronger than blades from other manufacturers), which cannot be cut when disassembling and washing the blender. Sufficiently powerful (1560 watts) and durable model combines two types of control (4 modes + pulse). The blender is also equipped with a self-cleaning function for more comfortable use.

The L'equip BS5 Cube blender is a professional stationary model. This blender is great for processing hot and cold foods. You can also grind dry foods like grains, beans, and nuts into flour or a paste without adding liquid. The high-strength tritan jar and ultra-sharp titanium-coated Japanese stainless steel blades ensure reliable and fast preparation of any, even the most complex dishes.

The King Mix KM-2000 features simple, intuitive controls, high power (2000 watts) and soft start. Thanks to the smooth start, the products are less splashed on the walls of the bowl, which helps to easily achieve the perfect consistency of the finished smoothie or puree. In addition, this feature reduces engine wear, making the appliance more durable. The unique saw blade shape of the knife helps to release the full benefits of herbal products.

Baby food blender: which is the best?

When the time comes to think about the continuation of one's kind, everything should be ready for it. In addition to diapers, a playpen and baby food, you also need to purchase a baby food blender to provide your child with quality nutrition. And it will be simply necessary after the end of the period of breastfeeding.

Of course, making your own baby food is more preferable, especially against the backdrop of recent news regarding the dubious quality of various ready-made purees in jars. After reading our article, you will be able to choose the most suitable version of the device for your child.

Content

1 Types of devices for baby food
2 Children's boards-pairing boards
3 mini-blonders
4 Submissible models
5 Several important tips

Devices for children's food

for independent preparation of children food, 3 types of blenders will be suitable, so the choice will be between ordinary (classic) blenders and special ones:

Steam blender.
Mini blender.
Immersion blender.

Children's Steamer Blenders

These types of blenders are ideal for pre-processing foods. The unit can not only grind food to a puree state, but also defrost food and reheat. This is made possible by the steam function .

Many people know that it is better to steam food, especially for children, because in this case the food retains more vitamins and benefits.

Preparing a full-fledged puree in a blender-steamer is as simple as possible: all the necessary products are loaded into a container, after which the timer knob is turned. After the products have undergone thermal steam treatment and are ready, they can be crushed immediately. The grinding intensity is selected individually. Among other things, these models have auto-off function .

Mini blenders

Such units differ from ordinary classic blenders in their reduced size, low power and functionality. The bowl where food is placed for cooking is much smaller than the standard one. This is quite convenient, but exactly until the moment when the child remains very small. And as you know, children grow up quickly, so by the time your baby is one year old, such an aggregate will already be gathering dust on the shelf. This is due to the fact that due to its small size and relatively low power, it will not be adapted to other applications. That is why it is better to think twice before purchasing it.

The classic full-size unit can be used in many ways, no matter what kind of dish you want to make. Although it is less convenient for making baby purees, due to its size, large portions can be made. Such a blender will remain relevant even after the child grows up.

Submersible Models

Most parents use a submersible unit to prepare baby food. It is convenient in those cases when it is necessary to grind a relatively small amount of products. The hand blender can be immersed in almost any bowl. He is very is compact and easy to use . Often, manufacturers of such units equip them with special nozzles or even bowls, thanks to which they become real food processors (the differences between the two devices are described in the article: what to give preference to: a food processor or a blender).