Best Food Processor For Baby Food?

[Codymoogle]

Hey guys, I'm wondering something.

I really want to get back to making my own baby food purees - and to just have a food processor in general. I used to have an Oster 3-cup capacity food processor, and it was alright. My main problems were that it was too small, and that the purees were "uneven" (smooth on top, loads of chunks in the bottom). Here is my criteria for a food processor:

1. Size - I'd like it to be able to handle and puree an average meal size for an adult, if not more...An example of what I expect as a meal would be, say, one chicken breast + one small potato + one cup of broccoli + sauce/condiments. However, I'd like it to be able to puree a smaller amount if desired, too (like a banana with yogurt).

2. Even puree - no "smooth on top, chunks on the bottom" thing.

3. Price - If possible, I'd like to get one under $50 (including S/H, as I can't get to a store and buy one at this time).

Is there a good food processor out there like this, or would I just be better off with the cooking pot/manual potato masher/coffee grinder trio to make baby food?

~ moogle

[lil_baby_wet_n_squishy]

A blender should work fine.

[Codymoogle]

A blender should work fine.

I've had blenders before, and they don't work well for me - not to mention that they only do one version of puree (at least in my experience). Thanks for the reply though.

~ moogle

[Repaid1]

Magic bullet???

[babykatie1]

The Baby Bullet

Just saw an infomercial last night and I thought of this thread.

[Repaid1]

The Baby Bullet

Just saw an infomercial last night and I thought of this thread.

That's over $80! I'll sell you my full sized Cuisinart with 5 different blades for less! Makes ham salad in 10 seconds, Ham soup in 15!

J/K, I'm keeping my stuff! It's the bomb!!

[Codymoogle]

Thanks guys - I bought a Magic Bullet as of yesterday for just under $60 total (s/h included). I'm really excited for it. Although the Baby Bullet is much cuter, the regular Magic Bullet won't get the same prodding questions from my mother-in-law as the Baby Bullet would.

~ moogle

[Mary-Ann]

I just watched the commercial for the baby bullet . it's cute and look well organized .

I would want one .

I know you have the regular bullet now . I was just commenting.

[Codymoogle]

Just an update - I love the Magic Bullet...It makes purees and baby cereals well, as long as you don't overfill the cup. If you fill it more than 1/2 to 3/4 of the way in one go, it'll still work, but you'll get the "uneven puree" result. I'd imagine the Baby Bullet does the same thing.

~ moogle

[bottle_baby]

Hey guys, I'm wondering something.

I really want to get back to making my own baby food purees - and to just have a food processor in general. I used to have an Oster 3-cup capacity food processor, and it was alright. My main problems were that it was too small, and that the purees were "uneven" (smooth on top, loads of chunks in the bottom). Here is my criteria for a food processor:

1. Size - I'd like it to be able to handle and puree an average meal size for an adult, if not more...An example of what I expect as a meal would be, say, one chicken breast + one small potato + one cup of broccoli + sauce/condiments. However, I'd like it to be able to puree a smaller amount if desired, too (like a banana with yogurt).

2. Even puree - no "smooth on top, chunks on the bottom" thing.

3. Price - If possible, I'd like to get one under $50 (including S/H, as I can't get to a store and buy one at this time).

Is there a good food processor out there like this, or would I just be better off with the cooking pot/manual potato masher/coffee grinder trio to make baby food?

~ moogle

[bottle_baby]

What you need to do is think about the actual cooking process involved. A good food processor or blender is a must. How ever you need to think about the cooking Method. A long and slow method to break down the tissue is what you need especially for meat diners. One thing to do is to start out with the meat in its raw stage and process it with what ever cooking liquid you are going to use. This process will probably take about 10 min. Then you need to simmer the resulting paste/puree with more cooking liquid to keep it at a liquid state. You also will notice that baby food has Rice or tapioca to thicken the puree and will also add to the smooth texture you are looking for. After slow cooking for any where from an hour to two hours you will then again need to puree it again in the blender or food processor. The long slow cooking will break down the meat fibers thus making a smooth(er) puree. You will need to think about proportions / ratios of thickening to Meat/Vegetable/fruit content depending on what you are making. I tried a chicken breast. I started out with the meat raw. I pureed it as much as possible in a blender food processor attachment. I didn’t cook it very long and with minimal liquid. Then re processed the cooked product in a CLEAN processor. The end result was a some what smooth texture. (It did have some "graininess to it.) How ever if I had cooked longer and added rice or tapioca i think it would be the smooth texture you are looking for.

As always practice safe cooking. Do not let a cooked product come in contact with the uncooked product. Always clean all equipment used in hot soapy water before going on to the next step. This is very important if you are making any foods using poultry products. Hope this helps you. I’m sure there are others that cook as well and can give some good advice on proportions. You may also want to look up websites on making your own baby food. They are out there. Happy Eating.

I will be experimenting with this in the near future and will report back my personal findings