Are baby food makers worth buying?

Between bottles, bibs, sippy cups, and all those little onesies that your little one outgrows so soon, it’s fair to ask: Do I really need a baby food maker, too?

And that’s a fair question! Some days it feels like babies come with more gear than a camping trip. It wouldn’t make sense to spend hundreds of dollars on a gadget that lasts about as long as a veggie purée left on the countertop in the summer.

So, let’s talk honestly about whether a baby food maker is something you actually need...

Asking (and answering) the real questions

Here are a few things we’ve heard (and thought ourselves):

“Can’t I just use my blender? Why do I need a separate baby food maker?”
“Isn’t this just for three months of puréeing? Of what use will it be after my baby finishes weaning?”
“Do I really want another thing to clean? Do I even have space on my counter?”

These are solid points. You absolutely can steam veggies on the stove, mash them with a fork or blitz them in your regular blender. If you’re all set with your kitchen basics and your baby’s not a purée fan, you might get by just fine without one.

But here’s where baby food makers start to shine.

The not-so-secret life of super busy parents

Picture this:

It’s dinner time. You’re exhausted, but the kids still need to eat and have a bath. You put the steamer on the stove, you walk away, and bath time takes longer than expected. The bottom of the pan runs out of water and turns black. The food is now smelling burnt. :(

If you can relate, know that I, too, have burnt the bottom of my pan many times and ruined dinner! And don’t get me started on having to start over + the super annoying cleaning job afterwards.

Now imagine the above, but with laundry, multiple babies, perhaps more than one job or income stream to manage. Imagine juggling all those things and trying to fit purées in between.

The truth is, busy parents need all the help they can get.

Once your baby reaches the solids stage, even the most minimalist parents start eyeing tools that make life easier.

Because all those days of prepping, washing dishes, pots and pans, dismantling blender parts and sterilising everything?

Those things add up little by little.

Baby food makers: real pros in the kitchen

When I started my solids journey with my second son, I was also running a business and working full-time. But I still wanted to feed my children the best food I could offer.

My father gifted me a baby food maker, and it absolutely changed my life.

Here’s my experience of what a good baby food maker actually does well:

It cuts down your time in the kitchen. Being able to steam + blend in one jug means you’re not juggling pots and processors.
It keeps things simple. Chop, press a button, and walk away. Most great baby food makers, like the KiddoKook Pro, have auto-timed functions and beep when they’re done.
It makes meal prep a breeze. Steam a few portions at once and freeze at a time, so you’re not labouring in the kitchen so often.
It’s (surprisingly) less mess. Fewer dishes. No transferring hot food from pan to blender. No miscellaneous parts to clean.
It removes stress and mental load. There’s way less to worry about that it frees up your mind to care about more important things. Baby’s food becomes less of a chore and more of an easy habit.

The big win? You get wholesome, homemade food for your baby, with a fraction of the time and effort.

So… do you need one?

Nowadays, when asked, I often tell my friends, "You don't ‘need’ a baby food maker… But you absolutely NEED a baby food maker!" 😂

You can survive without one, sure. But once you have one, you’ll so wish you had it sooner. It truly does make life easier. I’m passionate about this because I know firsthand how much of a difference it made in my life as a parent.

Here’s a quick gut check if a baby food maker is right for you:

Do you want all the benefits of wholesome, homemade baby food, but can’t always find the time?
Are you the default chef in the house while juggling baby, work, and life?
Do you find dinner prep more stressful than satisfying?
Do you have limited kitchen space and don’t want to use (and wash) pots, pans, and blender parts just to prepare eight tablespoons of purée and two sticks of carrots?

If you’re nodding yes, a baby food maker will become your new favourite (and most used) kitchen appliance.

Real talk: How KiddoKook Pro fits into real life

Let’s be real: if you’re a busy parent like us, with so much going on in life, it can be hard to balance everything.

But feeding your baby well doesn’t have to mean spending evenings chopping, steaming, and scrubbing pots.

When we started this business, I knew what our baby food maker, the KiddoKook Pro, was meant to do: reduce overwhelm.

Even with baby-led weaning, there are those moments where all you want to do is steam two little pieces of broccoli. I used to drag out a steamer, end up making more than I needed just to justify the effort… and end up wasting half of it anyway.

Now? I pop those two florets into the KKP, hit steam, and it’s done.

It’s also the little things: chopping fruit or veg, tossing them in, pressing a button and walking away. Using real, fresh ingredients in the fridge, not shelf-stable pouches that somehow last longer than your baby’s age. No additives or preservatives, and less use of the microwave, too. (We use KiddoKook Pro to reheat all the time.)

I also don’t worry about over-prepping, because it’s so easy to make things fresh in small, practical portions, without the mess and stress. (And it’s dishwasher-safe, thank goodness).

Despite our busy entrepreneurial lifestyle, it’s a load off my shoulders to know how easy it is to consistently make healthy, wholesome, homemade meals for my sons.

Looking past the purée stage

We’ve heard it all: “I thought I wouldn’t use it but now? It lives on my counter,” or “It saved me on days I had zero energy but still wanted to give my baby something homemade.”

But what about after, for when your baby is past the purée stage?

Well, I still use my KiddoKook Pro every day, and my sons are 2 and 6! And I know I’m not alone.

Here’s how the KiddoKook Pro remains perfect past the purée stage, and still earns its spot on my counter:

My go-to for smoothies. It’s great for quick blends with banana, yoghurt, oats, or frozen mango… anything fresh and yummy, I will reach for it. Especially when I want to sneak in something green for the children.

Easy veggie portions for dinner. Most nights, I’ll steam a bit of broccoli, zucchini or carrot for my sons, either as a side, or blended into a creamy sauce for pasta with a splash of milk and cheese.

Making veggie-based everything. Homemade sauces are awesome because I can make it more nutritious every time. Our pizza sauce is made of tomatoes, carrot, spinach, zucchini, and whatever else I’ve got on hand. You can do this for soups, pancake batter, pasta sauce… the possibilities are endless.

Reheating and defrosting. I use it to warm up muffins, quiches, or small frozen snacks without firing up the oven. Easy and just enough.

Finger food prep. Sometimes I’ll blitz some leftover veg and mix it into fritters or meatballs, which are perfect for picky toddler phases and fill lunchboxes easily.

So yes, the KiddoKook Pro is a baby food maker. But it’s also my no-mess steamer, my mini blender, my quiet little helper in the kitchen long after purée days are over.

It’s definitely an investment that has paid for itself many times over.

The bottom line

You don’t need a baby food maker; plenty of families make it work with what they already have.

But if you’re a parent who wants to keep things homemade without losing your mind (or your sink under a mountain of dishes), the KiddoKook Pro can make that part of the day feel surprisingly easy.

We’ve loved ours, truly. It’s been part of our daily routine since our first purée days, and we still use it all the time.

Because like most things in parenting, it’s not about doing everything perfectly. It’s about finding little ways to make life smoother, meals fresher, and days a bit less chaotic… one purée at a time.

And honestly? I promise, you won’t regret it. 💛

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