If you already have what you need to steam and blend small quantities, a dedicated baby food maker could be redundant, as UFC-Que Choisir points out. If you often make purées or fruit compotes and want to steam and blend in one dedicated appliance, check the minimum usable quantity, capacity and cleaning requirements before choosing.
You already have a way to cook food and a blender. You’re wondering whether a dedicated appliance would make preparing meals easier enough to justify buying something you may not need. UFC-Que Choisir advises considering the risk of duplication.
You regularly make purées or fruit compotes and want to go from steaming to blending without using several appliances. The quantity your bowl can handle matters just as much as its stated capacity.
You make several dishes in one session. A larger bowl may suit your routine, as long as it’s still practical when you’re preparing just a small quantity.
Worth considering: if you often prepare homemade meals and want to steam and blend in one dedicated appliance.
Bear in mind: it means adding another appliance, cleaning its parts and maintaining the steam circuit.
Worth choosing: if your current appliances already cook food and blend the quantities you prepare.
Bear in mind: you may need to transfer food between appliances and clean several parts.
Worth considering: if you also want to use it for other meals and have an attachment suitable for small quantities.
Check: a large bowl doesn’t necessarily make it practical to blend a very small portion.
If you regularly prepare small portions, first compare the functions you already have, then consider how often you cook and how much cleaning and maintenance you’re happy to do.
| Criterion | What to check before buying | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Avoiding duplication | Take stock of your cooking appliances and blender; try your blender with the quantity you usually prepare. | If I can already cook and then blend a small portion, I want to know what a dedicated baby food maker would really change. Around 36% of consumers would put avoiding duplication first when making their choice. |
| Steaming and blending in one go | Look at how the appliance switches between the two steps and check the minimum usable quantity for the model you’re considering. | When I often make a small purée, I want to avoid transferring food between appliances without choosing a bowl that’s unsuitable for the quantity I make. Around 29% of consumers would prioritise this convenience. |
| Preparing several portions | Compare the steaming and blending capacities, then check that they suit the size of the batches you make. | If I cook several portions at once, I’m looking for a capacity that suits my routine, rather than a large bowl for its own sake. Batch cooking would come first for around 21% of consumers. |
| Cleaning and maintaining the appliance | Check which parts are dishwasher-safe and read the instructions for drying and descaling. | After each meal, I want to clean the parts I’ve used and maintain the water tank without making my routine more complicated. Around 14% of consumers would prioritise maintenance. |
According to UFC-Que Choisir, a baby food maker may duplicate a steamer and blender you already have. The main thing to weigh up is whether combining the functions in one appliance is worthwhile for you.
First, try your existing equipment with a small quantity and compare the steps involved with using a dedicated baby food maker.
The bowl capacity tells you how much space there is to prepare larger quantities. It doesn’t, by itself, tell you how practical the appliance is for blending a small amount.
Choose a capacity that suits how often and how much you cook, and check the minimum usable quantity in the instructions for the exact model.
An appliance that combines steaming and blending also has parts to wash and a steam circuit to maintain. Philips specifies which parts of the relevant Avent models are dishwasher-safe and which are not, while Béaba advises descaling when limescale appears.
Check the instructions for the model you’re considering to see which parts need cleaning and drying, and how to maintain the water tank.
The Babycook range includes food makers designed for preparing baby meals. Béaba states that the Babycook Néo has a 1 250 ml glass bowl and stainless steel accessories. Check that this model and size suit the food you prepare.
Babymoov describes the Nutribaby One as a simple, compact option, while the Nutribaby(+) and XL models are designed for larger batches. Capacity and functions vary by model.
Philips describes the SCF883/01 baby food maker as a single-bowl appliance for steaming, blending, reheating and defrosting, with a 1 000 ml bowl.
Not necessarily. UFC-Que Choisir points out that a dedicated baby food maker may duplicate cooking and blending appliances you already own. However, check that your blender can handle the small quantity you want to prepare, and consider whether transferring food between two appliances is inconvenient enough to justify buying a dedicated one.
These functions alone aren’t a reason to buy a baby food maker if you already have an appliance you use for the same tasks. UFC-Que Choisir advises households with a microwave, in particular, not to overestimate their value. Instead, focus on the functions you’re actually missing.
Check the instructions for each model to see which parts are dishwasher-safe, which need drying and how to maintain the water tank. For the relevant Avent models, Philips says the motor unit must not go in the dishwasher or be immersed. Béaba recommends descaling if limescale builds up or after a long period without use.
Before choosing a baby food maker, check who the seller is, the exact model number, the instruction manual and the warranty information. The DGCCRF distinguishes statutory guarantees from any commercial warranty, so read the terms of the latter and don’t confuse it with your legal rights.