A dedicated baby food maker can make preparing your baby’s first purées easier if you often make small portions and want to steam and blend with minimal handling. If you already have equipment for cooking and blending, first consider how the appliance would change your routine: Que Choisir highlights the risk of buying something that duplicates what you already own. If you want to prepare several portions in advance, focus on comparing cooking capacity, baskets and cleaning requirements.
If you have a steamer, pressure cooker, blender or hand blender, consider whether a baby food maker would genuinely make food prep easier. Que Choisir points out that its main functions may duplicate those of these appliances.
You’re looking for a cooking capacity that suits your batch-cooking sessions, perhaps with separate baskets, without overlooking the space it takes up or the effort involved in cleaning its parts.
You want to steam and then blend with minimal handling. Check that the quantities you prepare suit the model’s capacity and that cleaning it fits your routine.
When making your baby’s first homemade purées, start by deciding how you want to prepare them: use the appliances you already have, add to an incomplete set-up, or combine cooking and blending in a dedicated food maker.
Worth considering if: you often prepare small quantities and want to combine steaming and blending in your routine.
Bear in mind: it’s another appliance to store and clean, and it may duplicate equipment you already have at home, as Que Choisir points out.
Worth considering if: you already have an appliance for cooking or blending, but are missing the other function.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to use two appliances and transfer food between them after cooking.
Worth considering if: your existing equipment can already cook and blend the quantities you prepare.
Bear in mind: there’s no integrated cycle; in particular, check that your blender can handle small portions.
| What matters to you | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Avoiding duplication | Take stock of your cooking and blending appliances, then consider which steps a dedicated food maker would genuinely save you. | If I can already cook and blend, I want to know how another appliance would make everyday life easier; around 31% of consumers would put avoiding duplication at the top of their list. |
| Preparing several portions | Compare the cooking capacity and number of baskets, and consider how much storage space the appliance needs. | To prepare several portions in one session, I need a capacity that suits the quantities I make; this would be a priority for around 31% of consumers. |
| Steaming and blending in one go | Check which quantities suit the model and how you switch from cooking to blending. | When I regularly prepare a small portion, I prefer to keep handling to a minimum; around 23% of consumers would make this convenience their main priority. |
| Cleaning and using the parts | Check the manual for dishwasher-safe parts, components that must not be submerged and the intended use of parts that come into contact with food. | If I use the appliance often, I want to clean its parts according to the instructions and understand how they should be used; this would be a priority for around 15% of consumers. |
Que Choisir says that cooking equipment paired with a blender may already cover both main functions.
Identify the steps that take up your time before deciding whether a combined appliance would make them easier.
A redundant appliance also takes up space in your kitchen.
Extra baskets can be useful for batch cooking, but they also mean more parts to store and clean.
Compare the amount you cook in each session with the cooking capacity and number of baskets specified by the manufacturer.
Cleaning instructions for removable parts may not apply to the motor unit.
Follow the instructions for your exact model when taking apart and cleaning each component. Never submerge an electrical base if the manual says not to.
The material used for a bowl or basket doesn’t, by itself, tell you how all the parts that come into contact with food should be used.
Check the intended use of containers and accessories, as well as the specified temperatures and instructions. The DGCCRF recommends using utensils and containers designed for food and following their instructions for use.
In the Babycook range, the Babycook Néo combines steaming and blending. Béaba states that this model has a 1 250 ml glass bowl and a 1 000 ml stainless steel basket.
The Nutribaby (+) and Nutribaby XL are designed with batch cooking in mind. Babymoov lists capacities of 1 900 ml with two baskets and 2 250 ml with three baskets for these models, respectively.
The SCF883/01 food maker combines steaming, blending, defrosting and reheating. Philips explains that you switch from steaming to blending by turning the bowl upside down.
Not necessarily. Que Choisir says a baby food maker may duplicate appliances you already own. Check whether your blender can handle the small quantities you prepare and whether a combined appliance would reduce the amount of handling enough to be worthwhile.
Compare the cooking capacity and number of baskets with the quantities you prepare in each session, rather than relying on the number of meals advertised. Babymoov lists a capacity of 1 900 ml for the Nutribaby (+) and 2 250 ml for the Nutribaby XL; the number of portions you get depends on their size.
No, instructions vary by part and model. For the Babycook Néo, Béaba says the bowl, basket, blending blade and lid can be washed by hand or in the dishwasher, while the appliance body must not be submerged. Check your model’s manual before cleaning.
Check the intended use and instructions for each container and accessory, particularly when using hot food. The DGCCRF recommends using utensils and containers designed for food and following the instructions provided with them.