Baby Food Cooker

How old is your LO? If you want something for travel, IMO a simple hand-crank baby food mill like the KidCo one would be fine for just grinding up bits of whatever you're eating - mine was a hand me down but it looked like this one http://www.amazon.com/Kidco-F700-Baby-Food-Grinder/dp/acc...

That is where jarred baby food comes in handy. Why complicate your life
when on vacation. Just enjoy and know baby food is good.

I used the Beaba for several months with my daughter and I loved it. It makes a good amount for food for one baby and I liked that it is all-in-one (steamer, puree, etc). However, it is not entirely necessary and is expensive. My sister-in-law just steamed the food on the stove then used a food processor to puree. The Beaba is nice and compact though, so it is easy to travel with, and it is pretty easy to clean too.

I use the Bullet Blender (not the Baby Bullet, just the regular one) make baby food at home. Just steam the veggies first and then use the blender to purée them. It works great and it's pretty small so it might be ok for travel. You could also make the food ahead of time at home and freeze individual servings to take with you, depending on your plans. Good luck!

I have the Beaba and I absolutely love it--with a couple caveats. I cooked all my twins' food from scratch and this made it incredibly easy with very little mess--before I got it, just to make applesauce I had to use several different pots and pans and then the food processor. The Beaba makes it really easy. now that my twins are 14 months I still use it though less regularly. The one problem I have had is that the plastic bowl has cracked TWICE. I sent it back (the customer service was great) and they sent me a new one, and it cracked again. This is frustrating for something this expensive. I did use it a lot, but it still shouldn't break. Anyway, I would say that if you're someone who feels strongly about making your baby food from scratch, then a babyfood cooker is a great idea; one nice thing is that it allows you to make things that are more like what the rest of the family is eating, just in smaller portions. But you might think twice about shelling out for the Beaba. Hope that helps.

My sis in law has a baby bullett and likes it :)

Will you ever make soups, sauces or frosting beyond the baby food years? If so, skip the (OMG) expensive baby food makers. Get a stick blender (Kitchen Aid is good, Oster is not), some BPA free ice cube trays and freezer storage. Our stick blender has made it through two babies (including trips to Illinois) and countless holidays.

PS I LOL'd about using several pots and pans to make applesauce. How many servings would a person be making to use so many dishes? I pared, cored and diced a few apples, cooked them, pureed with a stick blender and had 8-10 servings depending on the size of the apples.

I would save the $$ on the Beaba (although I used their silicone food storage trays - LOVE!) just bc a "baby food maker" really isn't necessary. We just steamed the food in a steamer and then used a baby food processor to puree it.

Honestly, I looked at the baby food makers and didn't like them bc you're heating food in plastic which is very unhealthy as chemicals can be leached into the food. While #2 and 5 plastics are safer than others, no plastics should really be heated. Steaming the food in a stainless steel steamer is healthier as there is no risk of leaching.

As far as making your own food goes - go for it!! It's such a great way to ensure that your baby is getting the most healthy food possible. I loved it!

Hi- I don't know how old your baby is, so I am not sure how much table food s/he eats. Up to one year I always prepared my babies' food myself (and I am lazy and have no culinary prowess, lol). That being said, on vacations I always brought or bought a lot of easy, naturally soft food items. Three items that come to mind are avocado, sweet potato, and banana. Pretty much just peel and eat for all three. Again, not knowing the age of your baby, I don't know what else to recommend. Good luck.

I made all my first child's baby food, before the Beaba was available. Yes, it is a lot of pots and washing, but I didn't need to buy anything special because I already had a Cuisinart food processor. Now I hear that the plastic bowl of the Cuisinart has BPA. Fortunately, the blender we already own is made of glass. In the beginning, a blender is all you need, because the texture should be a little softer/thinner anyway. You just need to add a little bit of the water used to steam the food to get the right consistency (like a thick smoothie). With my second child, I invested in a stainless steel food mill, which is PERFECT because (after we are done with the blender stage texture), I can increase the "chunkiness" of the food with the 3 different sizes of blades. Yes, it is a little more work and washing than the Beaba, but babies are only on "baby food" for 4-8 months, depending on each child, so why have another expensive, bulky appliance that has limited use afterwards? If you are going to travel, I would suggest freezing the food in meal-size containers and bringing a cooler filled with ice. Make sure there is a freezer/fridge in your hotel room, and you can defrost in a bowl of hot water. I did this for a one-week trip across the country, but honestly, I regret that I didn't just bring organic baby food pouches for the ONE WEEK of her life. It would have made our trip a lot easier.