I resolved before my daughter was born to make my own baby food for her when the time came. I read reviews for every other baby food maker I could find. So why did I end up buying a model that had not yet been reviewed, and was relatively expensive compared to the other, more common baby food makers?
First, I was looking for something superlatively efficient. I wanted consistent results from a compact machine. For the price I was willing to pay, the Cuisinart brand is a proven performer, and this machine lives up to the name. Admittedly, I've only had it a couple of weeks and used it a few times, but I'm very happy with the results so far. I've followed the directions exactly in terms of water amount and the size of the diced food I put in to be steamed, and the resulting puree has been perfectly consistent. I also love the efficiency of having all the steaming and pureeing in one bowl -just turning a 3-position dial couldn't be easier.
I haven't used the bottle warming function on this or any comparable machine.
I like the size it's about the size of a small coffee maker, like you might find in a hotel room. It has a small footprint and is unimposing on the countertop -it doesn't scream 'baby appliance.' I'd love a model in black or stainless, but I'm not crazy enough about aesthetics to mind.
Now, this isn't essential to the review, but a tidbit for those who will otherwise spend (waste) time wondering about the measuring cup like I did -as far as I can tell, the strange cylindrical indentation on the bottom serves a few purposes allows for easier measurement of the small amount of water needed for the bottle warming function, displaces enough volume in the main chamber of the cup so that the markings don't overlay the rubber strip, and sits slightly off-center in the bottom of the measuring cup so that it will be easier to pour water out of it when you use it to measure water for bottle-warming. For the OCD geek types out there, you're welcome. ;)
*UPDATE*
The machine is still performing superbly. I've now made an assortment of veggies, fruits, and meat purees and have yet to find a complaint about the consistency or function of the appliance. It's so easy to throw the bowl, blade, lid (and occasionally, measuring cup) in the top rack of the dishwasher.
I am incredibly happy to have run across this food maker. All I ever heard of were the brezza, beaba and baby bullet. I have friends who have each of them and they all had similar complaints.. The container was too small so they had to make several batches. When I saw the Cuisinart made 4 cups, I decided to give it a shot and I am so happy I did. Not only can I make larger batches but it is so easy and convenient.
You cut up the fruit or veggies, add some water to the steamer compartment (in accordance to what you are making..there is a chart in the instructions) and turn the knob to steam. After it is done steaming you simply turn it to chop and you are all set. It is perfectly puréed and ready for your baby. And cleanup is a breeze as well because you only have one bowl to clean.
I can't say enough amazing things about this food maker! Worth the money as it is a fabulous product.
Buy Cuisinart BFM-1000 Baby Food Maker and Bottle Warmer Now
When I first started making baby food, I used a Brezza, which I knew from friends and other reviewers was prone to breaking. Not surprisingly, my Brezza started to malfunction after 6 weeks. That's when I discovered the Cuisinart. I think it must be new to the baby food maker market because none of my friends had heard of it, and I couldn't find very many reviews about it, but I've had good experiences with other Cuisinart kitchen products so I crossed my fingers that the brand would live up to its high quality reputation. I'm happy to report that it has.
The food maker is really easy to use and clean. I love that it has a larger capacity (4 cup) container/bowl than other baby food makers, and it operates quickly and smoothly. In fact, I thought the product was defective after the first time I used it because I couldn't believe how quickly it had steamed my baby's butternut squash compared to the Brezza. When I opened the lid to check, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it had indeed steamed the squash to my liking.
The Cuisinart baby food maker also looks like a kitchen appliance (as it should), and not like a toy, as other baby food makers do. Filling/emptying the reservoir is easy, and the dial has just three optionssteam, chop and off. My only (very minor) complaint is that there's always a small pool of water that collects between the bowl and the base after I use it. My guess is that the reservoir isn't lining up with the bowl precisely enough so that some steam is getting trapped between the parts. Since it's only water, it's not a big deal to clean-up and I use it on it on our granite kitchen countertop so leaks are not a problem, but if you're planning to use this on a surface that is not water resistant, then you should lay it on top of a towel.
I wish I had this product sooner so I didn't have to waste so much time with the Brezza, but I'm happy I have it now. I have not used the bottle warmer function since we had already purchased a bottle warmer, but it's a great idea to have one machine serve both functions.
Read Best Reviews of Cuisinart BFM-1000 Baby Food Maker and Bottle Warmer Here
This thing is great and Super easy to use!! Im so happy with it and it takes the hard work outta homemade baby food ;)
I received this as a Christmas gift just in time to start my baby on solids. As a mother of 3 it was really important to me to make my baby food, i cook for every other family member "why not my littlest one?" I searched around ALOT for a baby food maker that would be an "ALL IN ONE" type of device that would steam and puree, so i wasn't dirtying up alot of dishes and spending lots of time slaving away in the kitchen. There are few different brands available that provide this all in one type design (steam/puree) however there were a few hang ups with each one, poor customer service, poor design, mold, etc.... i debated so long and glad i did.
Enter Cuisinart to my rescue and just in time,came out with this product. I took a chance on this one for one reason...the name "Cuisinart" I banked on the fact that its a good company that has been around and I have been happy with all my Cuisinart purchases. I also knew that such a large company had to have decent customer service.
Im so glad i took the chance this product it is great, makes wonderful baby food and fast. i can make a 2 wk supply of baby food in a pretty short amount of time. Its so easy , impossible to mess it up and the manual includes directions/recipes for food to get you started and really all you would ever need to make. The puree is smooth too which is important and sometimes hard to achieve.
I would recommend this to anyone interested in making their own baby food. It would make a great baby gift :)
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My wife did extensive research and insisted on this one after seeing negative reviews and recalls on all other baby food processors. We have been using it weekly for the past 3 months and have not had one problem with it. Our son is now 9 months old and loves eating all types of fresh veggies and fruits. When she makes a batch of food she stores it in green sprouts Polypropylene Freezer Cubes, Green and fills up 6-8 cubes with one batch. It is so easy to use that even I can help out and make my sons meals. You flip the switch to steam and then when the light goes off you blend it to the desired consistency.
Positive: Super easy to use
Meals are ready in about 30 minutes
Convenient
One container to deal with
Bottle warmer included but we rarely used this feature since we use glass bottles
Recipe book provided
Negative: Some water is transferred into the chamber where the food is being cooked. Apples seems to suffer this more than other fruit/veggie. My wife just added less water.
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These containers are great for keeping the baby's food warm for quite a while, and they're small and easily portable great for traveling. The only downside I can see that you aren't supposed to microwave the container itself (per the manufacturer's instructions), so you have to heat the food in something else first and then place it in the container.
