Best Baby Food Makers of 2024, Tested & Reviewed

Keep your little one nourished with freshly steamed and blended baby purees.

messy toddler eating food in a high chair


tali ditye author mommyhood101  By: Tali Ditye, Ph.D., Co-founder
  Updated: January 1, 2024

Mommyhood101 independently tests and curates baby gear to help you make informed decisions. If you buy products through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

As a new parent, one of the most important decisions is choosing how to give your baby the best nutrition possible. Making your own baby food at home allows you to use only fresh ingredients and avoid the preservatives and additives typically found in store-bought baby food.

Baby food makers make this dream a reality, providing the ability to steam and puree fruits, veggies, and meats in a single device!

Just for fun, what does ChatGPT think is the best baby food maker!?
"According to my research and analysis, the BEABA Babycook is the best overall baby food maker, offering versatility and quality that allows you to steam, blend, reheat, and defrost all in one compact machine." -ChatGPT

For better or worse, our robot overlords are on the right track!

We've been reviewing baby food makers for over 10 years, and if we made our own, here is what it would look like:

✔️  Over 3-cup capacity.
✔️  Steaming capability.
✔️  Blending capability.
✔️  Multiple blend speeds & settings.
✔️  Easy transition from steam to blend.

✔️  Reheat & defrost capability.
✔️  Steams & blends in under 25 mins.
✔️  One-handed operation.
✔️  Automatic shut-off.

✔️  Non-toxic, BPA-free materials.

✔️  Dishwasher safe parts.

✔️  Durable.
✔️  Stainless steel reservoir.
✔️  Easy descaling of reservoir.

✔️  Included accessories.
✔️  Compact & portable
.
✔️  Clear user manual & recipes.

Of course, you will also want the baby food maker to fit your (color, patterns) preferences and meet your budget constraints. That's a lot to ask, and very few baby food makers meet the needs of picky parents!

Available since the early 1990's in Europe, and now in the U.S. for over two decades, baby food makers have saved millions of parents' time and energy when making fresh, wholesome purees.

The systems have gotten much better over the years, with higher reliability, ease of use and convenience, more powerful motors, dishwasher-friendly parts, and BPA-, lead-, and phthalate-free materials.

Pro-tip: Always use distilled water in baby food makers, and clean the system monthly with vinegar following the manufacturer's instructions. This will prevent scaling and build-up.

Our baby food maker reviews primarily consider all-in-one models that can both steam and process the food, but if you're simply looking for a great food processor definitely check out the Nutribullet. If you're looking to save time, check out our list of the best ready-made organic baby purees: fruits and vegetables!

Full disclosure: Some of these food makers, including the Elechomes, Baby Brezza, and Beaba models, were sent to us as free test samples by the manufacturer.

Carrots? Peas? Sweet potato? Got it. Fun and healthy dessert blends like banana blueberry puree? No problem. Once you get your hands on a good baby food maker you'll be inventing recipes like a professional chef! And your baby will love you for feeding them so many delicious fruits and vegetables!

The ideal baby food maker combines a steamer and food processor all in one, includes all the accessories you'll need, is BPA-free and dishwasher friendly, and withstands the test of time and repeated use.

Here are our Top Picks for Baby Food Makers!

assorted colors of the beaba baby cook baby food maker and a prepared puree

1. BEABA Babycook 4in1 Solo Baby Food Maker.

The top-rated BEABA Babycook 4in1 baby food maker is well known for reliability, ease of use, safety, and efficiency. They are definitely the most popular baby food makers on the market, and for good reason. The BEABA looks and works great. It uses a large 4.7-cup capacity so you can fit several servings of food in one batch. You can use it with only 1 hand, so you can hold your baby in one arm while steaming, pureeing, defrosting, or reheating your food. The water reservoir on the side that holds water for steaming is stainless steel rather than plastic, and all surfaces that come in contact with food are BPA, lead, and phthalate free. We found that it is easy to clean, easy to use, and highly reliable. We were impressed with how quiet the motor was when pureeing with the baby food blender, and how evenly the steaming cooked our fruits and vegetables. To steam, you place your freshly cut fruits or veggies into the basket and simply press the steam button. When it's finished, about 13-15 minutes later, you simply dump the basket of freshly steamed food into the bottom of the bowl and turn the knob to begin making smooth purees. We thought the button and knob were really intuitive and easy to use. We used it to make baby puree and also made ourselves a little smoothie by blending some frozen fruits and spinach. Worked very well as a stand-alone blender!

nestig cloud crib

Note that with any baby food maker that includes a steaming function, if you use anything other than distilled water, your water reservoir will develop mineral deposits; as suggested by Beaba, we found that descaling with vinegar every month or two was very helpful. If you do have an issue it comes with a 1-year warranty, and the customer service is very responsive. Slightly more expensive than other options, we think it is worth the extra cost. Who else loves the Beaba Babycook? Our friends at Babylist, The Bump, Babygearlab, and WhatToExpect all consider it a top pick! Interested? You can check out the Beaba Babycook here. Need to cook more than one recipe at a time? Check out the double Beaba Babycook Duo for about $50 more.


the babymoov duo baby food maker filled with fresh fruit

2. Babymoov Duo Meal Station Baby Food Maker.

This is new for this year, and we got our hands on it in early January for some in-depth testing. It's a truly awesome and versatile top-rated baby food maker, with some serious functionality. The Babymoov Duo Meal Station is the only baby food maker on this list that can support simultaneous and separate steaming and blending, which allows you to start steaming another food (or keep steaming one tray of food) while blending another. We found this super helpful when steaming two foods that take different times to steam. For instance, we steamed a tray of green peas while steaming a tray of sweet potatoes: the peas took about 4 minutes, but the sweet potatoes took about 10 minutes (once the steam started). So, this system allowed us to start blending the peas while finishing steaming the sweet potatoes. That's great flexibility for a busy kitchen. It's also very high capacity, the largest on this list, allowing us to prepare up to 9 cups of food at once! That's like 25 meals for a baby, so that's a big deal. If you don't need to make something that large, you can use just a single layer tray for one food type (or two that have the same cook times), or you can stack the trays up to separate two different types of food. It worked really well for smaller and larger jobs. The steamer was powerful and easy you use: add some water to the bottom until the light turns off, set the timer and you're ready to go.

The baby food blender was powerful and the blade was sharp and durable, and the blender itself had three speed settings. The two things that distinguish this from the Babymoov Nutribaby (below) are the ability to steam and blend simultaneously, and the three-speed blender. And the fancy LED screen and interface, which we thought was intuitive and easy to use. The steamer and blender parts are all BPA free (and lead and phthalate free) and dishwasher friendly, making clean-up a breeze. So why isn't it #1 on our list? It might be next year, but first, it needs to pass the test of time. Also, it's quite big, so people will smaller kitchens or otherwise restricted counter space might find it too large for their space. Coming in at about the same price as the Beaba Babycook, if you have the space, this is a must-have. Overall, this is an excellent baby food maker that we highly recommend! Who else loves the Babymoov Duo? Our friends at Babylist and WhatToExpect call it a top pick! Interested? You can check out this Babymoov Duo here!


the evlas baby food maker with fruits and vegetables and a baby eating a puree

3. Evla's Baby Food Maker.

The EVLA's baby food maker is fierce new competition for the Beaba and others, providing awesome capability at a price point about $30 less expensive than the Beaba. Out of the box, we thought that everything felt very high quality and well-made. There are so many junky baby food makers on the market that it's always nice to see a high quality unit show up. We found it easy to use and follow the instructions, if the written instructions aren't clear, there are awesome video instructions at Evla's website. The features are great, including steaming, blending (pureeing), reheating, defrosting, and sterilizing functions. It also has a self-cleaning function that helps you clean the blade after use without having to detach or touch it (and risk a cut), which is an awesome feature to increase the ease of cleaning. The water reservoir holds about 7-8 ounces of water and is super easy to clean - it's big enough to fit your entire hand and a sponge in there, making things less likely to get covered with mineral scale, slime, or mold. The steaming basket and stirring cup are top-rack dishwasher safe, and all parts that come in contact with food are BPA-free. A couple other things worth mentioning. Turning it on, you need to press and hold the power button for about 3 seconds, which is a great safety feature but also helpful so it doesn't accidentally power on when cleaning the nice digital screen on the top.

nestig cloud crib

Speaking of the screen, it's very intuitive to use. The buttons are simple - clean (to clean the blade after use - be sure to attach the spillproof lid first), steam (to steam food in the basket), and sterilize (to sterilize before first use, or sterilize pacifiers and bottle nipples). There are two other buttons, one is an auto puree button that will sense resistance in the stirring cup and blend for an appropriate amount of (usually about a minute), and one is a pulse puree button just in case you want to customize the puree time to make chunky food (less time) or smoother purees (more time). The capacity is about 12 ounces of food (the stirring cup is about 600mL), so it's not the biggest on the list, but it's plenty big enough for most situations. Steaming veggies only takes about 15 minutes (meat takes about 20 minutes), and blending takes another minute, so you could definitely make a few purees in a row - maybe 3 or 4 within an hour, which is pretty good. We're really impressed with this baby food maker and think it's very deserving of its spot on this list! Also, the EVLA's company is super responsive on Amazon or Facebook (or email at [email protected]) and will resolve any issues you have immediately and with a smile. Not that you're likely to have any issues, but just in case! When we tested this food maker it included a bunch of reusable food pouches, which was a nice extra to find in the box! Also, if you register for the warranty they will send you a free baby spoon and bowl, and registering takes about a minute. Cons? Not a huge capacity and it doesn't have dual-layer steamer baskets. Outside of that, we think this is an awesome new option to consider! Who else loves the Evla's Baby Food Maker? At this point, we're the first to test it - though we expect that to change once others see this review! Interested? You can check out the Evla's Baby Food Maker here.


a mother and baby in the kitchen preparing purees with the brezza deluxe baby food maker

4. Baby Brezza One Step Deluxe Baby Food Maker.

Most baby food makers involve the following workflow when you're ready to transition from steaming to pureeing the food: remove the steaming basket, insert the pureeing blade, dump the steamed food into the bowl, and then puree. That's four steps to go from steaming to pureeing. The Baby Brezza One Step Deluxe baby food maker requires no transfer after steaming - it literally involves one step! Simply toss in the food and press the steam + blend button. It does this by replacing the conventional pureeing blades with wider blades with steam holes; the result is homemade baby food at the press of a button! For basic features, it makes 3.5 cups of baby food, has four puree blades, can be used in steam-only, blend-only, and steam & blend modes, the bowl and blade are both dishwasher safe, and includes three reusable food pouches and filling funnels. As an added bonus, all parts that come in contact with food are free of BPA, phthalates, PVC, lead, BPS, and cadmium; the blade is stainless steel and the bowl is food-grade silicone and polypropylene.

Given all the features, we were excited to get our hands on it for testing! We found the entire system very intuitive and easy to use. The digital control panel was simple to control: one button for steam and blend, a button for steam only, and a button for blend only. There is also a green ring (START) and red ring (STOP) button. To steam and blend, you simply press the steam + blend button repeatedly to get to your desired timer duration (from 5 to 30 minutes, in 5-minute increments), and then press the green button to begin the process. The system will steam for your selected duration, blend for 30 seconds, and then shut off. The steaming bowl was easy to clean, the water tank was easy to fill (we suggest only distilled water), and everything was easy to clean (the bowl and blade can be put in the dishwasher). We loved the included recipe guide which will help you figure out how much food to put in, how small to cut it, and how long to steam. It also includes some delicious recipes - we loved the sweet potato and apricot puree! The only con we encountered was that steam times tended to take a bit longer than what was suggested in the recipe book; you'll need to calibrate to your preferences and experience. Note that some foods will have extra water after steaming, especially fruits and zucchini. In those cases, you might want to steam and puree separately so you can dump out extra water between the stages. Overall, we love the convenience of this new Baby Brezza baby food maker and think you will love the features and versatility. At about $130, we also think it offers great bang for the buck! Who else loves the new Baby Brezza Deluxe baby food maker? Our friends at Babylist, The Bump, and WhatToExpect call it a top pick! Interested? You can check out the Brezza Deluxe baby food maker here.


the qooc baby food maker in assorted colors alongside fruits and vegetables

5. QOOC Mini Baby Food Maker.

This baby food maker is brand new to the U.S. market, and is making some waves! It is a small footprint and small-capacity unit, making it perfect for smaller kitchens, smaller batches of food, and less clutter on the countertop. Its size is matched by its simplicity. It is technically a 4-in-1 baby food maker, which means that it does the usual steaming and blending, but it also can reheat and defrost, which is basically just the steaming function used for two other purposes. Convenient, but not any different from most others on this list. The capacity is relatively small, about 300 grams or 2 cups, making it the smallest of the bunch. Its look and feel, and functionality, are very similar to the Beaba Babycook, with a sleek and low-profile shape, and a large and easy-to-use button right up front and center. We found it very easy to use with only one hand: you simply turn the button to steam or blend and push the button to start. The lid, container, steamer basket, and blade are all dishwasher safe, and the blade pops out of the container for more thorough cleaning. All components that come into contact with food are also BPA-free and do not contain lead or phthalates. Some other things we appreciated were the quiet motor, how easy it was to refill the water reservoir, and how little space it took up on our (already cramped) kitchen counter! Because this is a newcomer to the baby food maker category, we do not have extensive experience with it. In our limited testing for about a week, we found it quite capable and a great new competitor for this segment. It's small, but if that's what you're looking for, this is definitely a great option. Over the next 6-12 months we'll keep using this model and report back on its reliability; if things keep going like this, it's very likely to creep up higher on our list! Overall, a great option, and we found it for about $90. Who else loves the QOOC baby food maker? Our friends at The Wirecutter and WhatToExpect call it a top pick! Interested? You can check out the QOOC 4in1 Mini here.

6. BEABA Babycook Neo Baby Food Maker.

the beaba babycook neo food maker

This is the baby food maker everyone wants to love, with its sleek European-made styling, glass bowl, stainless steel steaming basket, high capacity (5.5 cups), large and easy-to-clean water reservoir, and versatile cooking options. And when we got our hands on it for testing, we wanted to love it too! Out of the box, we really did: it is very high quality, looks fantastic, and is easy to assemble and use. For our first use, we steamed and pureed peas, sweet potatoes, and spinach, and everything came out really nicely. In addition to the basic steaming feature, you can also use a defrost and reheat function, both of which worked really well in our testing. The puree and blend blade was stainless steel and super sharp and effective, it was really good at including all of the food into the blend without leaving any chunks around the edges of the glass bowl. And we also found that using a glass baby food maker was a bit quieter than a plastic one, likely due to the superior insulating (sound and temperature) properties of glass versus plastic. Speaking of glass, this is a great option for parents concerned about BPA and phthalates, or other plastic chemicals leaching into foods while you're steaming; glass effectively solves that problem, as does the stainless steel steaming basket.

But just like with glass baby bottles, using glass with plastic can introduce some fitment options, especially after repeated warming or dishwashing of the parts. Specifically, the plastic lid didn't fit the glass bowl perfectly after a while, and the plastic handle of the bowl started to separate a bit from the bowl. Not huge deals, but worth mentioning.

The other issue is that when you rapidly heat glass there is a risk of breaking the glass, so when you put a bunch of frozen fruits or veggies in there and the glass cools down, and then you heat it with steam it heats up quickly and can crack. That didn't happen to us in our testing, but it's worth pointing out that Beaba just finished recalling their first batch of these Neo baby food makers due to glass bowl breakage. As of early 2020, the Neo models being shipped from Amazon appear to use the new glass bowl that was issued after the recall. The other big issue with this baby food maker is the price, coming in at a whopping $250, which we believe is ridiculous for a baby food maker, even if it uses glass and stainless steel instead of plastic! Maybe a price point around $150-175 would be more reasonable, given the price of the other front-runners in the baby food maker market. Overall, you're getting a very stylish and functional baby food maker with some clear advantages over most other models, but with the risk of glass breakage and a very steep price tag. Interested? You check out the Beaba Babycook Neo here.

7. Nutribullet Magic Bullet Baby Bullet Baby Care System.

the nutribullet

The Baby Bullet was one of the first baby food blenders specifically targeting new parents, including a baby food cookbook, baby food storage containers (fridge and freezer), and a feeding cup. It also boasts the cute smiley face on the front to make you think there's something really special about this blender. Over the years, the Magic Bullet transitioned to being called the NutriBullet, which provided some small improvements upon the original product. The Nutribullet baby food maker is undeniably adorable, with its baby blue or light pink plastics, the smiley faces adorning the front of the clear plastic bowls, and the cute short cup with handles and storage cups. We love when a baby food maker includes storage options, and these little cups are the perfect size and shape, and fit nicely into an included silicone holder for freezer storage. Out of the box, we think you'll love the NutriBullet!

It looks great and works wonderfully to blend steam-softened fruits and vegetables, using a reasonably powerful 200 watt motor and a sharp blade.

Getting through grittier foods such as broccoli, or foods that aren't as thoroughly steamed, the NutriBullet tends to underperform relative to its more powerful peers. Critically, the NutriBullet does NOT provide any steam capability. If you need to steam any fruits or veggies, that needs to be done separately before using this system. In our opinion, that's the most unfortunate limitation of this system. Add that limitation to major concerns about the quality and long-term reliability of the motor and rubber seals, and you've got a deal-breaker. In our testing, while we didn't have any issues in our short-term test, speaking with fellow parents who have used the NutriBullet for over 6-10 months reveals that it tends to have failing rubber seals that disintegrate and can even get into the food while being prepared. While our friends at Babylist and the Wirecutter consider it a top pick (though it's unclear if they tested it themselves), we suggest considering an all-in-one steamer and blender that doesn't have these reliability issues. Interested? You can check out the NutriBullet baby food maker here!

Buying Guide

Steaming and Processing in One

The original baby food makers were glorified food processors that changed their name and marketing and were manufactured with some cute colors to entice new parents. With these old systems, you had to cook fruits and vegetables separately in a steamer and then puree them in the processor. This method got the job done but was definitely time-consuming. More dirty dishes, more hands-on kitchen work, and more time away from your baby.

All the new systems we recommend are all-in-one steamers and processors, going way beyond what you will get with a classic blender or a modern mash maker or other baby food grinder. Put in the fruits and/or veggies, add some fresh water, and the system will steam it for you with the push of a button. Aren't around when the steamer finishes? No worries, just come back later to puree, which by the way is simply another push of the button. Two button presses later and you have a freshly steamed and smooth pureed masterpiece for your little munchkin. Some of the newer models even have a one-button feature, like the Baby Brezza: you press the Steam + Blend button, and 10 minutes later your food is ready!

Maybe a healthy veggie puree for dinner, maybe a fruity blend for dessert? You're the chef now, no more worrying about which Gerber options are on the shelf, or worrying about harmful additives! Need to save time and have high-quality pureed food without any hassle? Check out our list of the top organic baby purees.

Ease of Use

This is the factor that sets apart the good and bad baby food makers. The fewer steps the better, and the more logical the better. Some systems do this well and others get it wrong. If it takes a rocket scientist to help you figure it out and understand the owner's manual, it's a poorly designed product. All of our recommended systems are highly rated for ease of use.

Reliability

Just like with ordinary food processors and steamer systems, there are reports of smoking motors, melting plastics, quickly dulled blades, breaking clips, and other various defects. Some of the systems have more issues with this, whereas other systems are consistently reliable and carry great warranties that are reliably honored. All of our recommended systems have histories of high reliability and customer satisfaction. We want to be clear that every baby food maker that includes a steaming feature will develop scaling, discoloration, hard water stains, and even a slimy build-up if you do not do the following three things.

First, always use distilled water. It's easy to be lazy here, but you'll regret using tap water or bottled water after a couple of months when your system gets truly disgusting in the water reservoir and heating element.

Second, regularly clean the water reservoir with white vinegar and a sponge or baby bottle brush.

Third, after every 5-10 uses or so, fill the water reservoir with white vinegar and run the system through its entire cycle. That will help keep nasty sludge, mold, or mildew from building up in the reservoir and inside the unit on the heating element itself. Even the best baby food steamers, like the Beaba and Babymoov, will have terrible reviews on Amazon and other sites from parents who didn't follow the instructions to use distilled water and clean the unit on a regular basis.

Efficiency

If you're going to spend over $100 on a good baby food maker, you want one that will make smooth purees quickly and effectively. You don't want to run it, check whether your food is well blended, and keep trying. Weak and slow motors, dull blades, and poor blade design can all contribute to lower efficiency and more headaches. You want a fast steamer, powerful motor, and sharp blades. You also want a bowl large enough to fit enough food to make several servings. Avoid units with capacities under 3 cups because you'll find yourself spending a bit too much time washing, peeling, steaming, and smooth pureeing for single servings! All of our top recommended systems show high efficiency with both the steaming and processing stages.

Safety

The original baby food makers used plastic steaming baskets and bowls containing BPA and phthalates, which many scientists and doctors believe leached into foods. These chemicals have been linked with a variety of health and developmental issues. Newer systems from major baby food makers have removed these harmful chemicals, resulting in safer food for your little baby. Even better, some use heavy duty glass bowls, like the Baby Brezza baby food maker, and stainless steel rather than plastic parts. The safer your baby's gear, the safer your baby.

Storage and Portability

So, what do you do with all that great food you're steaming and pureeing? Definitely don't fill up those extra baby bottles, that will make a mess! Parents usually put the food into small freezer-safe containers (like these awesome ones by OXO) and take them out as needed. But there's also another way to do this that is gaining in popularity. Do you know those fun squeezable pouches of baby food? Like the popular ones by Plum Organics?

What if you could make those at home!? Well, the new Infantino Squeeze Station makes that possible. Simply steam and puree your food in one of our favorite food makers below, and then use the squeeze station to pour the puree into those awesome squeezable pouches. Not only is this an awesome and portable baby food maker option, but your toddler can take charge of the feeding and you're not stuck with a dirty spoon or dirty container in the end! Interested in this option, get more info by clicking the picture to the right.

Best Nursing Pillows 2024, Tested & Reviewed

Best Nursing Pillows 2024, Tested & Reviewed

Whether you choose breastfeeding or bottle feeding, you'll be nourishing your baby about...

Best Bottle Warmers of 2024, Tested & Reviewed

Best Bottle Warmers of 2024, Tested & Reviewed

Whether you're thawing frozen breast milk or warming prepared baby formula or baby food...

Best Organic Baby Formulas 2024: Expert Reviews

Best Organic Baby Formulas 2024: Expert Reviews

There are many high-quality, organic baby formulas to choose from, some of which are...

Best Baby Bottles of 2024, Tested & Reviewed

Best Baby Bottles of 2024, Tested & Reviewed

Whether you're breastfeeding or formula feeding, the baby bottle is one of the most...

🍪🍪 Nom Nom - Cookies! 🍪🍪

We value your privacy. This site uses cookies to track the pages you view, which helps us give you a better experience. By clicking "Accept All" you consent to our use of cookies.

Privacy Policy