Baby Food Steamer/Processors

freezorburn

DS is starting to show interest in solid food so I'm beginning to research baby food steamer/processors. I'm looking at Beaba Babycook, Philips Avent, and Babymoov Bebedelice. They all look to be about the same price-wise, but they're very differently designed. Anyone have experience with any of these?

PhillyGal34

I have the beaba baby cook. It's unnecessary but works. You can do the same thing with a good food processor or one of those wand blenders the name is slipping me

blueandgray

PhillyGal34:

I have the beaba baby cook. It's unnecessary but works. You can do the same thing with a good food processor or one of those wand blenders the name is slipping me

I just used my standard veggie steamer in a pot on the stove to steam food, then used our food processor if it was a huge batch, or an immersion hand blender for smaller batches.  Those hand blenders are fairly inexpensive if you don't have a food processor, and the puree phase is so short lived, you may as well buy something that will have a longer useful life in the kitchen then the beaba.

AimeeL85

I have the Beaba and used it constantly for DS. I loved being able to steam the things right in the little basket and then puree. I didn't want to bother with a bigger steamer or food processor, but that's just me.  I never made really big batches of anything so it worked well for us.

chardonnay24

My son was only on purees for about 2 - 3 months. I bought a nice food processor and used a steamer basket that I already had. I'm glad I spent the money on a food processor because I use it all the time now.

freezorburn

Thanks everyone! We will have to think about this some more ...

We have a hand blender but DH doesn't think it purees finely enough.

There's a chance we could use it for other things after baby is past puree stage ... DH often likes to puree things like cauliflower or celeriac and put a little bit down on a plate and then grilled meat on top. But maybe a better food processor is the answer. (We just moved to the UK and left all our US appliances behind)

OTOH, I love that you can touch a button and walk away while the baby processor steams the food. Our kitchen is quite separated from the rest of the house so it gets hard to keep an eye on multiple things at once... 

dixee.deluxe

I steam on the stove and got the $20 Ninja from Target (but got it on sale for $16).  I have a pretty nice food processor, but it only has 2 blades.  The Ninja has 4 and purees super fast!

MrsLele

I am a nanny and have used the Beeba for years. For what it's worth, it steams an exact amount for fruits and veggies, as to not over steam and lose nutrients. That convenience factor is enough for me, I'm constantly over steaming veggies when I do it on the stove for DH and myself. And you can always use it as a steamer, even when the puree phase is over. Cleanup is easier, too. Yes, you can use all the things mentioned above, but I think the Beeba is a good buy if its in your budget.

TMWarren85

I work FT and DD is in daycare so when she transitioned to solids I would make large batched (a month at a time) and freeze in ice cube trays. I did a lot of research on the best way to cook each fruit/veggie as to not lose it's nutrients (steaming isn't always best, some recommend baking). I would set aside a day on the weekend, a few hours usually and make a ton of baby food. Mass steam/bake then use one of many processors, either the Bullet, a food processor or my Kitchen Aid blender (a Christmas Present after I got tired of using the processor and Bullet). I would pour it into inexpensive ice cube trays, cover, and then once frozen store in freezer bags. Each cube was 1oz so I could easily portion her food, create mixtures, add new flavors/textures, etc. I have looked at the all-in-one units this time but will probably still do it the other way since I will have to prepare her meals for when I'm away as well.

MrsJetSet

According to the amazon reviews the beeba has mold problems

nrb4576

I love my Beaba Babycook! You may be able to find a used one on Craigslist or something? They are pricey, but I really enjoy it. 

LittleApple

IMO, the baby food makers are a huge waste.  Why are they so miniature?

 All you need is to steam/bake your veggies and fruits and throw into a food processor, let freeze in ice cube trays, throw into freezer bags.  Boom. Done.

freezorburn

These days I have a tendency to walk away from the stove/oven while something is cooking and lose track of time. So a gadget with auto shutoff might be a good idea.