Overview
A high-quality, all-in-one baby food maker can be a big help to many busy moms who want to make delicious puree for their baby without using so many kitchen appliances at once.
Although many baby food processors can indeed be expensive, they can also be a handy gadget to have at home to help you prepare baby puree or steam finger foods for baby-led weaning.
QOOC baby food makers are all-in-one kitchen tools that steam and blend food for your baby, but are they worth your money? Can you use these food makers to prepare several batches or just a single serving of baby food?
Do you really need to buy a baby food maker, or can regular steamers and grinders also work well? How do you use a QOOC baby food maker if you decide to get it?
You can find more answers about these multi-purpose baby food blenders and steamers below.
Common Features: QOOC Baby Food Makers
- Capabilities: These 4-in-one baby food makers can steam, blend, reheat, and defrost.
- Sterilizer: You can also use the reheat function to sterilize baby bottles.
- Food grinder: Choose the blender setting and hold or pulse until you get the right consistency. You can also add water, if necessary.
- Operation: Easy one-handed operation that can be ideal for a multi-tasking busy mom.
- Material: 100% Tritan plastic material
- Safety: BPA-free, phthalate-free, and lead-free
- Controls: One-handed control
- Motor: Quiet motor
These baby food makers are made of 100% Tritan plastic material free from BPA (bisphenol-A), phthalate, and lead.
Heavy metals like lead or arsenic can cause damage to your baby’s brain and nervous system. They might also lead to learning and behavior problems, slowed growth and development, and hearing and speech problems. (1)
BPA and phthalates are toxic chemicals used in plastic manufacturing. They can interfere with your baby’s normal growth and brain development. These toxic chemicals might cause behavior problems, asthma, obesity, diabetes, increased risk of allergies, and male reproductive organs development problems. (2)
However, studies published in the Environmental Health Journal show that BPA-free Tritan plastics and similar alternatives can still release chemicals that cause similar effects as BPA. (3)(4)
Can These Baby Food Processors Blend Frozen Fruits & Veggies?
Yes, you don’t need to thaw frozen fruits and veggies before putting them in QOOC all-in-one baby food steamers and blenders.
You can also use them directly to prepare baby purees.
Can They Cook Raw Food?
Yes. QOOC baby food makers can cook raw foods like meat, eggs, poultry, fruits, and vegetables like other baby products.
Chop the food you’re planning to cook and put them in the steam basket. Put enough water in the water reservoir before selecting the steam setting.
Is The QOOC Dishwasher Safe?
Yes, QOOC baby food makers are dishwasher safe. However, this only applies to non-electronic parts.
Main Differences
QOOC 4-in-1 Mini Baby Food Maker
- $99.99
- It’s a small baby food maker ideal for cooking fresh food every mealtime.
QOOC 4-in-1 Baby Food Maker Pro
- $159.99
- It offers more setting options and a timer (not available with QOOC 4-in-1 Mini Baby Food Maker).
- It has a touch control button for blending.
Learn more about each QOOC baby food maker below.
QOOC 4-in-1 Mini Baby Food Maker
Price
- $99.99
What Makes It Special?
- It’s a small baby food maker ideal for cooking fresh food every mealtime.
Key Features
- Material: Tritan plastic
- Capabilities: Steam, blend, reheat, and defrost
- Cup Capacity: ½ to 1 cup
- Portability: Not portable; you can’t use this with batteries.
- Timer: None
Other Specifications & Special Features
- Dimensions (in inches): 10.3 x 9.3 x 7.8
- Warranty: One-year limited warranty
Product Recall
- None
Cons
- Although this baby food maker is made of 100% BPA-free, phthalate-free Tritan plastic material, it might still release chemicals that cause similar effects as BPA. (3)(4)
- You’ll need to hold the control button when blending.
What Customers Say
Positive Reviews
“Since my baby doesn’t need puréed foods now I use it just to steam her food. I make protein for her (like turkey meatballs, egg muffins) and I freeze them. When it’s meal time, I’ll pop in a frozen meatball, and some frozen veggies I have for baby and set it for 5-10 minutes. And then shortly after dinner is ready!” – Reviewer on Amazon.
“I love this product! Easy to use and the fact that it comes with a steamer and a blender at the same time is one big thing for me.. for a busy mom like me, this is a great buy!” – Reviewer on Amazon.
“Lots of people say it’s unnecessary, just use a regular blender, immersion blender, etc.. well, after using it all, I can say that I am very pleased with this purchase! I love that you can cook, purée, and reheat all in one device. It really makes clean up so much easier.” – Reviewer on Amazon.
Negative Reviews
“For some reason the blender came apart in pieces when we tried to clean it… A bit disappointed and glad my baby didn’t swallow any of the pieces.” – Reviewer on Amazon.
“This steams great but it does not blend the food into a purée. My baby cannot digest these chunks that it leaves behind. And the hole in the lid causes it to splatter every time. I have to use my Vitamix after I use this to purée.” – Reviewer on Amazon.
“Worked great for a week, now my counters are permanently stained. Happened three times in a row, the liquid bubbles over, then the blending sprays it everywhere. Happened with sweet potatoes, blueberries, and avocados. Used their instructions now I have a giant purple stain and a giant orange stain on my counter that won’t come out.” – Reviewer on Amazon.
QOOC 4-in-1 Baby Food Maker Pro
Price
- $159.99
What Makes It Special?
- It doesn’t have a removable water tank, but the lid opens, and its water reservoir can be fully accessed for cleaning.
- It offers more setting options and a timer (not available with QOOC 4-in-1 Mini Baby Food Maker).
- It has a touch control button for blending.
Key Features
- Material: Tritan plastic
- Capabilities: Steam, blend, reheat, and defrost
- Cup Capacity: 1½ cup
- Portability: Not portable
- Timer: Yes, with suggested settings depending on the type of food you’re cooking
Safety Features
- Two safety locks: This product doesn’t work unless all the parts and accessories are installed correctly.
- Auto shut-off: If the water reservoir runs out of water, this product automatically shuts off.
Other Specifications & Special Features
- Dimensions: 11.02 x 10.31 x 8.9 inches
- Warranty: One-year limited warranty
Product Recall
- None
Cons
This baby food maker is made of 100% BPA-free, phthalate-free Tritan plastic material. However, it might still release chemicals that cause similar effects as BPA. (3)(4)
What Customers Say
Positive Reviews
“Currently I have made everything in – green peas, apples, butternut squash, sweet potato, chicken, oh the list can just go on. I even use the blender alone for different fruits. The ease of being able to just cut something up and put it in there then walk away for 15 minutes to come back to just drain the water and do the blender is awesome.” – Reviewer on Amazon.
“The Baby Food Maker Pro is excellent, I steamed raw skinless pumpkin chunks. The result was perfect, the pumpkin chunks were so soft that mashing them in the bowl was almost unnecessary. The left over water from the steaming was saved for another project. The steamed mashed pumpkin was used for making pumpkin soup.” – Reviewer on Amazon.
“This is easy to assemble and use, and works quite well. Solid construction. The first thing I tried was a banana which I overcooked but it definitely handled the fruit well. I wasn’t sure what to do with the excess water under the food container. Do I mix it with the food or toss it? If you toss the water, then the food is a little too thick. If you mix all the water it’s runny, so I think something in between is ideal. We are still experimenting with recipes.” – Reviewer on Amazon.
Negative Reviews
“So sad I couldn’t use this product. I couldn’t get past the cleaning stage because the water reservoir and the water in the steamer basket wouldn’t come out clean. I used filtered/distilled and even de-scaled it and the water reservoir would have a weird black/brown dirt film and when going through the steam phase, the water in the steamer side was always cloudy. I cleaned it at least 5 times.” – Reviewer on Amazon.
“The water reservoirs paint/plastic stains water .. I tried cleaning it with vinegar and water but it does not help . I am very disappointed and concerned about safety of this product.” – Reviewer on Amazon.
“After 3-4months, the water from steamer suddenly evaporates in less than 5 mins! It looked like it was gonna explode cos the steam looked like a volcano eruption. It was scary!” – Reviewer on Amazon.
Summary & Recommendations
Both baby food makers are small, can cook baby food from raw ingredients, are ideal for cooking fresh food every mealtime, and have many similarities.
Here are our recommendations on which one to pick:
Budget-Friendly Option
- You can choose the QOOC 4-in-1 Mini Baby Food Maker ($99.99) if you prefer a budget-friendly option.
Offers More Features
- You can choose QOOC 4-in-1 Baby Food Maker Pro ($159.99) if you prefer more features.
- It has more setting options, a timer, and a touch control button for blending not available with QOOC 4-in-1 Mini Baby Food Maker.
How Do I Use The QOOC Baby Food Maker?
Here are the steps to making baby puree using these food makers:
- Put water in the reservoir up to the maximum limit.
- Place the chopped ingredients in the steam basket and put the basket inside the jar.
- Secure the lid.
- Choose the steam setting and let your food cook.
- Once cooked, you can pour the food from the steam basket directly into the jar.
- If you’re using the Mini, you can use the dial to make the baby puree. There’s a button for this function in the Pro.
- Pulse blend until you reach the desired consistency, adding water if you want the puree to be thinner.
- Once done, pour into your baby’s bowl.
You can also put the puree in food containers for storage or later use.
How Do You Descale A Baby Food Maker?
The exact descaling instructions might differ among different baby food makers, but here are the general steps to doing it:
- Turn and unplug the machine.
- Fill the entire heating reservoir with white distilled vinegar or descaling liquid.
- Let it sit overnight.
- Pour out the vinegar or descaling liquid.
- Run at least two cooking cycles using just plain water (don’t put any food in the steaming basket).
- Repeat this descaling process until the reservoir is clean.
What To Feed Your Baby
Purees Vs. Finger Foods
Sometimes it isn’t easy to decide what to feed your baby, whether you should start with pureed food or go straight to finger foods while doing baby-led weaning.
If you’re unsure, it’s best to check the pros and cons of baby-led weaning vs. purées to help you pick the first foods to give your little one.
Commercial Vs. Homemade Baby Foods
Many busy moms love the convenience of buying commercial baby foods, with as many as 81% of babies under one year of age receiving these as complementary foods. (5)
However, HBBF (Healthy Babies Bright Futures) tests show that as many as 95% of commercial baby foods contain high heavy metal content (lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic). (6)
Regular consumption of foods containing heavy metals can lead to cancer and development issues in babies. Studies also show that it could cause behavioral problems like ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) or lower IQ. (6)
It might be time-consuming, but preparing homemade baby foods appears to be the healthier choice for our babies, mama.
Preparing Homemade Baby Foods
Are Baby Food Blenders Worth It?
Yes. The best baby food makers can be expensive, but they eventually pay for themselves if you regularly use them for baby food preparation.
Homemade baby food can be cheaper to make, even if you have to initially pay extra for the tools to make them at first.
For time-strapped, busy moms, using just one gadget for baby food preparation can be a deal-breaker. There’s no need to deal with (and clean up!) several kitchen appliances in order to prepare one batch of baby food.
What Appliance Is The Best For Making Baby Food?
A baby food processor with the capacity to steam and blend food from raw ingredients can be the best for making baby food.
You wouldn’t need many appliances for cooking and blending because you use the same gadget to do several processes.
Some baby food makers have powerful functions and can even do the steaming and blending in just one touch of a button.
However, we’re not saying that you should go out and buy one, especially if you don’t have plans to prepare your baby’s food regularly.
Baby food makers are best suited for moms who regularly prepare homemade baby food, whether you want to do it every meal or in batches.
If you don’t have, you can still use the following kitchen appliances:
- Oven
- Steam cooker
- Blender
- Food grinder or mill
- Food processor
- Baby bullet
- Immersion blender
- Pot and steamer basket
The downside to using these kitchen gadgets is that you’ll need to transfer the cooked baby food to the blender or food processor.
If using an immersion blender, for example, you might need to put the cooked food into a stainless steel or glass mixing bowl.
Baby Food Storage Tips
You can prepare your baby’s food in batches, then store them in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to use them. Here are some tips you can follow:
- Choose baby-safe containers for storing your baby’s food. While ice cube trays might be alright if you don’t have other options, it’s best to use silicone trays.
- You can opt to pop the frozen baby food into freezer bags. Don’t forget to label the contents and the date you prepared them.
- You can keep frozen baby foods for up to three months. Be sure to check for any signs of spoilage before thawing and giving to your baby.
Baby Food Storage Containers
- Baby Bliss Eco-Friendly Silicone Baby Food Freezer Storage Tray
- OXO Tot Baby Blocks Storage Containers
- OXO Tot Baby Food Freezer Tray
- Kiddo Feedo Baby Food Storage Container & Freezer Tray
- QOOC Baby Food Freezer Storage Container
- Mumu & Bubi Solids Starter Kit
- Sage Spoonfuls Glass Snack Pack
Other Baby Food Maker Brands
Multi-Function Food Makers
- BÉABA Babycook Duo 4-in-1 Baby Food Maker
- Babymoov Duo Meal Station Food Maker
- Homia Dansa 8 in 1 Smart Baby Food Processor
- Baby Brezza One Step Baby Food Maker (Glass)
- QOOC Mini Baby Food Maker Pro
- EVLA’s Baby Food Maker
Budget-Friendly Baby Food Processors
- NutriBullet Baby
- OXO Tot Mash Maker Baby Food Mill
Baby Food Pouch Makers
- Squooshi Filling Station Baby Food Pouch Maker
- Infantino Squeeze Station
REFERENCES
(1) https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/features/leadpoisoning/index.html
(2) https://doh.wa.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/Documents/Pubs//210-090E_BPAandPhthalates.pdf
(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4063249/
(4) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4298073/
(5) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20869494/
(6) https://www.healthybabyfood.org/sites/healthybabyfoods.org/files/2019-10/BabyFoodReport_FULLREPORT_ENGLISH_R5b.pdf