Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker
by Beaba
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Our Price: $114.49 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: Baby Product See more product details |
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Baby Products Reviews of Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker
Customer Review: Serious Danger to Baby's Health-PLEASE READ BEFORE BUYING
Summary: 1 Stars
I cannot urge parents enough to NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT for your child or, for that matter, ANY other child. I normally hate it when people use caps to voice a strong opinion, but for this review, I make an exception. I feel it is my duty as a fellow parent to inform others so they can protect their children from the effects of this product.
What some of the other reviewers have written is true: this machine grows mold. The only reason why other reviewers haven't written the same is because they either cannot see the mold, are mistaking the mold for water deposits (or the type of water they used) or are mistaking the mold for food build up (or food accidentally getting into the water reservoir).
I ran the vinegar cleaning through it so many times, I was sure it boiled out any kind of buildup that could possibly be in there, but I was wrong. I do not believe you can ever fully rid the reservoir of every last trace of mold and no matter what you use to clean it (though I would doubt anyone would use anything more harsh than vinegar or anything edible because of the purpose of the water reservoir), it will come back.
I am worried that parents have trusted that this "cleaning" gets this clean and sterile for continued use.
I also noticed decay of some kind on the side vent, which is impossible to even TRY to clean.
This machine is not safe for food preparation of any kind for anyone, MUCH LESS a baby.
If you are looking at this babycook, you are wanting to give your baby a healthier start in life. You will do that if you do not cook their food with the Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker.
If you are reading this, ask yourself: if even just a FEW of the comsumers of this product found mold growing inside of it, WHY RISK BEING ANOTHER? Keep your baby safe from this machine. DO NOT BUY.
Customer Review: Works Wonders
Summary: 5 Stars
I've read all of the reviews on Amazon and have to agree with the majority of posters - it's an amazing appliance. It saves me time and allows me to know with certainty what Baby is eating. Because of it's versatility, you can really experiment with a variety of recipes with the simplicity of just adding cubed veggies and fruit. My only suggested food to refrain - cooking beginner meats such as chicken or beef. I cooked chicken and unfortunately minces the meat as opposes to a true puree. (Note: this could entirely just be a function of adding more water during the blend which I have yet to experiment with)
The trick to the Babycook is to read the manual and employ some common sense. Here are some suggestions to the common complaints:
1) Mold in the reservoir - common sense suggestion: Let your unit air dry by removing the reservoir lid after each use prior to storing it away. We wouldn't put blenders, food processors or most appliances away wet, treat the babycook the same way. In addition, make sure only water is placed in the reservoir (i.e. without any trace foods which could occur when making multiple batches)
2) Mold on the blade - as shown in the instruction booklet: remove the gasket and cleaning is simple as using a sponge or a brush. It's really hard to get into the grooves without removing the rubber seal. Reattaching it is super easy as well.
3) Brown murky water - usually because of the after effects of descaling. Vinegar browns when scalded so it is likely that this is the cause. To remedy, as per the instructions, run a couple cycles to rinse out your unit. Common sense tip: regular descaling doesn't mean a couple months in between. It means every week if you use your babycook daily.
Customer Review: It makes food prep fun
Summary: 5 Stars
I am not a chef or even much of a cook. I bought this hoping it would make preparing food for my 7 month old easy and convenient and it is. I spend large parts of my weekends making all kinds of baby food because it is so fun and so very easy. Before I got the Babycook I used my magic bullet which was easy as well but it wasn't nearly as convenient as I had to boil the apples (I don't have a steamer) and then I could only do a little amount at a time as the magic bullet can only handle so much due to space and power issues. The Babycook is small but it is better than pulling out the wedding gift blender that hides in the back of the pantry.
I just read a review about getting mold in the steaming chamber so I rushed over to check to see if I had any especially since I tend to leave the water in there between uses but no, it was clean. I will empty out the water after use in the future and keep an eye out but so far all is well.
I also read a review where they said that your baby would grow to not need this but what I have found is that is works great for adults too. My husband does not like vegetables and I have to admit I am not good about eating them myself so how do I handle that now? I use tricks from Jessica Seinfeld's "Deceptively Delicious" and add the pureed veggies to our adult dishes. I don't feel as bad eating a large slice of macaroni and cheese pie if it has cauliflower and butternut squash puree in it. So not only am I saving $$ by not buying packaged babyfood but I am also adding good nutrients to our food as well. Will I recoup the cost of the unit when all is said and done? Who knows and frankly this penny pinching mommy doesn't really care.
Customer Review: Perfect size, easy to use
Summary: 5 Stars
I love this little device - it doesn't take up too much space in the cabinet and is so easy to use and clean up after. I read the other reviews so I knew to start making food before my little one was ready for solids. This turned out to be perfect - whenever I see fruits and veggies on sale (over ripe organic bananas .35 / lb) or we have more than we need in the fridge I just turn it in to baby food. One batch in the Beaba fills an ice cube tray, which keeps me from making too much of any one thing. That way in the future if I want to serve chicken & rice with apples, I just thaw a cube of each and mix. If I had to steam everything in one set of pans, then get the big blender dirty I would give up on making my own baby food in a hurry! I love knowing exactly what is in my baby's food and being able to offer a much larger variety than what you can get in the jars - bell peppers, asparagus, mango, etc.
Skip the specialty storage containers - ice cube trays are perfect. Cover with plastic wrap, freeze, dump in to a Ziploc bag. Also skip the cookbooks - no need to create fancy mixes ahead of time and you'll start feeling like you are spending longer on baby food than dinner. I was disappointed that the Beaba did not come with basic instructions for categories of fruits, veggies, meats (just a few sample combo recipes), but I found this great website that has all the basics, fancier recipes, nutritional info - without paying anything or giving them your email address: [...].
Haven't encountered any of the "brown film" issues - being careful to take the lid off the steam compartment immediately and leave it off when it is put away.
Customer Review: Great except for one huge design flaw
Summary: 1 Stars
I got the Beaba Babycook as a gift, and adored it for several weeks. I work and have very little spare time to spend in the kitchen, so I loved being able to steam and puree my baby's food without having to clean multiple pots and pans. Then, after about a month of regular use, I noticed a foul odor coming from the well where the water goes. I looked inside and saw that a brown crust had formed there. I figured it must be lime deposit that had turned brown from being exposed to the hot temperature of the babycook, but when I tried to descale the well, the vinegar did almost nothing to remove the brown deposit, even after several attempts. I was also very worried to see that the water that ended up in the steamer basket was brown, thus suggesting that if I tried steaming more veggies, the deposit would end up in my baby's food.
I contacted the manufacturer, and they recommended using distilled water (although there was no mention of this in the manual). So, I exchanged my now completely dysfunctional Babycook for a new one, and tried again. Within two days the brown film had developed, even though I was using distilled water. I don't know much about appliance design, but I figure there must be something really wrong with this gadget if it takes only a few days for such a deposit to form. And the odor is truly foul - no way I want my baby's food within a foot of whatever it is that collects there.
I don't see any mention of this problem in other reviews, but at the same time, I can't imagine that I am the only person this has happened to, given that it happened TWICE to me. Too bad - I really loved the idea behind this product!