It always seemed a no-brainer to me that I would make my daughter's baby food. It couldn't be that difficult, right? But throw in a clunky food processor requiring approximately one million parts, and then baby food that was not smooth enough to please my finicky first-time eater, and I was quickly feeling defeated. Then I discovered the game-changer...
...an under-used immersion blender in the back of our kitchen appliance cabinet.
While pregnant, I had actually turned down several offers from well-meaning friends and family members who desperately wanted me to own a Baby Bullet. I heeded the reviews that touted the appliance as cute but unnecessary. It appeared to serve the same purpose as our large and fancy food processor, which I assumed was the way to go. However, pulling out and then putting away a monstrosity of an appliance, a dishwasher full of dirty parts, and, worst of all, chunky food, proved me very wrong. For a moment I actually regretted my denial of needing the Bullet. There had to be a better way!
Then, while pulling out the food processor one more time, I rediscovered and tried the immersion blender on a whim. It was glorious! Now I can't imagine making baby food without it.
I use a Cuisinart model, which is simple and small. I don't have to bend at the knees to lug it out of the cabinet, it doesn't splatter or make a mess, it results in perfectly smooth purees, and there is only one piece that goes into the dishwasher after. And in an unexpected benefit, the parts that touch the food are all metal, and it doesn't require that the food be in a particular container, so the food doesn't come into contact with plastic as it does in a food processor.
Of course not everyone's baby food-making experiences are equal, and I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments. What are your secrets to easy homemade baby food?
Related: The #1 Multi-Tasking Gadget You Should Have In Your Small Kitchen
(Image: Anjali Prasertong)
→
How to Cook Rice on the Stove
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Straw Mat from The ...
10 No-Fail Decor Tricks & Tips for Small Spaces
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
My full sized Cuisinart does a great job pureeing--no chunks. I used a cheap model with my first baby, and it did not do nearly as good of a job at the Cuisinart. Sure, I have to stop and scrape down the sides a few times, but I prefer to make my purees in large batches and freeze. Plus I feel the processor does a better job than the immersion blender pureeing without added liquid. (I prefer to add pumped milk to thawed out food to thin rather than adding liquid while pureeing.)
I have the exact same immersion blender. I used for the exactly opposite reason you do--to make chunky purees. Once my daughter got a little older and was on table food, I just pulsed a few times I chop up whatever we were having for dinner.
But as with ALL aspects of parenting--do whatever works for you!
I used a food mill for most of my little guy's baby food. I just steamed some fruits or veggies, put it in, cranked it, and voila! Baby food! As long as I rinsed it off right away, it wasn't too bad to wash and there were only three parts. So much easier than using the food processor!
I have the same one, and I love it! Mine also came with a mini food processor attachment for it - so helpful!
Today, I discussed some of my other favorite kitchen equipment:
http://www.foxeslovelemons.com/2013/02/kitchen-equipment-essentials-part-i.html
I also have an immersion blender and love it. I was wondering though- do you have any recipes to share for the baby food? My sister is a soon-to-be first time mom and I am now thinking of getting her a blender for this specific purpose.
I am a huge fan of immersion blenders, for soups and for morning smoothies. It is prefect for one person smoothies and as for soups, you can blend it in your soup pot! Wrote a blog post about it a few months ago. http://www.myfoodandotherstuff.com/2012/11/immersion-hand-blender.html
I stumbled upon the beauty of the immersion blender for baby food in the same way you did---there HAD to be a better way! becca0727, I have Tyler Florence's baby/kid food cookbook which I recommend for long term, but as infants grow and change their food needs/abilities so fast, the easiest thing I found was to look at the commercial food packages in my baby's age range and copy the combinations. Plum Organics and Earth's Best has some great combinations that are so much better that "strained peas, etc." Congrats to your family on the new addition :)
I'm not quite in the baby-food-making phase of life just yet (which isn't to say that I don't plan to be...), but I've got to say that I LOVE my immersion blender! My NYC apartment has a small kitchen and my roommates don't cook that much, so there was no reason to buy a full food processor. Instead, I made sure to buy an immersion blender with a bowl attachment, which serves multiple purposes (pesto, salsa, etc.) This past weekend, I even used the immersion stick to beat eggs for a fritatta, since I also don't own an eggbeater!
I used a small prep processor like this one which was perfect to get a full ice cube tray worth of purees at a time. I found that making batches and storing in the freezer was better for me. It was also an easy tool to get a smooth consistency. I like the idea of the immersion stick too, though!
I'm crazy for any kitchen appliance, especially my stand mixer and immersion blender!! I use it all the time to thicken stews and soups as well as making delicious smoothies for my son's snacks!!
No 'eggbeater' you say? So how exactly did you eat your fritatta if you don't own any forks?
One of my great kitchen moments occurred when I realized that the business end of my immersion blender is just narrow enough to fit easily into the neck of the glass jars that our household's preferred brands of peanut butter (Teddie peanut butter) come in, and also into the wide-mouthed jars that salsa is often packed in.
Because I always have a half-dozen of those jars on the shelf, it's easy to make sauces or dressings or purees right in the jar, then cap it. Baby food is probably just as easy to make in the jar.
My secret was to not give my baby any "baby food". Based on reading the book "Baby Led Weaning". No need for any blending when you follow this method. So much easier than spoon feeding!
Another recommendation for "Baby Led Weaning". Can't say enough good things about this method.
That said, the immersion blender is the king of kitchen tools in my book. When my four year old is late for school, a quick smoothie for the car ride is just the ticket.