Baby & Mommy Must-haves Event #17: Beaba Babycook Babyfood Maker ~ Review & Giveaway

I want nothing but the best for my kids. This not only includes the products we use in our home, but also the foods they eat. I knew from the moment I became a mom that I wanted to make their baby food from scratch and was able to do so with both Kaelyn and Kaden. It has helped give me peace of mind knowing what is going into their food and that it is as healthy for them as possible. With baby #3 due in just a few weeks, the thought of homemade baby food has crossed my mind a lot. I want to find a way to make it easier and less time-consuming this time around (without having to get out the pots and pans, the big blender, etc), which is why I was happy when introduced to the Beaba Babycook!! Now, making his/her baby food will be easier than ever!
BEABA was born in 1989 with the goal of creating innovative products for the juvenile industry. Introducing a range of 7 products, it's no wonder they quickly became a popular brand with mothers who were looking for practical, multifunctional, compact and smartly designed accessories! As I browsed their website, I was especially drawn to the Beaba Babycook and couldn't have been happier to learn we were going to have the opportunity to review one!

The Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker is a one of a kind, patented compact countertop appliance that functions as a steamer, blender, warmer and defroster all in one! Helping moms prepare fresh, healthy meals for their baby, it is a practical solution to steam cooking veggies, fruits, and meats in less than just 15 minutes, while preserving their vitamins and flavors! It also purees the food to the deired consistency and can be used to reheat or defrost precooked foods as well.
Features/Benefits:

• Multifunctional - steamer, blender, defroster and warmer
• Easy to clean - top rack dishwasher safe or hand wash
• Bowl has a 2 1/2 C capacity, is unbreakable and BPA Free
  
• Unit also includes cooking basket (BPA free also), spatula and recipe booklet
• Super fast cooking - 15 minutes or less
• Cook fruits, veggies, meats and even grains (thin or thick purees)
  

Knowing that I'll be making this baby's baby food in just a matter of months, I was really excited to come across such a versatile, practical product for busy moms and couldn't wait to receive one to review and check it out for our ourselves. Could it really be as great as it sounded?! The answer is YES!!

When the Beaba Babycook arrived, I was impressed with the size of the box. I thought it was going to be another large appliance that I wouldn't have room for, but thankfully, I couldn't have been more wrong!

Pulling it out of the box, I found the Beaba Babycook to be compact and the perfect size for using and storing. Of course, the new color option...Gipsy, caught my eye right away as well! I love it!! It's very attractive looking and something I don't mind having sit out on my counter for people to see.

Aside from the Beaba Babycook appliance and bowl, I also found the box included a cooking basket, spatula, gasket, mixing lid, bowl lid, and recipe booklet! Basically, it had everything I need to prepare baby food in the easiest and healthiest way possible. I couldn't wait to test it out!

First, as recommended in the user instructions, I cleaned it by completing 3 cooking cycles with water only and then the accessories with warm, soapy water. Of course, I then tried it out to see just how great this product really is and now, can't get enough! My kids love homemade applesauce, so even though we don't have a little one to make baby food for just yet, we've been able to use it several times to prepare delicious applesauce for the whole family! In just a few simple steps, it's cooked and ready to eat!

To begin the baby food making process, I first measured out the amount of water needed. The lower part of the bowl is marked with a 1-3 measuring scale. These mark lines are for measuring how much water to pour into the heating reservoir and so set the cooking time. The amount of water needed depends on the food being used.

In the user manual there's a convenient cooking guide which lists the level of water need for everything from vegetables, meat, fish, and fruit. I found that apples needed 2 measures of water, so I filled the bowl to the line marked with a 2.


At this point, I simply poured the water into the heating reservoir at the top of the Beaba Babycook appliance.

I then cut up an apple and placed the pieces into the cooking basket.
I love that Beaba has thought of safety with every step! The unit will only work once everything is locked into place. Once I had the lid on and locked, as well as the bowl in place on the pedestal, I was ready to get started.

I plugged in the appliance and turned the button to the left towards the steam symbol. A light indicator on the button immediately went on, letting me know that it was steaming.
No matter what kind of food you're making, it cooks in 15 minutes or less. I found the apples took about 15 minutes exactly and knew they were were done being cooked when the indicator light on the button turned off.
Carefully taking off the lid on the bowl, I was able to safely remove the basket of hot apples with the handy spatula. It simply slides through the basket handles! I seriously think Beaba has thought of everything!!

In the bottom of the bowl was some of the water left over from the steaming process. By saving the condensed water after steaming and using it in the pureeing process, I am able to add valuable nutrients back into my kids' food. It also helps make any stage baby or toddler food and get the food to the desired consistency (thin to thick). With apples, I didn't need all of the left over water, but used some of it to get the right consistency for applesauce. I poured off the excess and then dumped the basket of apples right into the bowl.

After placing the mixing lid on the bowl, locking the lid into place, and locking the whole unit onto the pedestal again...I was ready to start blending. I simply turned the button to the right towards the blender symbol until I got the right consistency.

I was amazed how quickly it worked, and impressed with how well it pureed! I have never found an appliance that worked this quickly or well!!

In no time I had steamed and blended the apples...all with one appliance. I absolutely love not having to get out the pots and pans and big blender. This appliance is multifunctional and compact, making it super easy and fast to prepare homemade baby food. It is much more convenient than the way I have made baby food in the past and has me excited to make it for our little one once he/she is old enough.

The following is a quick clip I made, showing how easy it is to make homemade baby food with the Beaba Babycook.


The Beaba Babycook can also be used to easily reheat prepared baby food, as well as defrost it. As I said, this machine is very versatile and really offers everything you could need to prepare your baby's food. I have enjoyed the great features that not only make making baby food easy, but also fun!

One thing I always dread about any cooking, is all the dishes and cleaning involved. I am always looking for products that make clean-up a breeze, and the Beaba Babycook definitely does! I don't have all the pans and things to clean... just the spatula, lids, basket and bowl! I can either wash them by hand or put them on the top rack of the dishwasher. Either way...it couldn't be easier or faster!

If you can't tell, I am more than thrilled with the Beaba Babycook! The quality is fantastic, and the time and thought that went into making it such a practical, easy to use appliance for busy parents is evident! I can't wait to use it even more once our little one is eating solids and will be sharing about this product with any new mom I know! In my opinion, this would make the ideal baby gift and is a definite mommy must-have!

Buy It: You can purchase the Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker from Scandinavian Child for $150.

Win It: One very lucky reader is going to win a Gipsy Beaba Babycook of their own!

Mandatory Entry - Visit Scandinavian Child and let me know another product you'd love to have.

Extra Entries: (Only valid after the mandatory entry has been completed. Leave 1 comment for each extra entry)

1. 1 extra entry - Like Beaba Babycook on Facebook

2. 1 extra entry - Like Scandinavian Child on Facebook

3. 1 extra entry - Follow Beaba Babycook on Twitter

4. 1 extra entry - Follow Scandinavian Child on Twitter

5. 3 extra entries- Blog about this giveaway (linking to this post and Beaba) and leave THREE comments with the URL to that post.

6. 1 extra entry- Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (You can tweet once a day for one extra entry every day)! You can copy and paste:

#WIN a Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker from @Beabausa and @ScanChild! http://bit.ly/s22wlo Ends 11/14

7. 3 extra entries- Post my blog button or blog URL to your blog and leave a comment with the URL to your blog. (If it already is, leave me a comment letting me know)

8. 2 extra entries- subscribe to A Mom's Balancing Act via e-mail (found along the side column) and leave TWO comments letting me know.

9. 2 extra entries- 'Like' A Mom's Balancing Act on Facebook

10. 2 extra entries- Follow my blog publicly on Google Friend Connect

This giveaway will end November 14th and is open to the US Only

**The products for this review and giveaway were provided for free. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.