Best ninja for baby food
The 8 Best Blenders for Baby Food of 2023
The best gear to help you feed your baby homemade meals
By
Sharon Lehman, RDN
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
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The Spruce Eats / Lecia Landis
The Spruce Eats Top Picks
The Vitamix Ascent Series A2300 blender is our number one pick for a versatile blender that's capable of making baby food as well as other blended treats. Another great multipurpose blender is the Ninja Foodi Blender with its powerful 1400 watt motor.
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?
Courtesy of Vitamix
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com
What We Like
Versatile
Powerful motor
Easy to clean
What We Don't Like
What do buyers say? 800+ Vitamix.com reviewers rated this product 4 stars or above.
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
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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
Power Rating: 220 watts | What’s Included: Food maker, glass bowl, | Maximum Capacity: 4 cups | Dimensions: 9.
75 x 7.5 x 9 inches | Weight: 6.5 pounds | Warranty: 1 year limited
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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
Power Rating: 950 watts | What’s Included: Food maker, glass bowl, | Maximum Capacity: 5.2 cups | Dimensions: 14.5 x 12 x 12 inches | Weight: 8.38 pounds | Warranty: 1 year
Courtesy of Williams-Somona
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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
Power Rating: 625 watts | What’s Included: Immersion wand, blade base | Maximum Capacity: N/A | Dimensions: 18 x 3 x 3 inches | Weight: 2.86 pounds | Warranty: 3 years
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
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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
Power Rating: 250 watts | What’s Included: Immersion blender, food processor bowl | Maximum Capacity: 3 cups | Dimensions: 5 x 5 x 13 inches | Weight: 1 pound | Warranty: N/A
The 9 Best Glass Food Storage Containers of 2023, Tested and Reviewed
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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
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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
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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 7 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
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
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.
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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.
6 Best Baby Food Makers of 2023
When you’re creating your baby registry, thinking about starting your little one on solid food may sound like a long way off.
But, as is the case with so many things when it comes to babies (except for those middle-of-the-night feeds, of course), time flies, and before you know it you’ll be thinking of what’s on the menu for baby’s first meal.
Baby food makers are a great solution for making the process of cooking homemade food for your little one fast, simple and even fun. Here’s what you’ll want to know when you’re considering which baby food maker is right for you. Let’s get cooking!
In this article:
- Babylist’s Best Baby Food Maker Picks
- Do You Need a Baby Food Maker?
- Baby Food Storage Ideas
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.
Baby Food Storage Tips
Whether you’re using the kitchen gadgets you have on hand or letting your baby food maker do the work, you’ll need somewhere to store all of that delicious food so your efforts don’t go to waste.
If you’re cooking up single foods (think carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.), we recommend making a few large batches in bulk and then freezing each food in trays like the ones below. After the food freezes, simply pop out the individual cubes and store them in large freezer bags so you can defrost—and mix and match—as needed.
- OXO Tot Baby Food Freezer Tray
- Mumu & Bubi Solids Starter Kit
- BabyBliss Eco Friendly Silicone Baby Food Freezer Storage Tray
For multi-ingredient, more complicated recipes, or for storing food on the go, these storage solutions get the job done:
- Sage Spoonfuls Glass Snack Pack
- OXO Tot Baby Blocks Storage Containers
How We Chose Our Best Baby Food Makers
We asked thousands of real Babylist families about the baby products they love the most, then took the top products they shared with us and added our own research and insight to tell you about the best baby food makers.
Top Chef
What Our Experts Say
The ninja of baby food makers, the Beaba is a 4-in-1 wonder that steams, blends, defrosts and reheats fruits, veggies, fish and meat in just 15 minutes.
The one-handed operation means you can hold your baby, sing Itsy Bitsy Spider and make a homemade meal all at once. Its compact design won’t hog counter space and it’s truly easy to clean, even after stubborn foods like spinach or beets. We also love that the stainless steel water reservoir holds onto the condensed water, which you can pour in while pureeing to get important nutrients back into the food.
What’s Worth Considering
Looking for more? Beaba’s NEO model has a glass bowl instead of a plastic one and a larger bowl capacity (5.2 cups for the NEO versus 4.7 for the Solo) as well as a stainless-steel steam basket. For even more capacity, check out the Duo. It features two separate bowls for a total of a 9.4 cup capacity, making it a good choice for multiples or if you want to make food in larger batches.
What Babylist Parents Say
“It makes homemade baby food simple! I would probably buy store-bought if I didn’t have this. I love it even more than I thought I would.
” -Anna
All the Accessories
What Our Experts Say
The NutriBullet is easy, convenient and comes with all awesome accessories to take your culinary game to the next level. There’s a small blender, portioned batch cups for grab-and-go convenience and storage options for the fridge and the freezer. Also included is a baby food recipe guide for some inspiration.
What’s Worth Considering
The NutriBullet is a blender only; there’s no steam, defrost or reheating options here. If you do want to steam, check out the brand’s Turbo Steamer sold separately.
What Babylist Parents Say
“It was nice to have. Especially with all the extras it comes with.” -Adela
Simple and Affordable
What Our Experts Say
Low-tech isn’t always a bad thing. If you’re simply looking to mash up soft foods for your baby—and you aren’t looking to spend a ton—this food masher from OXO Tot is a great option.
Both the masher and the bowl have ridges to make the mashing easier, and there are even teeth on the masher that fit inside the teeth on the bowl so you can get to every last bit of food. Everything comes apart and fits inside the lidded bowl for storage and easy transport.
What’s Worth Considering
There’s nothing fancy going on here…but that’s sort of the point. And while you can just use your own small bowl and a fork for mashing, this gadget truly does make the process faster and easier. OXO also makes a baby food mill if you’re looking for another affordable tool for starting solids.
What Babylist Parents Say
“It’s a must have when introducing solids to your baby, especially when they can eat chunkier consistency! We use it every day and it can mush everything that is soft naturally (bananas, avocados, berries) or is cooked to be fairly soft.” -Angela
All-in-One Glass
What Our Experts Say
While many baby food makers use plastic bowls, this all-in-one steamer and blender uses sturdy glass.
From fruit to veggies and meats to fish, this one-stop baby food maker makes four cups of baby food in about 10 minutes with the simple press of a button. You can also choose between steam, blend and steam or just blend, and the blade and bowl are both dishwasher safe.
What’s Worth Considering
If you don’t want to spend quite as much, Baby Brezza’s One Step Food Maker Deluxe will save you about sixty bucks and does pretty much the same thing. The prep bowl on this model is plastic, however.
What Babylist Parents Say
“This baby food maker is amazing! I can make my baby food in 15 min. I’m glad I bought it. The most important of this product it’s the glass, it’s better than plastic.” -Towatei
Affordable Two-in-One
What Our Experts Say
The Sage Baby Puree and Blend is an easy, affordable way to puree. This combo includes an immersion blender (consider it your baby food magic wand) and a food processor attachment. You can pair it with storage containers (the brand makes a host of different sets, sold separately) and you’re ready to go.
What’s Worth Considering
You’ll be surprised by how handy an immersion blender is for making grown-up foods like salsa, hummus, pesto and even soups. This is a great buy that’ll last well beyond the baby food phase.
What Babylist Parents Say
“1.) Immersion blender is sturdy 2.) Jars are glass and not plastic 3.) Has different size jars for different sizes of food storage. 4.) Customer service is great!” -Aurea
The Command Center
What Our Experts Say
One machine with LOTS of uses, the large-capacity Duo 5-in-1 cooks, blends, warms and defrosts food, and can also be used as a bottle warmer and a sterilizer. What really sets it apart, though, is the ability to steam two separate baskets of food for different cook times, which ensures all the flavors and nutrition are just right. The XL steaming bowl and blender cooks over six cups of fresh food (around 25 portions!) and warms up to three bottles at once, making it a great choice for families with multiples.
What’s Worth Considering
The Duo takes up more counter space than most other baby food makers, but still has a much smaller footprint than if you had a separate baby food maker, bottle warmer and sterilizer.
What Babylist Parents Say
“It’s everything in one. Easy to use, easy to clean, space-saving on countertop, no mess when making the food, versatile—you can use it for multiple things—and it’s something that will last well beyond the baby years. Love it!” -Claudia
This information is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. We do not accept any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, from any information or advice contained here. Babylist may earn compensation from affiliate links in this content. Learn more about how we write Babylist content and the Babylist Health Advisory Board.
Best Baby Food Manufacturers of 2022
May 28, 2022
When you're building your baby registry, the thought of transitioning your little one to solid foods can seem far away.
But, as with many things when it comes to babies (other than those nighttime feedings, of course), time flies by, and before you know it, you'll already be thinking about what's on the menu. for the baby's first feeding.
Baby food machines are the perfect solution to make the process of preparing homemade food for your baby fast, easy and even fun. Here's what you need to know when deciding which baby food machine is right for you. Let's cook! nine0003
In this article:
Do you need a baby food manufacturer?
Figuring out if you need a baby food machine will depend on your lifestyle, your level of culinary comfort and what kitchen gadgets you already have.
Ditching jars and bags and making your own baby food will definitely save you money and reduce waste to the environment. Your role as chef puts you in charge of ingredients and quality, and gives you free rein to be as creative and experiment with fun food pairings as you please. nine0003
If you're not comfortable in the kitchen, don't mind sacrificing some desk space, and are looking for a reliable way to immerse yourself in your little one's meals, then a baby food maker is a smart buy.
No matter what type of gadget you use, the process is pretty much the same: prepare the ingredients, steam, puree or chop and eat. (Your child will add a few more messy steps in there... so be prepared with napkins). Watch our baby food recipe video for step by step instructions. nine0003
If you'd rather skip the baby food maker altogether, you can definitely go the DIY route if you have a few basic kitchen items on hand. Things like a large pot, a steaming basket, a blender of some sort (a food processor, immersion blender, or standard blender will work), and even a microwave oven are all key to making your own baby food.
Tips for storing baby food
Whether you're using the kitchen gadgets you have on hand or outsourcing baby food preparation, you need somewhere to store all that delicious food so your efforts don't go to waste. If you are cooking individual items (e.g. carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.), we recommend that you prepare several large batches in bulk and then freeze each item in trays as shown below.
Once frozen, simply remove the individual cubes and store them in large freezer bags so you can thaw them and mix and match as needed. nine0003
For more complex multi-ingredient recipes or food storage on the go, these storage solutions get the job done:
How we chose the best baby food manufacturers they love the most, then took the best products they shared with us and added our own research and insights to bring you the best baby food makers. nine0003
Top Chefs
What Our Experts Say
Beaba Baby Food Ninja is a 4-in-1 wonder that steams, mixes, defrosts and reheats fruits, vegetables, fish and meat in just 15 minutes . One-handed operation means you can hold your baby, sing Itza Bitsy Spider , and cook homemade meals right away. Its compact design does not take up much space on the table and it is very easy to clean even after hard-to-remove foods such as spinach or beets. We also love that the stainless steel water tank holds condensed water that you can pour in while mashing to bring important nutrients back into your food.
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Things to consider
Looking for more? The NEO model from Beaba has a glass bowl instead of a plastic one and a large bowl capacity (5.2 cups for NEO versus 4.7 for Solo), as well as a stainless steel steam basket. If you're looking for even more capacity, check out the Duo. It features two separate bowls with a total capacity of 9.4 cups, making it a good choice for multiple people or if you want to cook in large batches.
What parents say ChildSafetySeat.Org
“It makes homemade baby food easy! I probably would have bought it from the store if I didn't have it. I love him even more than I thought." -Anna
All Accessories
What Our Experts Say
The NutriBullet is simple, easy to use and comes with all the great accessories to take your cooking game to the next level. There's a small blender, a la carte serving cups for takeaway convenience, and fridge and freezer storage options. Also included is a guide to baby food recipes for inspiration.
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Things to consider
NutriBullet is a blender only; there are no steam, defrost or reheat options. If you want to steam, check out the brand's turbo steamer, which is sold separately.
What parents say ChildSafetySeat.Org
“It was nice. Especially with all the extra features." -Adela
Simple and affordable
What our experts say
Low tech isn't always bad. If you just want to grind soft food for your baby - and you don't want to spend a ton of money - this puree from OXO Tot is a great option. Both the pusher and the bowl have ridges to make it easier to knead, and the pusher even has teeth that fit into the teeth of the bowl so you can get to every bite of food. Everything is disassembled and placed in a bowl with a lid for storage and easy transportation. nine0003
Things to consider
Nothing out of the ordinary here... but that's the point. And while you can just use your small bowl and fork to puree, this gadget does make the process faster and easier.
OXO also makes a baby food grinder if you are looking for another affordable solid food tool.
What Parents Are Saying ChildSafetySeat.Org
“This is a must when introducing solid foods to your child, especially when he can eat a larger consistency! We use it every day and it can purée anything that is naturally soft (bananas, avocados, berries) or cooked to be soft enough.” -Angela
All-purpose glass
What our experts say
While many baby food manufacturers use plastic bowls, this multipurpose steamer and blender uses durable glass. From fruit to vegetables, meat to fish, this all-in-one baby food maker prepares four cups of baby food in about 10 minutes with the simple push of a button. You can also choose between steam, mix and steam, or just mix, and the blade and bowl are dishwasher safe. nine0003
Things to consider
If you don't want to spend that much, Baby Brezza's One Step Food Maker Deluxe will save you about sixty dollars and does almost the same thing.
However, the cooking bowl in this model is plastic.
What parents say ChildSafetySeat.Org
“This baby food machine is amazing! I can make baby food in 15 minutes. I'm glad I bought it. The most important thing about this product is glass, it is better than plastic.” -Tovatey
Affordable two-in-one
What our experts say
Sage Baby Puree and Blend is an easy, affordable way to puree. This combo includes an immersion blender (think of it as a baby food magic wand) and a food processor attachment. You can pair it with storage containers (the brand makes many different sets sold separately) and you're ready to go.
Things to consider
You'll be surprised how handy an immersion blender is for making mature dishes like salsa, hummus, pesto and even soups. This is a great buy that will last well beyond the baby food phase. nine0003
What Parents Are Saying ChildSafetySeat.Org
“1.) The immersion blender is durable 2.) The jars are glass, not plastic 3.
) There are different sizes of jars to store different sizes of food. 4.) Great customer service!” -Aurea
Command Center
What Our Experts Say
One machine with MANY uses, large capacity Duo 5-in-1 cooks, mixes, reheats and defrosts food and can also be used as a bottle warmer and sterilizer. What really makes it stand out is the ability to steam two separate baskets of food for different cooking times, ensuring all the flavors and nutrients are right. The XL Boiler and Blender allows you to prepare over six cups of fresh food (about 25 servings!) and heat up to three bottles at the same time, making them a great choice for families with multiple children. nine0003
Things to consider
The Duo takes up more space on the counter than most other baby food makers, but still takes up much less space than if you had separate baby food makers, a bottle warmer and a sterilizer.
What parents say ChildSafetySeat.Org
“All in one. Easy to use, easy to clean, saves countertop space, leaves no mess when cooking, is versatile - you can use it for many purposes - and it's something that will last much longer than it did when it was a baby.
Love it!" -Claudia
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How to choose a baby food blender? nine0001
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: important 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? nine0003
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. nine0003
Portable: easy to take with you
If you often travel with your child and cook outside, 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. nine0003
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? nine0011
Models to look out for
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 parents or to the country, 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. nine0003
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. nine0003
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. nine0003
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.
