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Best baby food makers and blenders for weaning your little one

If you’re weaning your baby, a blender for baby food is a kitchen essential. Knock up purées and dips in a flash with Mumsnet's pick of the best baby food makers to buy in 2023.

By Poppy O'Neill | Last updated Feb 8, 2024

Selection of the best baby food makers

You might well have a blender at home already, but if you want to be able to make small portions, a dedicated baby blender is what you need. The best baby food maker will help you whip up a purée in no time, without making a mess (leave that to the babies!).

Weaning can be a challenging time, and with so many products on the market aimed at making weaning easier, we've done the legwork of vetting and selecting the products Mumsnet users swear by. From the best highchairs to the best sippy cups to encourage them to drink independently, we've got you covered.

We scoured the Mumsnet forums for recommendations from real parents who’ve been through the weaning years and came out unscathed, making notes of their honest recommendations as well as products that they felt didn’t quite make the grade. Every parenting guide we write - covering everything from the best sterilisers for bottles to the top nappies and nappy rash cream - starts with research on the Mumsnet forums, as we know how useful an independent review can be.

We also researched the best baby food blenders currently on the market to assess which had received awards and accolades from expert review sites and which performed best in customer reviews. We then cross-referenced all this information to bring you a selection of the best baby food blenders and baby food makers in various styles and at multiple price points.

Best baby food blenders at a glance

  • Best overall: Philips Avent 2-in-1 Health Baby Food Maker | Buy now

  • Best budget: Tommee Tippee Mini Blend Baby Food Blender | Buy now

  • Best for versatility: Ninja Professional Chopper | Buy now

  • Best hand blender: Braun MultiQuick 7 Hand Blender | Buy now

  • Best all-in-one: Tommee Tippee Baby Food Steam Blender | Buy now

  • Best for portability: Itsy Blitz Portable Baby Food Blender | Buy now

  • Best for blending and steaming: Beaba Babycook Neo 4-in-1 Steam Cooker and Blender | Buy now

  • Best for easy operation: Baby Brezza One Step | Buy now

  • Best for small kitchens: NutriBullet Baby Food Maker with Date Markers | Buy now

Here are the best baby food makers and blenders for 2024. Happy puréeing!

1. Best overall baby food maker: Philips Avent 2-in-1 Health Baby Food Maker

Phillips Avent 2 in 1 Baby Blender

Price on writing: £115 | Buy now from Amazon

Key specs

Functions: Steams and blends | Dimensions: 16.5 x 16.5 x 30.8cm | Capacity: Not specified

What we love

  • Blends and steams in one jar

  • Reheats and defrosts

  • Pulse feature

  • Easy to clean

What to know

  • Small container capacity

  • A little fiddly in use

What Mumsnet users say

“I can highly recommend the Philips Avent steamer blender – perfect for smooth purées initially and lumpier stuff later. It’s lasted me for four babies.” (Tried and tested by Mumsnet user Enigmasaurus)

Our verdict

Our top pick of the baby food maker bunch is the Philips Avent 2-in-1 Baby Blender. This dual-purpose gadget is the best baby food maker and steamer we’ve found, and it’s a hit with reviewers and Mumsnetters alike. The design is really clever: pop your fruit, veg, fish or meat into the jar. The steam function allows you to cook raw ingredients without having to use oils or other ingredients that may not be suitable for your baby’s delicate tum. Then, once cooked, flip the jar over and watch as the Healthy Baby Food Maker blitzes everything to a purée of your chosen texture.

The pulse button means you can control how smooth the purée is, so you can start out with really smooth vegetable purées, mixed with a little of your baby's usual milk for first tastes, and then move on to chunkier textures as they gets older. It can also be used for defrosting and reheating foods. Because the machine cooks and blends in one jar, it saves on cleaning up, and the jar itself is really easy to wash up after use too. Some reviews say there’s a bit of discolouration to the white and transparent jar after lots of use, but orange purées tend to leave stains no matter the device.

Our only other criticism is that it's a little fiddly and some parents have felt like they were close to snappy the jar lid trying to secure it onto the blender.

But while this blender is not as robust as some, it's compact enough for small kitchens and especially handy if you’re going to leave it out on the counter and use it for every meal. It comes with a recipe book and a spatula and, because it’s Philips, some spare parts are available as well.

Related: Stock up on baby essentials with our guides to the best baby bath and the top changing mats, as recommended by parents

2. Best budget baby food blender: Tommee Tippee Mini Blend Baby Food Blender

Tommee Tippee Mini Blend Baby Food Blender

Price on writing: £20 | Buy now from Amazon

Key specs

Functions: Blends | Dimensions: 15 x 20.5 x 16cm | Capacity: 250ml

What we love

  • Compact for easy storage

  • Good for producing small amounts of baby food

  • Non-slip feet keep it steady

What to know

  • Not ideal for batch cooking

  • Most ingredients will need to be cooked first

What Mumsnet users say

“I have a small Tommee Tippee food processor. It was handy for blending or quickly chopping up whatever we were having. I use it now for making breadcrumbs and apple sauce.” (Rated by Mumsnet user pancaketits)

Our verdict

A trusted name in the baby food equipment market, you always know you’re getting good quality with Tommee Tippee, and it’s good to see that top baby food blenders can also offer great value for money.  The neat Mini Blend retails at just £20 so you really can’t go wrong, even if you only use it for the early days of weaning, though there are plenty of handy uses for a mini blender in the kitchen too.

Like the Philips Avent 2-in-1 Health Baby Food Maker, this isn’t good for batch cooking, but it does allow you to whip up a single meal with no difficulty at all, which can be difficult with a full-size blender.

And if you don’t have lots of freezer space, or just want to give your baby lots of different meals, rather than digging out the same frozen purées day after day, a tiny baby blender like this is really useful. It has two speed settings and a pulse action, so you can blend homemade baby purées in minutes, and whether you want smooth purées or chunkier consistencies, you’re always in complete control.

It’s suitable for blending a variety of fruit and vegetables, as well as cooked meat and fish. Easy to clean, the bowl, lid and blade are also dishwasher-safe. The blender is ideal as a space-saver as it’s so compact. Obviously, it’s just a blender, so you’ll need to cook most of your ingredients first, but if you don’t salt your own food, you can always just take a little of your cooked veg and meat or fish and blend for your baby.

Related: Breastfeeding alongside weaning? The best nipple cream can help to soothe cracked, chapped skin

3. Best versatile baby food blender: Ninja Professional Chopper

Ninja Chopper Blender

Price on writing: £30 | Buy now from Ninja Kitchen

Key specs

Functions: Chops, minces and purees | Dimensions: 14 x 14 x 25cm | Capacity: Two 500ml cups included

What we love

  • Great value gadget

  • Compact and portable

  • Useful even once you’re through weaning

What to know

  • Due to its size, it can’t produce huge volumes of purées at once

What Mumsnet users say

“We’ve got this one. It’s pretty good and very easy to clean.” (Recommended by Mumsnet user Talipesmum)

Our verdict

While it’s not aimed at the baby food market, the Ninja Professional Chopper is ideal for blending up baby purées in an instant and it might well become a nifty piece of kitchen equipment you’ll continue to use after the baby weaning days. The best baby food blenders don’t take up too much space and this one will fit neatly into any cupboard or on your kitchen work surface. And because it’s so small, it’s no bother to take on holiday or out to a family member or friend's house for lunch.

The tight-seal splashguard also doubles as a lid, so you can whip up a purée for your baby and then seal it and stick it in the fridge until it’s needed. It’s really easy to clean - though mind the blades because they’re very sharp. And it’s dishwasher safe too, making it a really practical choice.

The Ninja Professional Chopper gets a lot of love from gadget-savvy Mumsnetters who say that it’s a useful addition to your kitchen, whether you’re introducing your baby to new tastes or want a gadget that can blitz up quick smoothies or breadcrumb mixtures. At just under £30, it’s also one of the cheapest food blenders for babies we’ve seen, and we like the fact that it works just as well for grown-up ingredients too.

Read next: The best baby wipes, as tried and tested by parents

4. Best hand blender: Braun MultiQuick 7 Hand Blender

Braun Multiquick Blender

Price on writing: £109 | Buy now from Amazon

Key specs

Functions: Chops, blends and whisks | Dimensions: 26 x 21 x 39cm | Capacity: 1.25L

What we love

  • Will last beyond the baby food years

  • Comes with lots of different attachments

What to know

  • It’s handheld so you have to do more of the work yourself

  • Quite pricey as just a blender for baby food, so you’d need to use it for general cooking too

What Mumsnet users say

“Get a good stick blender, it will still be useful after three months. I’ve got one that has a blender attachment and a potato masher attachment.” (Recommended by Mumsnet user Eeeeek2)

Our verdict

While a purpose-built baby food maker has its advantages, some wise Mumsnetters advise new parents to invest in a piece of kitchen kit that will outlast the baby years instead. A traditional stick blender is a clever choice because you can carry on using it once your best weaning books have become redundant. We’ve chosen the Braun MultiQuick as the best hand blender for puréeing baby food thanks to its two powerful chopper/blender attachments which make light work of fruit, vegetables, and cooked meat and fish.

Because the MultiQuick is designed to cut through woody ingredients for smoothies, it’s great at making perfectly smooth purées for babies just starting out on their weaning journey. You can determine the consistency of your baby’s purées by switching the variable speed control and can use the pulse to blend with total control. It also comes with a stainless steel whisk attachment and 600ml BPA-free plastic beaker.

Related: Looking for ways to make feeds easier? We've got the lowdown on the best breast pumps and nursing chairs

5. Best all-in-one baby food maker: Tommee Tippee Baby Food Steam Blender

Tommee Tippee Baby Food Steam Blender

Price on writing: £68 | Buy now from Amazon

Key specs

Functions: Steamer and blender | Dimensions: 14D x 32.6W x 31.2H centimetres | Capacity: 200g

What we love

  • Hassle-free because you can just set it and leave

  • Easy to clean

  • Cooks and blends in one

What to know

  • You may need to open mid-blend to prevent food from getting stuck

What Mumsnet users say

"[I] have the Tommee Tippee one and it's so handy! We love it." (Recommended by Mumsnetter PandaMa)

Our verdict

This steamer and blender by baby food gurus Tommee Tippee does the whole job in one go. Just pop your ingredients in the jug or steamer basket to cook them gently, while retaining all the foods’ nutrients. Then use the smart switch to move over to blend mode.

The Tommee Tippee Baby Food Steam Blender blends easily to a range of textures, making it ideal for every weaning stage. It’s also really easy to use. There’s an automatic timer so you can just set it to steam, blend or blend and steam, leaving you free to get on with other stuff – because let’s face it, when you have a baby, there are always other jobs to do.

As there’s no transfer between steaming and blending, your purées will retain the nutritious water they were steamed in. Reviewers report that this baby food steamer and blender is no fuss to clean and you’ll also get two snazzy purée containers for easy storage, although we'd recommend investing in the best baby plates and bowls for serving to make mealtimes easier.

We think the Philips Avent 2-in-1 Baby Blender just pips this version to the post in terms of features and quality, but if you like the idea of an all-in-one machine but can’t quite stretch to the Philips model, this is a great machine for a little bit less.

6. Best portable baby food blender: Itsy Blitz Portable Baby Food Blender

Itsy Blitz Blender

Price on writing: £40 | Buy now from Amazon

Key specs

Functions: Blends | Dimensions: 26 x 19 x 13cm | Capacity: 190ml

What we love

  • Portable

  • Budget-friendly

  • Comes with a neoprene case and detachable bowl and spoon

What to know

  • Battery needs to be regularly charged up

  • Too lightweight for everyday use

Our verdict

Another dinky gadget, the Itsy Blitz gets impressive scores from independent review sites. It’s the opposite of the Ninja Professional Chopper in that it’s specifically aimed at parents weaning babies and makes a great portable baby food blender because of its compact size. So if your baby spends regular days at the grandparents’ or you’re out visiting a lot, this is a good buy.

The Itsy Bitz is battery powered and can be recharged using a USB cable, so you’ll never be far from a home-cooked meal for your little one. And as long as you’re cooking food for you that’s suitable for your baby, you can just put aside a little of yours to blitz.

All you have to do is chop up the food into small cubes, add a small amount of water or breast milk/formula from your baby bottle and place it inside the plastic lid of the Itsy Blitz. Once the purée is the right consistency, you can serve it to your little gourmet straightaway – the lid even doubles up as a baby bowl.

The Itsy Blitz comes with a travel pouch and plug adapters for charging, making it a useful piece of holiday kit or for packing into your changing bag on a day out. Itsy Bitz also sells lots of compatible accessories such as freezer trays.

If you’re planning to be on the go a lot, this is definitely the choice for you. However, we would say that if you want a blender for everyday use at home, you might be better with something a bit more heavy-duty, designed to just sit on the work surface, ready to go. The Tommee Tippee Mini Blend Baby Food Blender is similar option more suitable for home use.

Related: The best nappy bin for keeping changes clean and hygienic

7. Best baby food blender and steamer: Beaba Babycook Neo 4-in-1 Steam Cooker and Blender

Beaba Babycook Blender

Price on writing: £139 | Buy now from Amazon

Key specs

Functions: Steams and blends | Dimensions: 22 x 26 x 21cm | Capacity: 600g

What we love

  • Stylish design

  • Produces large volumes of baby purée in one go

What to know

  • Takes longer than some rival alternatives to cook food

  • Doesn’t cook small amounts of food quite as efficiently as larger ones

  • Can't be washed in the dishwasher

What Mumsnet users say

“I used a Beaba Babycook. It was great - it steams then blends food. It was good for preparing blended baby food before they are ready for more substantial food." (Tried and tested by Mumsnet user namestar)

Our verdict

Mumsnetters speak highly of this all-in-one baby food steamer and blender. The Beaba Babycook 4-in-1 is great for batch cooking because its large capacity cooker can make around one litre of baby food purée in one go – that’s an awful lot of baby mush!

Like the Philips Avent 2-in-1 Health Baby Food Maker, it steams, purées, defrosts and reheats, all in about 15 minutes. The main difference between this and the other all-in-ones we recommend is that it has a bigger jug so you can cook more than one or two meals at once (600g of food at a time) and freeze the purées.

The Beaba Neo is one of the most expensive baby food makers and blenders we looked at, but it really does look beautiful and we think its design and quality materials make it worth it if it's within your budget. Constructed from sleek stainless steel and with a glass bowl, this stylish baby food maker will look lovely on your kitchen worktop. It’s available in several cool colours as well as simple white and black.

8. Best baby food maker for easy operation: Baby Brezza One Step

baby brezza one step baby food maker

Price on writing: £155 | Buy now from Amazon

Key specs

Functions: Steams, blends, processes | Dimensions: ‎28.8 x 25.4 x 22.3cm | Capacity: 800g

What we love

  • Does all the work for you

  • 800g capacity

  • Clear LCD controls

What to know

  • Expensive

Our verdict

Baby Brezza is loved by Mumsnet users for their reliable and easy-to-use formula maker, and their One Step 3 in 1 Baby Food Maker doesn't disappoint. Simply add your veggies to the nifty little machine, and it steams then automatically blends to a smooth purée.

The set comes with three handy reusable pouches and a weaning guidebook. The bowl and blade are dishwasher safe, so it's easy to keep clean - plus you can select steam only or blend only if you don't need the full works. It is pricey but the capacity is impressive, you can make up to three-and-a-half cups of baby food, ready to freeze in the included pouches.

Related: Starting to think about toilet training? Discover the best potty and potty training pants

9. Best for small kitchens: NutriBullet Baby Food Maker with Date Markers

Nutribullet baby food maker

Price on writing: £70 | Buy now from Amazon

Key specs

Functions: Blends | Dimensions: 22.2 x 14.8 x 36.9cm | Capacity: 340ml

What we love

What to know

  • No steaming function - only blends

  • Pricey

Our verdict

Chances are, you've probably heard of NutriBullet, and may even have your own blender of theirs sitting in your cupboard. The brand has now moved into the baby food market with the NutriBullet Baby Food Maker. We love the design; the compact pastel blender would look great on kitchen countertops and the six included BPA-free cups have a cute smiley face print which will delight little ones. They also have a dial you can adjust to mark the date, so you can store the cups in your fridge and freezer and keep track of when you made it.

There's no steaming function, however, which is a little disappointing considering the price tag, but the blending function is powerful and works well. The batch bowl and cups are also dishwasher safe, making clean up fuss-free and easy for busy parents.

Is a baby food maker necessary or can I use a regular blender to make baby food?

Some parents will happily steam fruit and vegetables and mash them up with a baby fork – and to be fair, in the early days of weaning when your baby has very limited tastes, this is a perfectly sensible idea.

But when it comes to making more complex purées, as your baby’s weaning journey progresses, a baby food maker, steamer or blender can make mealtimes much easier. Leaving the hard work for a nifty gadget also frees you up for other baby-related tasks, such as settling your baby into their highchair ready to enjoy their meal.

Plus, if you want to make small quantities of baby food for your baby (which happens a lot in the early days of weaning when they're trying out new flavours), you’ll find an ordinary-sized blender won’t puree it consistently, which is where a dedicated baby food blender comes in handy.

What to look for when buying a baby food blender

It’s important to know exactly what you’re looking for when you start your search for the ideal baby food maker. Here are a few things to consider before you buy:

  • What does it do? Some baby food makers simply blend food. Others steam and blend it too. All-in-one steamers and blenders are really useful but they are more expensive, so that might be a factor for you. Obviously some things, like fruit, don’t need cooking first anyway, but if you want to do puréed sweet potato or chicken, you’ll need to cook it before blending. Steaming is also a really good way to keep in as many nutrients as possible, so that’s something to consider too.

  • Do you want to cook in bulk or not? It’s worth remembering that lots of baby blenders and baby food makers don’t allow for cooking in bulk quantities, so if you know you want to fill your freezer with carrot and cauliflower purée to feed an army, look for something with a large capacity or consider a stick blender. But if you like the idea of smaller quantities and being able to cook fresh food every day, you’ll easily find something to suit your needs.

  • Space: Most baby food makers are fairly compact so are ideal if you need to save space in your kitchen or want to take your baby food maker with you on days out or holidays. The more substantial models will take up more space on your kitchen worktop, but are also capable of producing large volumes of baby purées, making them ideal for batch cooking. It’s swings and roundabouts but do just measure up before you buy.

  • Portability: There are travel baby food makers on the market, such as the Itsy Blitz Portable Baby Food Blender we’ve reviewed above. If you know you’re out and about a lot, it’s worth looking at these.

  • Power: Check the model you’re looking at will plug in where you need it. Some use batteries, others use USB, while most just plug into the mains.

What to look for in a baby food maker

The baby food makers and blenders we recommend come with all manner of gadgets and extras. Generally, the more you pay, the more you'll get, but here are a few features to look out for that you might find useful.

  • Incorporated steamer: All-in-one models are really useful but you do pay more for a blender that steams too.

  • Speed settings: If the blender has more than one setting, it will make it easier to power through tougher foods and get a smoother blend.

  • Pulse button: This gives you a bit more control and is handy for when you start making your baby’s purees a little chunkier.

  • Hygiene and ease of cleaning: Look for models that don’t have narrow openings so you can really get the cleaning brush inside. Those that are dishwasher-safe will be a big boon if you’re using your baby blender every day. Some even have an auto-clean mode, which can make life a lot easier.

  • Size and shape: Be sure the cup or jug is big enough for your needs but look for compact models that squeeze into a corner of the cupboard easily or at least don’t take up too much kitchen worktop space.

  • Safety features: Bottom-heavy designs and non-slip feet are less likely to be knocked over.

  • Additional functions: Some models reheat or defrost already puréed baby food - useful if you don’t have a microwave.

  • Extras: Look for things like free recipe books, spoons, bowls and the like.

Related: The best bottle warmer, as recommended by parents

How do I make homemade baby food?

Many parents feel daunted by the task of starting to wean their baby but it’s a lot simpler than cooking for grown-ups. There are a few basic rules, such as not including sugar or salt in your baby’s diet, and introducing new foods one at a time so you can watch out for any allergic reactions. The NHS website has good advice on this.

Other than that, start with simple foods like sweet potato. Cut it into cubes or fingers and steam it, then either let your baby have it as finger food or blitz to a purée with a little water or some of your baby’s usual milk to spoon-feed it to them. You can start off with a fair bit of liquid to make the purée quite thin and then make them thicker as your baby gets used to it.

Once they've got the hang of that, try two and then three vegetables mixed to a purée. Then you can move on to including meat and fish (watch out for bones). Chicken is a good one to start with as it shreds easily while leaving a bit of bite. Don’t forget that you can add in fresh herbs for flavour and texture too.

What's the best way to store homemade baby food?

You can store baby food in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 48 hours. If you want to freeze it, either freeze in individual containers so you can take one out to defrost and reheat for each meal, or freeze purées in ice cube trays and then pop them out and put a couple into different freezer bags.

You could even mix and match different purées this way, with one carrot and one apple purée block that you defrost and reheat together.

What’s the best blender to blend baby food?

The best baby food blender if you're on a budget is the easy-to-use Tommee Tippee Mini Blend Baby Food Blender which blends home-made purées in a trice without taking up too much space in your kitchen. It also happens to be our choice for most budget-friendly model, retailing at under £30.

Which baby food steamer and blender is best?

The best baby steamer and blender is the Philips Avent 2-in-1 Healthy Baby Food Maker – and it’s a favourite with Mumsnet parents too. This versatile steamer blender will cook and blend healthy meals for your baby from around six months.

Related: Discover the best reusable nappies for every stage

How we chose the best baby food makers

Before we began our product research, we consulted health organisations in order to get the latest official weaning advice, particularly the NHS and the WHO, to ensure the baby food makers we recommended complied with safety and child health advice.

Most of our baby food maker and blender suggestions came from recommendations on the Mumsnet forums where real parents offering honest reviews are always in abundance.

We also analysed consumer reviews on the web - everywhere from Amazon to Currys - to find out what customers were recommending. And we consulted independent review sites, such as BBC Good Food, for opinions about each product to ensure we were bringing you an honest, detailed summary of baby food steamers and blenders.

Finally, we looked up advice from baby weaning experts such as Annabel Karmel, to find out what the purée gurus looked for and what they advised on cooking for your baby, so we could be sure the products we recommended would be up to the job.

What age do babies start eating food?

Official advice from the NHS is to start weaning your baby from milk onto solid foods at around six months. This is based on research reviewed by the World Health Organisation which shows that, until six months, babies need nothing other than breast milk (or infant formula).

Should I purée or do baby-led weaning?

Once you’ve decided the time is right to start weaning your baby onto solids, there are other options to consider – finger foods, purées or a combination of both?

For parents who choose to get their little gourmet started with spoonfuls of puréed vegetables, fruit and other foods, a baby food maker can be an invaluable addition to your kitchen.

As to which foods to begin with, baby food guru Annabel Karmel has this advice: “First foods should be simple and easy to digest and unlikely to provoke an allergic reaction. Start with single ingredients with a nice soft texture; root vegetables and ripe fruits are popular as they are naturally sweet and can be easily pureed to a smooth texture. Mixing them with a little breast or formula milk can ease the transition.”

Other parents decide to go with baby-led weaning instead. For first BLW foods, Annabel Karmel suggests: “Start with softer fingers foods such as cooked sticks of carrot, broccoli and sweet potato, and chunks of banana, avocado and cucumber. First tastes like steamed carrots should be cooked until soft but not too mushy so that they can grab it with their fist. It’s best to wait until your baby has teeth before you offer harder foods like raw carrot.”

If you’ve decided to go the baby-led-weaning route exclusively, you likely won’t need a baby food blender, but you may still want to invest in a baby food steamer for softening crunchy veg while keeping the nutrients in. And of course, there’s no need to choose just one route or the other. Many parents make purées with the odd bit of cooked pasta or a banana finger on the side, and just let their baby try a bit of both.

When it comes to buying a baby food maker, there’s a somewhat bafflingly amount of choice available – from simple blenders for baby food to clever multifunction steam and blend gadgets that allow you to create healthy baby meals from raw ingredients.

Why you should trust us

Mumsnet has been helping parents make their lives easier since 2000 and, in those years, we’ve seen, tried and reviewed thousands of products.

Transparency is really important to us and that's why we're always upfront about where we find our recommendations. We write about products that we feel offer the best value to most parents – the ones that our users would recommend to their own friends and family.

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