Whether you're a first-time parent or on your fourth kid, introducing a baby to solid foods is going to be a messy test of your patience and skills. There's nothing wrong with feeding your baby store-bought purees. But with the help of a dedicated baby food maker, whipping up homemade food for them can be faster and easier than you think. Plus, it can save you money! That's why we tested 16 of the most popular machines in our lab—chopping, steaming, and blending a variety of foods to find the best baby food makers on the market.
“Having an appliance that's devoted to making baby food can be a real motivator for some families to actually go forward with making their own food,” says pediatric dietitian Nicole Lattanzio, RD, CSP, IBCLC.
When searching for a baby food maker, make sure to consider what functions you'll use most and how much baby food you plan to make at one time. Perhaps most important—especially for busy parents—make sure to consider how easy your baby food maker is to clean, use, and assemble. You can expect to pay anywhere from $60 to $260, so price is also a major factor to consider as you sort through this list of the products we liked best.
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Our Favorites
Best Overall (With Steamer): The First Years First Fresh Foods Blender & SteamerBest Overall (Blender Only): Nutribullet Baby Bullet BlenderBest Value: Nuby Mighty BlenderBest Time-Saver: Nutribullet Baby Steam + BlendEasiest to Clean: Evla's Baby Food MakerSimplest Design: Beaba Babycook Neo Baby Food MakerBest Capacity: Beaba Babycook Express Baby Food MakerBest Multipurpose: Chefhandy Baby Food ProcessorBest for Reluctant Cooks: Baby Brezza One Step Baby Food Maker Deluxe
Best Overall (With Steamer): The First Years First Fresh Foods Blender & Steamer
Buy on Amazon$106Buy on Babylist.com
Why We Like It
The built-in steamer means this machine is an all-in-one solution for making baby food at home. This machine delivered baby food that had vibrant color and a thin, smooth texture that was similar in viscosity to the jarred foods we compared it to. In the lab, we were thrilled to see how easy it is to assemble and use—simply twist the bowl to lock it into the base and twist to unlock. Once assembled, you can set the timer and let your food steam for a determined amount of time, then blend it all in the same compartment.
It's one of the easiest to use of all we tested, and it's a breeze to clean too. The blade lifts out of the bowl, and there aren't any nooks or crannies where food can collect and get left behind. While the manufacturer ensures that the parts are all top-rack dishwasher compatible, we found that they came clean quickly under the faucet.
But Take Note
There are no bells and whistles; it's a simple and streamlined machine that doesn't have extra features, like a warm or defrost setting. It makes a maximum of 3 cups of food, which isn't a huge batch if you plan to make baby food in bulk.
The Details:
Functions: Steams and blendsCapacity: 3 cupsDimensions: 8.25 x 10 x 15 inches
Best Overall (Blender Only): Nutribullet Baby Bullet Blender
Buy on Target$70Buy on WalmartBuy on Nutribullet.com
Why We Like It
This compact blender helps you make your own baby food without taking up too much extra space on your counter or in the cabinet. Much like the brand's Magic Bullet, this petite blender is unbelievably easy to use—and it delivers smooth results quickly and efficiently. Though there aren't different functions or speeds, it blends quickly and quietly without any complicated steps, though there are instructions depicted directly on the motor base in case you do need them. You can blend a batch of baby food without waking baby up, pour it into a container from the convenient spout on the blender bowl, then pop the bowl straight into the dishwasher for easy cleaning.
Perhaps what we love most about this product is the helpful accessories it comes with. The set has a variety of freezer trays and storage cups so you can portion out food directly after making it.
But Take Note
It doesn't have a steaming function, so you'll have to complete that step in the microwave or on the stove before blending. We also found that the power cord is on the short side.
The Details:
Functions: BlendsCapacity: 32 ouncesDimensions: 5.4 x 5.2 x 11 inches
Best Value: Nuby Mighty Blender
Buy on Amazon$68
Why We Like It
This simple product comes with a wide range of accessories at an unbeatable price. The 22-piece set chops and purees foods quickly, and the included spoons, spatulas, storage cups and freezer trays are convenient for storing and serving your homemade baby food. Throughout the testing process we found that this machine made some of the highest-quality baby food of all; everything we tested came out smooth and creamy with very little effort. The peas and carrots had a bright color with perfect viscosity and no chunks or pulp. We found it to be easy to use and understand, and the added accessories mean this is an incredible buy for busy parents looking for an all-in-one purchase.
But Take Note
Although this baby food maker doesn't have a built-in steamer, it does come with a steaming basket that you can pop directly in the microwave. Be mindful that none of the plastic components should be put in the dishwasher, so everything (except the glass blender bowl and glass cup) must be washed by hand.
The Details:
Functions: BlendsCapacity: 15.55 fluid ouncesDimensions: 10.43 x 11 x 8.25 inchesCare: The glass accessories are dishwasher safe, but plastic components must be hand-washed.The Best Lunch Boxes, Water Bottles, and Food Containers for Every Kind of Eater
Best Time-Saver: Nutribullet Baby Steam + Blend
Buy on Amazon$100Buy on TargetBuy on Nutribullet.com
Why We Like It
This super-streamlined machine is a great hands-off way to make baby food at home. Simply add your food to the steaming pot, then you can steam and blend all in the same container. In fact, an automatic steam and blend function means the machine does all the work for you, switching from one function to the next, without any intervention needed. The automated nature of the machine is key to helping busy parents save time (and mental load). We also love that this machine has a pulse and blend function, which allows you more control over the consistency of the finished product. We found that this machine delivered smooth, consistent baby food each time we tested it.
But Take Note
We found this machine to be fairly simple to assemble and disassemble, but it isn't as simple as some of the other products. Make sure to read the instruction manual fully and be sure to wear an oven mitt when removing the bowl after steaming, as it can get really hot.
The Details:
Functions: Steams and blendsCapacity: 16 ouncesDimensions: 9.69 x 6.1 x 9.13 inchesThe Best High Chairs We Tested to Withstand the Messiest Meals
Easiest to Clean: Evla's Baby Food Maker
Buy on Amazon$125Buy on TargetBuy on Walmart
Why We Like It
This baby food maker is so easy to use, even our testers who'd never worked with one before could figure it out instantly. We found the manufacturer's instructions and touchscreen buttons to be very straightforward. Each instruction point comes with an included video for reference, too. This machine uses a two-step process of steaming and blending, and the product even comes with suggested cooking times for different foods. The automatic switch from steaming to blending makes this product super convenient. It also comes with reusable food pouches for feeding on the go.
We also love how easy it is to clean. This is one of the only machines on our list that uses a self-cleaning feature. Simply add water and a drop of detergent, and the machine will clean itself for you.
But Take Note
We did notice that one cycle on the auto-blend didn't exactly achieve the smooth, creamy consistency we were looking for, so we chose to blend it for extra time and even used a second cycle.
The Details:
Functions: Steams, blends, reheats, defrostsCapacity: 1 cupDimensions: 8 x 12.3 x 12.9 inches
Simplest Design: Beaba Babycook Neo Baby Food Maker
Buy on Amazon$260Buy on Crate & BarrelBuy on Williams-Sonoma
Why We Like It
This heavy-duty, durable machine uses a glass cooking beaker to ensure that food always tastes fresh and that no odors or flavors will leach into your purees. With just two buttons, this machine is super simple to operate—select the steam button or the blend button, depending on what function you wish to use. Instead of a timed blending option, you hold the button down for as long as it takes to achieve your desired consistency. It's a convenient and compact machine that has a sleek and chic design, so it's a great item to add to your countertop if you're looking to make your own baby food at home.
We found that this product yielded some of the creamiest and smoothest pea purees of all we tested, and the carrot puree was soft yet slightly chunky.
But Take Note
This is one of the priciest options on our list. Though the steaming function takes anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes (longer than it would take on the stove or microwave), we found that the blending function was super quick and efficient.
The Details:
Functions: Steams, mixes, defrosts, reheatsCapacity: 5.2 cupsDimensions: 10.4 x 8.3 x 8.5 inches
Best Capacity: Beaba Babycook Express Baby Food Maker
Buy on Amazon$190Buy on Nordstrom
Why We Like It
If you're planning to make big batches of baby food and store them for later use, this large-scale baby food maker is a great option. It can yield up to 5.2 cups of food in one batch, which means you can cut down on daily meal prep by making larger batches at once. Once we got the hang of it, it yielded super-smooth peas and carrots that had a vibrant color and perfect texture.
The capacity is the same as the Neo Babycook, but its list price is about $70 less, perhaps in part because the bowl is made from BPA-free plastic rather than the Neo's glass. It also has an express mode that cut the steaming and blending process down from 20 to 15 minutes during testing.
But Take Note
Assembling and disassembling can be a little clunky and cumbersome. The machine is a little tricky to figure out if you have no instruction, though we found the manual to be straightforward and easy to understand. The express mode also isn't very much faster than steaming vegetables in the microwave.
The Details:
Functions: Steams, blends, reheats, defrostsCapacity: 5.2 CupsDimensions: 9.8 x 6.7 x 9.8 inches
Best Multipurpose: Chefhandy Baby Food Processor
Buy on Amazon$120Buy on Walmart
Why We Like It
This versatile gadget is a great one-stop shop for a variety of baby prep needs. The baby food maker itself has a steaming, blending, and warming function, but it also doubles as a bottle warmer for babies who are transitioning from milk to solids. Throughout testing, we loved that it's totally customizable, so you can use the auto blend function, or you can blend manually, which gives you complete control over the consistency of your purees. Overall we found it to be quiet, efficient, and convenient.
Making food with this device is totally intuitive: Just add water to the back of the chamber, add your food to the steamer basket, steam then add your food to the blending bowl and blend. There aren't a ton of parts to assemble, and it also comes with reusable food pouches, a pacifier, and a baby spoon.
But Take Note
This doesn't have a large capacity, so it's not ideal for making big batches.
The Details:
Functions: Steams, blends, warms, sterilizesCapacity: 300 ml (10.1 fluid ounces)Dimensions: 12.7 x 11.3 x 6.5 inches
Best for Reluctant Cooks: Baby Brezza One Step Baby Food Maker Deluxe
Buy on Amazon$130Buy on TargetBuy on Walmart
Why We Like It
During the testing process we loved how this machine did all the work for us. The automatic steam and blend function means you can assemble the machine, add your food, set the controls, and walk away. The machine steamed the carrots and peas and then automatically switched to blend without any user intervention. It also has a reheat and defrost option to heat up previously made foods.
But Take Note
The automated functionality makes it difficult to control the consistency. The puree was a little on the chunky side during testing, but you can repeat the process to achieve creamier, silkier purees.
The Details:
Functions: Steam, blend, reheat, defrostCapacity: 4 cupsDimensions: 8.75 x 11 x 8.5 inchesThe Best Shoes for Babies Learning to Walk and Run Laps Around Us
Other Notable Baby Food Makers
Green Sprouts Baby Food Mill: This is a super compact, manual baby food grinder that's portable. Unfortunately, we found that it could only successfully mash super soft foods. Grinding the food was difficult and cumbersome during testing, and the resulting food was still chunky even after repeated grinding, so we didn't find it to be particularly useful or efficient. Although it's easy to clean, the carrots left a stain after one use.Beaba Babycook Solo Baby Food Maker: This is a durable and sturdy machine that's made of high-quality parts, but it's challenging to use and doesn't yield smooth or creamy foods. The steaming process took a long time, and even after repeated blending, the food was chunky and thick. Although it's easy to clean, assembling the parts back together after washing is confusing and cumbersome. Overall, we felt like this machine didn't add any convenience to the task of making homemade baby food, and at such a steep price, we wouldn't recommend it.Braun MultiQuick 5 Baby Food Maker and Hand Blender: Without a steaming function, this hand blender didn't add any convenience or efficiency to the process of making homemade baby food. Although the blending function helped us achieve smooth, creamy baby food, the chopping function was not efficient and took a lot of time and effort. Since this is essentially just a standard stick blender, we didn't feel like there was anything that set it apart as a baby food maker.
Our Testing Process
To determine the best baby food makers for making nutritious baby food at home, we put 16 of the leading models to the test. First, we examined each product to consider what the specific functions are and how to use them properly. Through this test, we wanted to find baby food makers that could efficiently steam and puree foods in a way that's easier and more efficient than just using a standard blender or food processor.
Design: We evaluated the look of the devices and their footprint, to see if they could be left out on a kitchen counter. We looked at all the features of the machines and any extra accessories they came with.Ease of Assembly: We noted whether assembly was intuitive or we had to consult instruction manuals.Ease of Use: We put each product to the test by making stage one baby food in each. Stage one foods are single-ingredient foods that are pureed to a thin, smooth consistency. In our tests, we made both carrot and pea purees in each machine. We followed the manufacturer's instructions to steam and puree each ingredient. Hard foods like carrots must be steamed to a mushy consistency to ensure that young infants don't choke on larger pieces, so we made sure to consider how effective the blender portion was in achieving a smooth consistency. We compared the resulting homemade carrot and pea purees to the store-bought equivalent from a jar, looking at overall texture, color, and consistency.Ease of Cleaning: After making our purees, we disassembled the machines and washed them according to the manufacturer's instructions. If there were dishwasher-safe parts, we ran them through our lab's dishwasher. We hand-washed the rest. When it was done, we reexamined everything to look for staining or food particles that were missed.Long-Term Testing: Finally, we sent all our winning baby food makers home with parents on our staff. If there are changes to our lab assessments based on real-world experiences, we update our results right here on the page.
Our Experts
In addition to using our experience as parents and our lab results, we spoke to the following experts about how to make sure a baby food maker will process safe, nutritious food for our babies and toddlers:
Nicole Lattanzio, RD, CSP, IBCLC, a pediatric dietitian based in PhoenixJennifer Anderson, MSPH, RDN, dietitian founder of Kids Eat in Color
Factors to Consider When Buying a Baby Food Maker
Functions: Baby food makers can have a few different functions, and the best one for you depends on what type of food you plan to make and how often. It should be more convenient than just using an immersion blender or food processor (otherwise, why buy a new product?). This is why many parents prefer machines that steam as well as blend. Some other baby food makers have additional functions like warming or defrosting settings for heating up previously made foods. “Most all-in-one baby food makers will first steam and then can blend or chop baby's food,” Lattanzio says. “I personally love machines that allow you to blend a range of batch sizes—small batches for new foods and large batches for ones you know your baby enjoys and will eat.” Size and Capacity: When it comes to kitchen gadgets, baby food makers are generally on the more petite side, but they still take up a bit of space on your countertop. Before purchasing one, consider how much space you have to spare, then consider how much baby food you plan to make. If you want to make new, fresh foods every day, opt for a smaller machine that doesn't have as big of a cup size. If you want to make larger batches of food to freeze in bulk, or you have multiple kids that you'll be feeding, opt for a machine that can accommodate more food at one time. Ease of Use: Because baby food makers don't have a ton of functions, they're often fairly simple to operate. Ease of use is a major factor to consider when shopping for any home cooking appliance, and that's certainly the case when making your own baby food. “In my experience as a parent and person who has worked with parents, having baby equipment that is simple and easy-to-use is most important,” Anderson says. “The most important function is to easily take table foods and turn them into a food that a baby can easily eat.” Care and Cleaning: Consider how much time you can dedicate to cleaning and caring for this device. If you're looking for a low-maintenance gadget, opt for one that can be placed in the dishwasher and avoid machines that require hand washing. Most baby food makers can be wiped down with a wet towel after each use. “A baby food maker should be easy to clean and easy to use if you're sleep deprived!” adds Anderson.
How to Use Baby Food Makers Safely
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, you should begin introducing solid foods to your child when they reach about 6 months of age, though you can start as soon as 4 months old if they show signs they are ready, such as head and neck control and swallowing without thrusting their tongue out. Offer a wide range of healthy foods and vegetables, and offer them repeatedly, even if a child doesn't accept them at first. Feeding them a range of textures will help them acclimate to solid foods.
Stage one baby food is recommended for babies in the 6-month age range—stage one foods are purees that are completely smooth in consistency and thin in viscosity. You can offer a tablespoon or two at every feeding, and always ensure that the puree is at the appropriate temperature for your infant. Until babies are around 9 months old, most of their calories should still come from breast milk or formula.
Your Questions, Answered
Are baby food makers worth it?
If you plan to make baby food at home, having a convenient, all-in-one machine will make the process easier and more streamlined. “While you can certainly make homemade baby food without one, having a baby food maker that does it all in one can make life simpler for new families hoping to make homemade purées,” said Lattanzio.
What's the difference between a baby food maker, a food processor, and a blender?
In general, baby food makers should have some sort of functionality that makes them more convenient than a standard blender or food processor. A blender is one of the most simple kitchen gadgets—it blends foods to different consistencies for whatever amount of time you choose. Blenders can chop ice and hard vegetables, but they usually don't have any additional features. A food processor typically has different functions depending what attachment you use, and many of them can chop, puree, grate, and even slice. While blenders and food processors are usually meant for larger quantities, a baby food maker usually handles smaller amounts so you can make one or two cups at a time, said Anderson. Many baby food makers steam the food prior to blending it. Without that function, you'll have to steam the food on the stovetop or in the microwave first.
Is it better to buy baby food or make homemade baby food?
The way you decide to feed your child is a completely personal choice, and it's a question that will be answered differently by any family. Making your own baby food allows you to have complete control over everything your child eats, so you can ensure there isn't added sugar, sodium, or preservatives. However, there are benefits to buying premade food too—you can't beat the convenience or portability of premade baby food.
Who We Are
Laura Denby is a full-time product tester and shopping writer who specializes in testing home, kitchen, and baby equipment for sites like Verywell Family, Food & Wine, People.com, and Forbes Vetted. The mother of a 2-year-old, she has a degree in culinary arts from the Institute of Culinary Education and has spent years working as a private chef and caterer throughout NYC.
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