6 Best Baby Food Processors of 2020

Making your own baby food can be a fantastic way to make raising your child a little more affordable at home. Not to mention that you’ll be able to control the ingredients and types of food your child eats a lot more closely if you make it yourself.

Of course, you could make baby food by hand. Cooking and steaming food until it’s ready to be mashed into a fine pulp. But that’s a labor-intensive process and takes a lot longer than using a modern appliance to mash the food up for you.

There are lots of options for baby food processors out there, ranging from very specific and minimal functions to advanced systems that can take raw food and produce ready-to-eat baby food all in the same appliance.

You want the best for your baby. We know you do. So it’s important to know that the tools you use to make their food are safe, effective, and efficient. It’s not just giving them the best possible food. It’s also about making sure you have as much time as possible after you’ve finished making that food.

In this article, we’ll discuss several different styles of food processors that all work well for making baby food on the go. Whether you’re in a rush or want to make food in advance, we’ve found products that will work for you. And we’ll discuss the pros and cons of each machine, so you can buy with confidence.

Bargain
Cuisinart DLC-2ABC Mini Prep Plus Food Processor
4.5/5.0
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Best Value
KitchenAid 5-Speed Hand Blender
4.7/5.0
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Top Pick
Homia Baby Food Maker Chopper Grinder
4.9/5.0
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Quick Comparison

Before we get into the details, let’s take a look at the different food processors we’ve picked. If you’ve already done your research, this table will help you quickly select between some of the best appliances available. If you’d like a little more information on each machine, read on.

Types of Baby Food Processor:

Before we start talking about the best baby food processors, we need to talk about the different options you have for a food processor that creates baby food.

Food Processor or Blender?

Many people assume that they will easily be able to make high-quality baby food in the regular blender they already have. The truth is that, while technically possible, making baby food with a blender is a much more time consuming and frustrating process.

That’s because blenders aren’t really designed for mostly solid foods. A typical blender has relatively short blades that don’t fill the whole space. The blender pitcher may also be squared off, making it a poor design for more solid foods.

They’re great for mixing liquids and producing something with more of a smoothie consistency. But blenders will struggle to take cooked meats and vegetables and reduce them to the smoothness you need for baby food.

Water Food Down?

You can address the issue by adding broth or water to the food, giving it a more liquid texture and helping the blender work better. But, that also means that you’ll have a more liquid end-product.

That means that the food is a less-effective transition between an infant’s liquid diet and a small child’s solid food. Depending on what you use to thin out the food, you may also be feeding a less-nutrient dense food, since the water offers hydration but no nutrition.

Time:

You’ll also need more time to make baby food with a blender than most food processors. That’s because you’ll need to use a spoon or spatula to move chunks of food caught outside the reach of the blades back into circulation. Since you’ll have to stop the blender every time you do this, it adds a lot of time.

Heat Resistance:

The last reason to avoid blenders is that only some blenders can hold hot foods. You’ll need to cook most things ahead to turn it into baby food. But if your blender isn’t designed for heat resistance, you’ll also need to wait for that food to cool before you can break it down into baby food.

Of course, if you have to wait for food to cool, you’ll then have to warm it back up unless you want to feed cold food.

Regular Food Processors

Regular food processors are easy to get, usually affordable, and come in a wide variety of sizes. There’s no real reason you can’t use a regular food processor to make baby food. Almost all of them will be able to cut and grind food to the right consistency, assuming you’ve cooked the food ahead of time.

Food processors are designed for foods of many consistencies. They can handle hot foods and cold foods, and many have a range of different settings that give you control over the final texture of the food.

Is your little one getting ready to transition to more solid foods? Feel free to create a slightly chunkier baby food to help smooth the transition.

Food processors can also be used long after your child is too old for baby food. They’re a permanent addition to your kitchen gear and can be helpful in all kinds of food prep.

However, preparing food in a food processor does take a little longer than dedicated baby food makers since you’ll have to cook the food in advance.

Immersion Blenders:

Another option for many parents are immersion blenders. These tools combine some of the strengths and weaknesses of both blenders and food processors. Depending on the model, you may be able to get an immersion blender that also doubles as a normal food processor with some additional accessories.

Immersion blenders, like blenders in general, work best for wet foods with high liquid content. They’re great for blending soups into a fine puree. But they can also be used to break down slightly more solid foods with a little experience.

They’re also about the easiest to clean since you’ll just need to run them under the sink with soap and water to clean off the housing and blades.

The last big advantage of an immersion blender is that they’re very portable. Small enough to be tucked into a backpack or suitcase, these tools weigh less and take up much less space than almost any other baby food processing alternative.

However, if you’re looking to feed your child a more solid baby food, like baby food made from a roast, an immersion blender won’t be very helpful. While they’re incredibly useful for the types of food they can handle, the immersion blender is probably the most limited option when it comes to food type and texture.

Specialty Baby Food Processors:

Most of the options on our list are specialty baby food processors. Generally, that means that they are a food processor with an added steam cooking function. Some are also self-sanitizing or can be used to defrost frozen foods, making it simpler to cook ahead.

However, specialty baby food processors aren’t usually as versatile after your baby has started to grow up. They aren’t designed to cut food into a variety of textures, beyond the variety you find in jars of baby food.

Many also have a smaller food processing chamber than regular kitchen food processors. That makes sense since your baby needs a lot less food than you do, but it makes them an even more limited appliance.

However, since they are a one-stop-shop for cooking and food processing, these specialty appliances can be a great choice for parents who don’t have a lot of spare time, or who are planning on preparing a lot of baby food all at once.

Steam cooking your baby’s food is also one of the best ways to ensure all the vital minerals and nutrients your child needs make it into the final product. Steaming is a gentler form of cooking.

It also lets you avoid added fats, which can help your baby develop a taste for fresher, healthier, and less processed foods from day one.

So, these appliances have the advantage of probably being the most complete option for creating great baby food, but also have the least utility after your little ones have started to grow up.

The Best Baby Food Processors:

Now that we’ve discussed your different options, let’s look at the different food processors that perform best when it comes to making great baby food. We’ve included three different types of food processors in this list, as well as one blender that avoids a lot of the bigger downsides of a blender.

Let’s get started!

1. Homia Baby Food Maker Chopper Grinder – Best Overall

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Editor’s Rating: 4.9

Let’s kick this off with one of the more advanced options available for parents who need an all-in-one solution. The Homia Baby Food Maker is a 7 in 1 appliance. It’s designed to allow you to quickly cook, puree, and store all of the major food groups as baby food.

The menu on the top of the device is easy to use and intuitive. There’s also a handy timing guide on the side of the food maker to help you determine how long different kinds of food need to be steamed. The goal is to fully cook the food, without breaking down the valuable nutrients inside.

The included stirring cup is fully dishwasher safe. That will help you save time as you prepare your baby food since you won’t need to handwash the components. Plus, with a disinfect function included in the appliance, you’ll always know that your baby’s food was prepared in the cleanest possible containers.

Overheating protection is another key feature for keeping the most important nutrients intact and in your baby’s bowl.

The appliance will shut off if it starts to overheat your food. That way, if something needs your attention in the middle of preparing baby food you’ll be able to come back to the process without ruining expensive ingredients.

We’d recommend this to parents who need an all in one solution, and who don’t mind buying an appliance specific to the early phase of life. A good solution for parents who want or are expecting more children, or who need to prepare a lot of baby food.

2. BEABA Babycook Original 4 in 1 Steam Cooker and Blender

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Editor’s Rating: 4.6

This baby food cooker is similar in many ways to the Homia Baby Food Maker. But it’s smaller profile and more compact design make it a better choice for families with a small kitchen.

While we don’t consider this a travel-friendly option, it is small enough to reasonably take with you for long vacations and extended trips. It’ll just need some special packing and handling to stay safe.

Like the Homia option, the Beaba Babycook original is a specialty item. It’s designed to chop food into a uniform puree, and can quickly steam medium portions of food before chopping. If you’re looking to save some time on baby food cooking and prep, or need to multitask while you make it, this is a good option.

Its food processor cup is slightly under 4 cups in capacity. That’s enough to make between 6-12 servings for most babies and toddlers transitioning between food types.

That means that this food processor is a good fit for parents who want to make a week’s food at once, or who want to prepare even more in advance and freeze individual servings of baby food.

It’s also an incredibly simple design. Flip the switch one direction to turn on the steam function. Flip it the other to chop the food. Turn it off by leaving the switch in the middle. That means that this baby food processor gives you a little more control over cooking times and food texture than models with pre-determined cooking and chop times.

However, this model doesn’t have the self-clean or disinfect functions that some alternatives offer. It’s also a slightly more expensive option than similar appliances with more features. We think that it’s a good choice, despite those flaws, because of its ease of use and good capacity.

However, this food processer will likely only be a good fit for parents who appreciate simplicity in their tools.

3. KitchenAid 5-Speed Hand Blender – Best Value

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Editor’s Rating: 4.7

This alternative is a little different from most of the food processors on this list. As an immersion blender, it’s a little more limited to more liquid, or at least gravy-based, foods.

However, since it comes with a traditional food processor cup and some additional accessories that extend its use, this immersion blender has fewer of the limitations we talked about earlier.

This is a good option for parents who want to make their own baby food, but also want to get other uses out of their appliances as well. It’s also a good choice for foodie families since an immersion blender makes creating smooth soups and other delicate foods significantly easier.

Plus, it’s perfect for creating smoothies and other drinks that can be enjoyed by you and your little one.

The 5-speed design also gives you a lot of control over the final texture of your baby food. KitchenAid also has a good reputation for creating long-lasting appliances, so you’ll likely be able to use this immersion blender for many years.

This tool gets our best value because it offers a lot of utility for years, well after your little one has grown up. It’s priced similar to most baby food makers, but you’ll find yourself reaching for your immersion blender for a lot more than baby food.

This package also includes a lot of things that can turn your immersion blender into a more typical food processor, eliminating a lot of the weaknesses that are specific to blenders and immersion blenders.

4. Babymoov Duo Meal Station Food Maker

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Editor’s Rating: 4.6

This is a premium option, but one that’s worth the price. Not only does this dual-station design let you make more baby food at once, but it can also double as a bottle sterilizer and warmer while your little one still wants a bottle.

This is probably the most advanced baby food maker on our list. IT’s multiple steaming chambers let you cook a larger quantity of food at once. You can choose between cooking all the same meal or using the different chambers to cook a variety.

It also works to defrost and warm food, so you won’t have any more fights over food temperature. Best of all, the design prevents food from being heated unevenly.

That means your food will be evenly cooked when you first prepare it and avoids the hot spots and other problems that can come with microwaving baby foods.

The LCD display also makes it easy to keep track of what this food maker is doing, and how long it should take before it’s done.

Like the Homia baby food maker, this offering from Babymoov can also self-disinfect, adding peace of mind to the food-making process.

5. Cuisinart DLC-2ABC Mini Prep Plus Food Processor – Best Bargain

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Editor’s Rating: 4.5

This food processor is the most standard food processing option on this list. This is the kind of food processor you would expect to find in just about any well-equipped kitchen. It doesn’t double as a steamer, it doesn’t clean itself, and it isn’t baby food-specific.

But, that doesn’t mean that this food processor isn’t a fantastic option for homemade baby foods. Simply cook the food ahead (or take a portion from the food you’re eating) and blend it into a fine puree for the little one.

Cleaning this food processor is relatively simple, as is using it. It doesn’t have a ton of settings, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a wide variety of textures out of the processor.

Good for wet and dry foods, hot and cold foods, you also don’t have to worry about reactive plastic or any other problems using this machine.

Like the immersion blender we discussed earlier, this is one appliance you’ll be able to use long after you don’t have to make baby food any longer.

This appliance gets our best bargain rating as a highly affordable and long-lasting appliance. It’s not as advanced a tool as some of the alternatives, but it can also do more than a specialty appliance.

6. Magic Bullet Blender:

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Editor’s Rating: 4.4

This last option is a good choice for parents who want a lot of convenience, don’t mind buying baby food jars and storage separately, and don’t mind adding a little broth or water to help break down meats and other dry, solid, foods.

However, it’s also quite possibly the fastest food processing option on our list. That’s because this tool is designed to take food and break it down into a juice or a smoothie incredibly quickly.

While there is a baby bullet from the same company, the basic design of the blender is the same, so you don’t need to pay a premium for the baby branded version. Other accessories, like dated baby food storage jars, and a matching tray, are available separately.

Like the immersion blender and the regular food processor, this specialty blender also offers utility well beyond making baby food. You’ll be able to make healthy smoothies and green juices for years. That will boost your health, and your child’s, so you can do more together.