Before you hit the shops and invest in a food processor, read our curated list of Australia’s best baby food makers to start your search.
Most mumma bears are pretty excited when their little one takes the big step of starting on solids. Then comes the realisation that food is a lot trickier and time-consuming than popping your bub on the boob or bottle. This is where a baby food maker comes in super handy.
A baby food maker is a clever, compact unit, eliminating the need to spend hours in the kitchen and taking the fuss out of food prep. Some steam, puree and chop, others work as blenders to create the perfect consistency for baby’s age and stage. But best of all, a food maker means you’ll always know exactly what your munchkin is munching on.
Things to look for when buying a processor for baby food
Function: Ask yourself what you want a baby food prep machine to do? Will you still be cooking food for the whole family and just want something that quickly and easily turns that into mush for your bub. Or do you want a stand-alone machine that can do everything – steam, mash, reheat, defrost, everything but wash up.
Ease of use: You want something that makes your life easier. If the instructions are gobbledegook, it comes with a box of unrecognisable parts and you need to be a NASA scientist to get it to work, perhaps it’s not the one for you.
Durability: Look for a quality build and a warranty always helps, just in case something goes wrong. Also consider whether you want to invest in a product just for the short term or whether you’d like it to have a life after baby moves on from mash.
Cleaning: When it comes to preparing your bub’s food, cooking is only half the job. Then there’s the cleanup. Lots of fiddly parts take extra washing time. And be sure to check if it’s dishwasher friendly.
Safety: Look for shatterproof material so you don’t run the risk of bits of the device ending up in your little one’s dinner. And look for plastics that are BPA, lead and phthalate-free.
9 baby food makers for busy mums
To help you find the most efficient food processors for your baby, we’ve compiled this list of fab brands available in Australia to get you started in your search.
Here are 9 of the best baby food makers in Australia:
The ultimate all in one baby food maker, the Beaba Babycook Neo steam cooks, blends, reheats and defrosts, all in 15 minutes or less. With a unique pulse-blend feature that adjusts from a fine to a chunky puree, you can be sure what you cook up for your goldilocks will be just right.
Optional extras: Grab a Babycook recipe booklet for ideas
2. Tommee Tippee
Tommee Tippee Quick Cook ($164.95)
Steam fruit, vegetable, meat and fish then blend for nutritious homemade baby food at the push of a button. Use the automatic timer to set steam and blend times for ‘Michelin starred’ mush meets five-star convenience.
Functions: Steams, blends
What’s included: Jug, steamer basket, spatula stored in the handle
Optional extras: Pair it with a Tommee Tippee magic mat for mess-free meals
You can’t get much easier than this one jar wonder. Steam circulates upwards from the bottom, making sure all the ingredients are evenly cooked without boiling. When it’s done, simply flip the jar over and blend.
Functions: Steams, blends, defrosts and reheats
What’s included: Jug, spatula, storage pot and recipe booklet
Optional extras: Store leftovers in the Avent Fresh food storage pots
A complete mealtime solution, the NutriBullet baby food maker blends, purees and chops food to the right consistency for baby’s stage of eating. It comes with adorable cups and a freezer tray for simple storage of homemade baby food, and in the name of less mess and stress, every component is dishwasher-safe.
Cut your prep time in half with the Chicco 4-1 Easy Meal Steamer blender. Use the built-in mini mandolin to slice veg straight into the cooking basket, then simply steam, blend and the job’s done.
Functions: Slices, steams and blends
What’s included: Steamer, cooking basket, cut express file, recipe book
Packed with features, the Cherub Baby Automatic Puree Machine is a 4-in-1 baby food maker. Not only does it heat, steam and blend all your bub’s solids, it can also warm up milk pouches and even sterilise your bottles and accessories. Clever.
Functions: Steams, cooks, blends, warms and sterilises
What’s included:Steamer blender motor unit, blending jug, blade set, PP Rack, PP Spatula
Optional extras: Pair it with On the Go Food Pouches and Food Pouch Spoons
For those times when you don’t need to start from scratch, this handy gadget is a great way to make mash from pre-cooked fruit and veg. With no batteries or electricity needed, it’s a simple, low-cost solution that you can take anywhere. It even separates seeds and skins from purée.
Functions: Purees
What’s included: Hand mill, built-in serving bowl
Optional extras: N/A
8. OXO TOT
Oxo Tot Baby Food Mill with Silicone Feeding Spoon ($49.99)
With a contoured body, non-slip grip and non-skid base, feel confident knowing the food won’t fly everywhere (at least until after you’ve served it to bub). You can also easily add liquid to control puree thickness, and the trough in the base catches any mess.
If you’re happy to pre-cook your poppet’s food, most baby food processor’s can take care of the mashing part for you, but they can be big and bulky. The Kitchenaid Mini Food Processor is just the ticket – it doesn’t take up much space and you can easily chop, mix, and puree coarse or fine food at the press of a button. And you can use it long after your baby’s moved on from mush.
Functions: Chops, mixes and purees
What’s included: Bowl, lid with drizzle basin
Optional extras: N/A
What is a food maker?
The best baby food maker is a benchtop appliance that makes preparing baby’s first meals easy, quick and enjoyable. Some makers puree food to the perfect consistency, others take care of everything from defrosting to steaming and even chopping.
Do you need a special appliance to make baby food?
If you’d prefer to use your existing steamer or food processor to make baby’s meals, go for it. Many parents who choose to use a prep machine do so for the convenience it brings to food preparation.
Is it cheaper to buy baby food or make it yourself?
Without any doubt, it is more cost-effective to make your own baby food using fresh ingredients than to purchase ready-made baby meals at the supermarket or even home-delivered. Plus, by making baby’s first foods yourself, you have the peace of mind of knowing exactly what goes into every spoonful.
This list is lovingly curated by our Editors and we may (or may not!) receive a payment if you purchase from links on this page. See our Disclosure Policy.
Know a product we should add to our list? Contact us and let us know.
When little ones reach a new milestone in their feeding journey, it’s an exciting time for everyone. Whether they’re just starting solids or packing school lunches, here are a few handy articles to help along the way:
