Finding the Best Baby Food Mills for Nutritious Homemade Purees

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By now you probably already know about most of the benefits that come from making your own baby’s food.  Not only are homemade baby foods healthier and more cost effective, it is also a great way to showcase some creativity when it comes to flavor combinations and textures.  This cannot only allow you to try out some new fruits and veggies with your child, but it can also open up a whole new world of flavors for your little one.  While it is perfectly okay to hand mash these foods down to a perfect paste for your child to easily eat, there is an easy way.  Baby food mills have been the number one choice among many parents when it comes to creating some truly delicious concoctions.  While there are other ways to make baby food, like suing s food processors, there are some advantages to keeping it simple.

Why choose a baby food mill?

When it comes to the purest form of mixing together ingredients for your child, using one of the best baby food mills is the way to go.  Here are some reasons why so many parents choose to stick with the basics:

  • Not cords or electricity:

Baby food mills are stand alone products that don’t require a plug or any electricity.  This is one of the reasons why they are such a great option for travel.  You can easily throw one of these little mills into your child’s diaper bag when you are ready to go.  This allows you to always be able to make fresh food on the road.  Also, because you are using no electricity it makes the product safer to use around curious little hands.  You can even let your little one lend you hand when it comes time to whipping up their favorite foods for the week.  These products are also preferred by families who like to live a more green life.  This is because there is no wasted power which can also save you money in the long run.

  • Easy to clean:

Many times, baby food mills come with very parts and pieces which makes clean up super easy.  Sometimes you can find a great baby food mill that also is dishwasher safe.  Once you are done blending up some great foods, either give the mill a quick rinse in the sink and or a run through the dishwasher and you are ready to go.  No need to worry about messy parts of unsafe cords getting in the way.

  • Small and compact:

Unlike baby food processors, baby food mills require no clunky bases or stands.  This is one of the reasons why baby food mills are perfect for families who don’t have a lot of extra kitchen space.  This is because these amazing little tools are much more compact that food processors.  These mills will easily fit in drawers or small cabinets.  You no longer need to worry about bulky bases and machines taking up any more counter top space.

How to use a food mill?

If you want to give baby food mills a go but you don’t quite know how they work, don’t worry.  It is really quite easy!  Baby food mills use a crank like design that you would see in other food mills products like flour mills or potato mills.  These neat little devices use a crank that is usually featured at the top of the mill.  You can add any type of foods that are safe enough for your child, as long as they are softened enough to mash, and then turn the crank.  Usually at the base of these mills is a flat surface where the perfectly mashed food will come out.  You can either blend the food into a large bowl or directly into storage containers for quick and easy storing.  Best of all, by using a food mill you can even run the food you are making through the device easily so that you can truly customize the texture of the food for your little one.  It has never been simpler.

 Now that you know why you should try a baby food mill and how to use it, it is time to start shopping!  Here are some of the best baby food mills available on the market today.

 Munchkin Baby Food Grinder

Features:

  • Color options
  • Works on the go
  • No batteries or electricity
  • Hand crank
  • Flat base
  • No slip base
  • Dishwasher safe

With the Munchkin Baby Food Grinder you are getting all of the benefits of making homemade baby food, with the convenience of a truly portable product.  This baby food mill is a basic food mill design that you may be used to seeing.  There is a long cylinder in the middle of the product that works with grinders and gears to perfectly mash food into a manageable puree for little mouths.  The bottom of this fold mill is covered in no slip silicone that helps to keep the mill in place while in use.  You can easily use this mill directly on your countertop or even into a large mixing bowl.  Using a crank motion, you simply pass the softened foods through the machine and wait for the final product to come out of the other end.  Your food can take a few passes through the machine until you are happy with the results.  Once you are done cranking out some great food, simply unscrew the pieces and throw them in the top rack of your dishwasher.  This not only helps to make clean up easy but also works to sanitize the mill.  From there you can throw the mill in a drawer until you are ready to use it again!

Why should you buy it?  Here are some thoughts that other parents had about the Munchkin Baby Food Grinder:

Pros:

  • Sturdy and durable
  • Doesn’t slide around
  • Easy to crank
  • Cost effective
  • Grates are covered for safety
  • Great for the price
  • Mashes food perfectly
  • Feels comfortable in hand

Cons:

  • Leaks if you use water
  • Broke quickly
  • Hand crank gets stuck
  • Screws get loose quickly
  • If food is too hard it will not grind

OXO Tor Mash Maker Baby Food Mill

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  • Stainless steel blades
  • Grinding plate
  • Easy scoop top
  • Non-skid base
  • Can work with liquid
  • No batteries needed
  • Bright green and white pattern
  • Small and compact
  • Great for travel
  • Thumb grip handle
  • Safe and seal top

Features:

The OXO Tot Mash Maker Baby Food Mill is one of the best baby foods mills that come from a trusted kitchen brand.  OXO has been at the top of many people’s list when it comes to high quality kitchen devices that not only look cool but are super durable.  This food mill stays true to this high standard.  This food mill features a flat base which is covered in silicone that will grip to your countertops.  You will love the hand crank that features a little thumb grip that will allow you to have a better grasp on the crank.  The one features that sets this baby food mill apart from others is the safe and seal top.  This little top not only helps to keep you safe from splashing and messes, but also opens up to reveal a bigger purpose.  Because of the wide opening top, all you have to do is remove to top to get quick access to the food.  This means that you can scoop out the blended food right from the top so that you don’t have to worry about messy countertops.  Also, unlike other food mills, this one is meant to work perfectly with water.  Some many food mills leak when there is too much moisture, not this one!  So throw in all the starchy water you want, the results will be amazing!

Is this the right baby food mill for you?  Here is what other parents think about the OXO Tot Mash Maker Baby Food Mill:

Pros:

  • Easy to use
  • Easy to clean
  • Works perfectly on soft foods
  • Looks adorable
  • Grinding plates make all the difference
  • Never slides around
  • Easy to grip crank
  • Grinds meats perfectly
  • Easy to travel with

Cons:

  • Feels cheap and flimsy
  • Has a weird plastic smell
  • Only works on cooked foods
  • Feels like it is going to break
  • Hard to hand wash

Green Sprouts Baby Food Mill

Features:

  • BPA Free
  • No batteries or electricity needed
  • Separates seeds
  • Hand operated
  • Stainless steel blades
  • Stainless steel strainer
  • Dishwasher safe
  • Compact and portable
  • Easy to use
  • Comfort grip design

The Green Sprouts Baby Food Mill is one of the best baby food mills because it does one very important step for you.  This will not only save you some serious food prep time, but will also make a smoother textured food for your little one to enjoy.  This is because this baby food mill does the job of removing seeds and other unneeded clumps for you.  Using a special stainless steel blade in combination with the stainless steel strain, the device grinds down food to a perfect paste while also separating the seeds from the final product.  This is great news for parents who don’t have too much time to spend on prepping baby food for the week.  Many times when working with foods that are heavy in seeds, like apples and berries, you have to hand remove all of the seeds first.  With the Green Sprouts Baby Food Mill, you never again have to waste precious moments by doing this often time tedious task.

With the Green Sprouts Baby Food Mill you can rest easy knowing that the whole product is BPA free.  This is important because when certain plastics are made with BPA is can cause a dangerous situation when using the product with heat.  Once heated, BPA plastics can omit chemicals into foods that can have lasting effects on your little one’s health.  Because this product is being used with warm foods that are been prepped and cooked beforehand, having a BPA free baby food mill is a major plus.  You can easily throw in some steam veggies and fruits knowing that whatever amazing creation you come up with will be perfectly safe and healthy.  You will also love the fact that this baby food mill will also remove and tough skins from your final puree.  When it comes to picky kids, a lot of the time it has less to do with the flavor of the foods and more to do with the texture.  So having a product that takes the extra steps to keep the puree smooth and edible is extremely important.

Why should you buy it?  Here are some great selling points that other parents had to say about the Green Sprouts Baby Food Mill:

Pros:

  • Great simple product
  • No fuss, easy to use
  • Directions were clear
  • Mill turns with ease
  • Trusted BPA free brand
  • Budget friendly

Cons:

  • Takes a few passes to get smooth
  • Harder time breaking down proteins like meat
  • Handle broke quickly
  • Seeds are hard to clean out of strainer

Fit & Fresh – Fresh Starts Baby Food Mill with 1-Cup Reusable Container

Features:

  • BPA free reusable container
  • Purees any softened food with ease
  • Grinds food into perfect texture
  • PVC free
  • Dishwasher safe
  • Microwave safe container
  • Freezer safe
  • Measurement markings on container
  • Hand crank handle
  • Budget friendly
  • All in one system

If you are in the market for a great baby food mill that has everything you need all rolled up into one system, then you should give the Fresh Starts Baby Food Mill a chance.  This set not only comes with an amazing baby food mill but also comes with a reusable storage container.  This means that you can grind your baby’s food directly into this container which will save you time when it comes to extra dishes.  You also easily keep track of the amount of food you are making and the amount of food your child is eating with the easy to read measurements that are marked directly onto the side of the container.  This container is perfect when it comes to storing baby food too because it is completely freezer safe.  Once you’re done making the food for the day, simply store it away in the freezer until you are ready to use it again.  You can also rest easy knowing that this container is BPA and PVC free.  This also makes this product not only dishwasher safe but microwave safe too!

This product not only claims to break down softer foods like fruits with ease but also promised to more easily break down tougher proteins like chicken and other meats.  This is because the stainless steel grinding plates and blade work in perfect harmony to create a serious smooth puree for your little one to enjoy.  Parents who use this product love the hand crank.  It doesn’t get stuck like many other brands of baby food mills do.  It turns with ease each and every time so that you don’t have to put too much effort into making the perfectly textured food each and every time. You don’t always have to use the measurement container either.  If you are planning on baby food in large batches you can just easily grind the food down into a large mixing bowl and store it in smaller containers from there.  With the Fresh Starts Baby Food Mill the options are truly endless.

Why should you buy it?  Here are some things that other parents loved, and hated, about the Fresh Starts Baby Food Mill:

Pros:

  • Feels comfortable when holding it
  • Doesn’t strain hands
  • Container is easy to clean
  • Fits perfect in small spaces
  • Great for travel
  • Perfect for eating out with a little one

Cons:

  • Extremely hard to clean
  • Hard to grind unless food is soft
  • Blade doesn’t seem very sharp
  • Doesn’t grind the food well

Kidco Deluxe Food Mill with Travel Case

Features:

  • Travel friendly
  • Comes with travel case
  • Easy to turn handle
  • Stainless steel blades
  • Dishwasher safe
  • Comfort grip body
  • Compact and small
  • Easy to store
  • Comes with serving cup
  • Non-skid base
  • Snap on storage lid
  • Stainless steel strainer

If you were to take all of the best features of the other best baby food mills and combined them into one you would get the Kidco Deluxe Food Mill.  This is the absolute one stop shop when it comes to effortlessly making baby food.  One of the things that many parents love about baby food mills is that they are perfect to bring to restaurants.  If you are trying to get your child to try more foods in hopes of expanding their taste horizons, you should give this neat little trick a chance.  By taking a baby food mill along with you when you and the family are eating out, you can quickly grind food down right at the table so that your child can try more flavors and textures which will eventually help them learn to self feed.  Not only does this device make some great baby food, it also encourages important milestones and growth.  The one feature that makes it perfect for traveling is the traveling case that is included.  This nylon case keeps this baby food mill clean and ready to use every time you are ready.

With the Kidco Deluxe Food Mill you are also getting storage and serving container.  This allows you to quick make fast baby food right into the small included bowl.  This will help to make family dinners with a little one go smoother.  Now you can spend less time in the kitchen making up a special separate batch of food for your baby and spend more time at the table bonding with your child.  Simply throw in whatever veggies that you have prepared for your meal that day, along with some protein like chicken, a little bit of liquid to help soften them and blend away.  Your child will feel like a big kid and a real part of the family by being able to eat big kid food right alongside the rest of the family.  The stainless steel blade and strainer also works to remove hard skins and seeds from the purees so that you can spend less time paying attention to foods you are preparing and more time enjoying the company of your little one.  Lastly, you will love the non-slip base.  This will allow you to blend foods right onto a plate for your child or into a small bowl without worrying about slipping or spilling.

Is this the right baby food mill for you?  Here is what other parents had to say about it:

Pros:

  • Great for eating out
  • Keeps in car for travel
  • Great back up
  • Makes the perfect amount each time

Cons:

  • Wishes it made more food at once
  • Handle broke quickly
  • Doesn’t grind as smoothly as expected

Final Thoughts

Now that you have found one of the best baby food mills that will fit perfectly into your life, it is time to hit the store because you are on your way to some amazing homemade foods.  Here are some great flavor combinations that you should give a try!

  • Mixed Berries:

As long as your child doesn’t have any berry allergies, trying a mixed berry puree is a great way to offer your child some sweetness without all the extra sugar.  Start by using fresh and clean berries.  Take a variety of berries like strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.  You can choose whatever is fresh and in season.  The make things go even smoother, cook the berries down slightly and drain to remove seeds.  Run this mixture through your baby food mills a couple times until smooth.  To add a little bit of extra texture and thickness, try throwing in some banana.  The results are easy and delicious.

  • Butternut squash and sweet potato:

This tasty combo is a favorite with curious little taste buds.  This is the perfect blend of everything tasty that fall has to offer.  Fall is one of the best times to find delicious flavors that you won’t be able to find year round and such a great price, so stock up!  Because squash and sweet potatoes are a much denser texture, you need to make sure that is properly prepared.  Cube these veggies in to manageable pieces and cook down using with boiling water or a steamer.  If you do boil them, save some of that starchy water to use as a thickener.  Give the cooked veggies a few passes thought the baby food mill, adding a little water to help is thicken up, and you’re done!  Feel free to store this mixture away so you can enjoy the fall for seasons to come.

  • Updated applesauce:

Another staple in any fridge when it comes to homemade baby food is applesauce, but this can get boring for little ones fast!  Try kicking up your applesauce recipe a little bit by trying out different combinations.  Apples and cranberries is one classic combination that all keeps little taste buds guessing.  This is because the crisp apple and the tart berries make a perfect pair.  Try throwing in a little banana for some extra flavor!  Like with most recipes, make sure that the fruits are cooked down before hand and you are one your way to a week’s worth of tasty combos.

  • Chicken dinner:

Once your child gets a little older, you can start introducing whole new flavors like chicken and turkey.  No need to go out of your way either!  If you are preparing chicken for dinner that night, just make a little bit extra without any extra seasoning, oils or fats.  That’s right!  Baby food mills will even help to break tougher proteins like chicken.  Mix this chicken up with whatever veggies you are preparing that night, peas make a great side, and blend together in the food mill for a perfect complete dinner for your child.  If you run a vegetarian house but still want to give your child some protein, try looking into soften beans as a replacement for chicken.

It is important to remember that before starting your child on a solid food diet that you should always check with this pediatrician to see what foods they would recommend as safe to try.  Also, when making baby food make sure to follow certain safety instructions, like using the baby mill on a flat surface, letting food cool before blending, and keep wandering little fingers away from the gears.  With a little bit of planning and creativity you are well on your way to having some amazing food combinations for your child.  Your baby, and their tummies, will thank you!

As we conclude this discussion on the best baby food mills, remember that there’s a wide array of options available to suit every family’s unique needs. Parenthood is a journey filled with discovery, and by embracing the diversity of options, you can find the perfect fit for you and your little one, and in this case you can consider exploring the comprehensive list below for additional recommendations. Happy parenting!

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