NutriBullet Baby Review
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
This Product
NutriBullet Baby | |||||
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Awards | Best Overall Baby Food Maker | Budget-Friendly Puree | Best for Travel-Friendly | ||
Price | $70 List $54.98 at Amazon | Check Price at Amazon | $50 List | $12.00 List $11.99 at Amazon | $63 List $54.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score | |||||
Star Rating | |||||
Bottom Line | Although easy to use and clean, we do not recommend this blender due to its black residue production | An excellent blender that may take up kitchen space but is worth the expense given its multiple positives, including puree quality, ease of use, and capacity to create large batches | Simple, inexpensive, and versatile, this unit makes baby food in a snap | A muscle-powered food maker that mashes food and is portable, but does not produce puree quality like machines | A food processor we don't recommend due to the removable bowl scraper leaving scratches on the plastic bowl |
Rating Categories | NutriBullet Baby | NutriBullet Blender | Sage Spoonfuls Pure... | OXO Tot Food Masher | Hamilton Beach Food... |
Puree Quality (35%) | |||||
Ease of Use (30%) | |||||
Health/Safety (20%) | |||||
Ease of Cleaning (15%) | |||||
Specs | NutriBullet Baby | NutriBullet Blender | Sage Spoonfuls Pure... | OXO Tot Food Masher | Hamilton Beach Food... |
Capacity | 2 oz Single-Serving Storage Cups, 12 oz Short Cup, 32 oz/4 cups Batchbowl | 8 cups | Not Listed for Food Processor, N/A for Immersion Blender | Not Listed | 10 cups Manual states: 2 to 3 cup max for fruits and vegetables, .7 lb for meats |
Footprint | Small | Large | Small | Small | Large |
Steam | No | No | No | No | No |
Settings | Puree | Blend, Puree | Blend, Puree | Blend, Mash | Chop, Blend, Puree, Slice |
Special Features | None | None | None | None | None |
Included Accessories | (1) Easy-pop batch tray with lid, (6) Date-dial storage cups with tip-proof tray, (1) Short cup with lid | Tamper, Recipe Booklet | HomeMade Essentials Package Available with (1) Recipe Book, (6) Glass 4oz Storage Jars, (60) Labels, (1) Immersion Blender with Food Processor Attachment and Pocket Guide | (1) Lid | (1) Reversible Slicing/Shredding Disc |
Available Accessories | None | Yes | Sage Baby Eco Steamer, Sage Spoonfuls - Simple Recipes, Healthy Meals, Happy Babies; Sage Spoonfuls Pocket Guide, Assorted Storage Jars, Pouches, Snackie and Munchie Bag Sets | None | Crinkle Cut/Fine Shred Disc |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The NutriBullet Baby is a subdivision of Homeland Housewares, LLC. The company produces several Bullet versions under different names with slightly different takes on the original Magic Bullet. The company's primary goal is to make your life easier with everyday products for your home of good quality and value.
Performance Comparison
Puree Quality
We tested various foods ranging from soft to rough to evaluate performance and puree quality, including raw items. Although the NutriBullet Baby consistently produces smooth purees, it has a significant drawback that hurts its ranking.
The NutriBullet Baby pureed all the foods we tried with relative ease. While this blender had difficulty with kale, this ingredient was challenging for most of the competition. But, overall, the machine's purees consistency was predictable, and most foods were smooth enough for a baby's first foods.
Since this machine will only blend and puree, you will need to pre-cook most foods before blending, but we think stovetop steaming is often easier to manage with fewer parts to clean than an all-in-one baby food maker.
If the food is thick or lacks enough liquid, you will need to remove the cup or bowl and shake it to finish the puree. The motor can run for 60 seconds without a pause.
During testing, while following the user manual directions, we noticed black residue. We don't know the source or makeup of the black substance, and we are concerned that there is potential for it to end up in the baby's food. Other users have observed the same issue and, in some cases, more severely than ourselves. To get more information about this mystery substance, we contacted NutriBullet for comment (see quote below).
Amazon User Reviews Observe a Similar Black Residue Issue
There are user reviews on Amazon of the NutriBullet Baby that cite a similar black residue issue, and some include photos that illustrate a more severe issue than we saw ourselves.
Currently, the Top Review on Amazon for this product as of July 1, 2021 is very negative verified review, 1-star rating, posted by Joshua in Nov 2020, and includes photos of the issue and also includes this statement:The next verified Top Review on Amazon for this product at this time, is also very negative, 1-star rating, titled “Rubber Gear of nutri bullet baby melts”, and also includes photos:
We definitely do not recommend this as we have been feeding baby with harmful chemicals .
It is worth noting that the above user review says that they observed the material “getting into the food” and seeing “sweet potato turning black in color”. This contradicts that statement NutriBullet sent us that stated, “Our product team can confirm the black residue is not missing with the pureed food within an undamaged blender.”
Ease of Use
We consider how intuitive a product is to use and whether you will need to review the user manual for this metric. Among the competition, the NutriBullet Baby ranks high.
The machine is easy to assemble and straightforward to use, requiring only a few parts to create baby food. It also has one setting, so do not fret over choosing the wrong setting or cook time.
The product includes one blade and two different-sized containers for pureeing (a 32 oz. batch bowl and a 12 oz. short cup). The blade is interchangeable with either container. So, add food to the container of your choice, twist on the blade, and blend away. Keep in mind that each container's maximum fill line is less than the marketed capacity amount, roughly about half.
The NutriBullet Baby comes with an easy-pop batch tray with a lid, six date-dial storage cups with tip-proof tray, short cup with a stay-fresh resealable lid. The user manual also includes some recipes. However, keep in mind that the date-dial storage cups are not freezable.
Health and Safety
The NutriBullet Baby earns a higher score in health and safety.
We did not experience any residual non-food taste in the food, and the container is BPA-free plastic. However, given the potential of leaching chemicals, we prefer to use glass over plastic, especially when it comes to baby's food, but there are not many glass options on the market. We suggest making food and feeding it immediately to your baby as we believe this is better than letting food sit in plastic for an extended period. You can also purchase glass storage containers for any leftovers.
Most of the NutriBullet Baby's parts are exposed and open, making it easy to check for cleanliness. Plus, it has no steam tank, so there are no concerns for steam-related burns, descaling, or hidden areas for mold, rust, or other potentially harmful things to grow.
Ease of Cleaning
The NutriBullet Baby earns a high score in this metric as you can easily take it apart; the parts are manageable to clean by hand, and with no steam tank, you can avoid descaling, mineral deposits, or inaccessible areas for mold to grow.
While testing, we observed a marketing and user manual discrepancy. The NutriBullet's website states, “All components are dishwasher-safe for quick and easy cleanup.” However, the user manual states, “Do not put the Nutribullet Baby blades and other plastic parts in the dishwasher. Hand-wash with warm, soapy water.”
We believe parents should be able to trust company marketing, and if a user manual differs from that marketing, we believe this diminishes trust. We requested a statement from NutriBullet regarding this cleaning inconsistency, and they did not comment. Therefore, to err on the side of caution and prolong product usability, we recommend you hand wash the components of the Nutribullet, despite marketing claims.
The manufacturer mentions that the motor base doesn't require much cleaning, but liquids can leak into the base and activator buttons, and we suggest using a damp rag to wipe down the inside and outside. For stubborn clean-up, fill the container halfway with soapy water, and blend for 10-20 seconds. This process will help loosen dry, stuck-on ingredients.
Manufacturer Video
Should You Buy the NutriBullet Baby?
In our opinion, no.
While there is much to love about the NutriBullet Baby, the black residue issue we observed, which is also cited in some Amazon User reviews, is just a deal-breaker in our opinion. We just aren't comfortable with that black residue issue, and given there are so many compelling competing products to choose from that have no similar issue, we would not recommend a friend buy the NutriBullet Baby.