Cuisinart BFM-1000 Baby Food Maker and Bottle Warmer

with my first baby, i used a steamer and food processor to prepare all of her homemade food. when baby #2 came, i did not feel like i could do all that work. i'm a full time working mom and the thought of spending my evening hours doing everything else on top of preparing my baby's food made me want to just curl up and cry. then i saw my sister using a baby food maker and it was so easy, i decided to try this one. the price was a bit intimidating at first, but after using it for a few months, i knew it was the best investment i had ever made for my baby's diet. whenever i cooked food for my family, i would cut up extra veggies and meats, set aside some rice or oatmeal, then i would dump everything in here, fill the water to max and steam/puree. the baby food was that easy to make. and she always had healthy variety of meals always consisting of several veggies, protein and grains. i don't know if it's because of this but to this day (she's 14 mos), she is a great vegetable/meat eater.obviously, i'm not knocking on anyone who buys baby food. i bought plenty for my first kid. and i probably would have with my #2. however, if you WANT to try making all of your baby's food, but the thought of it intimidates you, you don't want to have giant steamers and food processors out on your countertop and sink all the time (i've been there), definitely give this a try.i loved :this keeps all the vegetable steamer water in the mix so you don't lose the nutrients.i don't have to cook each ingredient separately, but i could dump them all in this one containerit steams and purees in one container = less dishes!i don't have to make HUGE batches of one ingredient but they can get more fresh food without freezer burnin the end, saved me a ton of time and moneyi didn't love:the bottle warmer. never used it. the size didn't work and it was weird. it was much easier to just microwave water in a cup and do it that way.note:with all baby food makers, you have to remember that the container you pour water into is an enclosed space so mold can grow in there if you don't clean and dry out properly. after each use, i would flip over the entire unit over the sink to drain out whatever water is left then keep the lid open to let everything air dry. almost every 3 days, i would put vinegar/water in and let it sit over night, then drain and rinse with water and then keep the unit flipped upside down on my sink. i think this helped.

I resolved before my daughter was born to make my own baby food for her when the time came. I read reviews for every other baby food maker I could find. So why did I end up buying a model that had not yet been reviewed, and was relatively expensive compared to the other, more common baby food makers?First, I was looking for something superlatively efficient. I wanted consistent results from a compact machine. For the price I was willing to pay, the Cuisinart brand is a proven performer, and this machine lives up to the name. Admittedly, I've only had it a couple of weeks and used it a few times, but I'm very happy with the results so far. I've followed the directions exactly in terms of water amount and the size of the diced food I put in to be steamed, and the resulting puree has been perfectly consistent. I also love the efficiency of having all the steaming and pureeing in one bowl -- just turning a 3-position dial couldn't be easier.I haven't used the bottle warming function on this or any comparable machine.I like the size - it's about the size of a small coffee maker, like you might find in a hotel room. It has a small footprint and is unimposing on the countertop -- it doesn't scream 'baby appliance.' I'd love a model in black or stainless, but I'm not crazy enough about aesthetics to mind.Now, this isn't essential to the review, but a tidbit for those who will otherwise spend (waste) time wondering about the measuring cup like I did -- as far as I can tell, the strange cylindrical indentation on the bottom serves a few purposes - allows for easier measurement of the small amount of water needed for the bottle warming function, displaces enough volume in the main chamber of the cup so that the markings don't overlay the rubber strip, and sits slightly off-center in the bottom of the measuring cup so that it will be easier to pour water out of it when you use it to measure water for bottle-warming. For the OCD geek types out there, you're welcome. ;)*UPDATE*The machine is still performing superbly. I've now made an assortment of veggies, fruits, and meat purees and have yet to find a complaint about the consistency or function of the appliance. It's so easy to throw the bowl, blade, lid (and occasionally, measuring cup) in the top rack of the dishwasher.