We take great pride in purchasing all the products we review and putting them through an extensive apples-to-apples testing process.
Testing Puree Quality
Each baby food maker was tested using 21 different food products, including apples and plums, chicken and beef, sweet potatoes and kale, and other fruits and vegetables. We tested each according to the manufacturer's recommendations and often added more liquid/water to help chunkier blends that weren't smooth enough. Multiple batches were made using each maker both before and after descaling and regular cleaning. The puree consistencies were compared to the results of other food makers and ranked in order of smoothness.
Testing Ease of Use
We wanted to see how quick and easy it was to take the machine from the box and set it up for use. Some of the machines took substantially longer due to lengthier instructions and cleaning regimens. In contrast, others were as easy as washing them in the sink with hot soapy water and putting a few critical pieces together. Of course, each genre of baby food maker had its own anticipated setup time. Generally, all of the machines we tested were fairly simple to assemble and were ready to cook food within 30-45 minutes of opening the box and reading the included instructions. Operating the all-in-one steamers/blenders did require a bit more setup and consultation with the manuals, but operating these machines was extraordinarily easy. After reading each product's instructions, we thought the blenders and manual food mills were extremely easy to use.
Rating Health and Safety
For health and safety, we consider various factors, such as each machine's materials, evaluate which ones come into contact with food, if any parts are impossible to clean, like hidden water tanks, and whether or not mold, bacteria, or rust could come into contact with food.
We also looked at safety mechanisms designed to prevent cuts and burns related to spinning blades or escaping steam. The products without steam ranked higher because there was no chance of burns, and products with steam tanks and plastic cooking bowls scored lower.
Testing Ease of Cleaning
Cleaning a baby food maker means the probability of encountering sharp blades is high. We spent significant time cleaning each device to see where the pitfalls might lie when ensuring they are clean and safe to prepare food. Some of the machines we tested are dishwasher safe on the top rack, but this does not dismiss them from the angst caused by pulpy fruits, blueberry skins, or the stubbornness of hour-old cooked oatmeal. Be wary of the blades on your food maker; we almost had fewer fingers than when we started this review! We urge all users to thoroughly clean any instruments used to produce foods for their infants and always follow the manufacturer's instructions on appropriate cleaning methods.