They say having kids is expensive. Just ask Jessica – she and her husband managed to squeak by sharing one vehicle until recently – those kids’ activity schedules started to necessitate a divide and conquer strategy so a second vehicle was purchased!
Allow us to help you start saving for those activities and extra cars now! Here are a few of our favourite, tried-and-tested, loved-and-cherished kitchen gadgets. Our babies are not so baby anymore *insert sad face* and these are the tools we’ve continued to use into toddlerhood and beyond. You’ll save money on the stuff you don’t need by only spending money on the products that really stand the test of time (aka will last you past the purée stages of feeding your baby).
Blender
A blender is a highly versatile tool! You can use it to prepare purée texture foods, a minced texture, or even liquid smoothies as well. Truly, of all the items we adore and use the most frequently, our blenders take the Olympic gold medal!
When it comes to blenders, you’ve got options. Skip the ones marketed specifically for baby food because the volume they typically hold isn’t ideal for the long term. Instead, look for a high powered blender. In our homes, we’ve both made the investment to purchase a Vitamix and we have zero regrets. It’s used almost daily for things like soup, dips, sauces, and smoothies. If you’re on the fence, a friend once told us “at some point, you’re going to get a Vitamix so you might as well try to get it sooner to make it worth it” and she was right!
An immersion blender is also just as helpful. It’s great for when you just want to blend up a small volume of food for your baby. Many parents go into starting solids thinking that they will make large batches of puréed foods for their babies. But, in reality, the exclusively puréed stage doesn’t last very long. It’s much more practical to take a bit of the food you’ve prepared for your family and adjust the texture to match your baby’s stage.
In everyday cooking you can use it to make whipping cream or use in large pots of soup or curry. We’re a little extra (but we come by it honestly because we’re major foodies) so we have both a high speed blender and an immersion blender!
Take it from us, a good blender is indispensable.
Mandoline Slicer
Everything is better in chip form, right? Right!
A mandoline is a really neat kitchen gadget that allows you to quickly and uniformly slice fruits and vegetables into thin, even pieces, which is perfect for making chip-like shapes. These thin slices can be baked or steamed until soft for a soft, perfect baby led weaning food.
But of course, the “BLW” phase won’t last forever. We now use the mandoline for delicious salads, stir-fries, a classic French dish affectionately known as Potatoes au Gratin, and for getting that perfectly sliced tomato for burgers!
Food processor
Chop, grind, blend, and more—this kitchen workhorse will save you time and effort, whether you’re making a quick batch of baby food or prepping ingredients for dinner.
We like the small size for (you guessed it!) setting aside a small amount of your family’s dinner to pulse to the right consistency to match your baby’s age and stage in texture progression. Remember- you want to keep gently challenging your baby to practice eating less puréed textures so you don’t want to only make giant patches of smooth, puréed baby food. They might outgrow it before they eat it all!
Larger food processors are great for making veggie burgers, seed butters, toddler energy balls, or for shredding carrots and zucchini for muffins.
PRO PARENTING TIP: even if your child doesn’t have an allergy to peanuts or nuts, introduce them to the taste of alternative butters like sunflower seed butter early on. That way, when they head off to school, they already enjoy the taste of a convenient school-safe option!
Crinkle cutter
This gadget is rather unassuming – you might be wondering “how could a crinkle cutter possibly be on Jess and Nita’s list of TOP baby food making kitchen gadgets?”
Don’t let the frilly nature of this tool fool you – it can do so much more than just cut food in a wavy pattern!
When it comes to baby food, the crinkle cut shape provides some structure for your baby to pick up slippery foods such as butternut squash or beets. Also, because it’s textured, it gives a unique sensory experience!
Then, when your baby becomes a toddler, it’s a great tool for getting them involved in the kitchen so they can slice up bananas, mushrooms, or avocado with you!
Suggested reading: Why it’s Important Cook with Your Toddler
Instant Pot
The Instant Pot (aka the one that started the electric pressure cooker revolution) has become a must-have item in both of our kitchens! We love it so much we dedicated an entire blog post highlighting the many ways you can use it when prepping baby food.
In this post you’ll find tutorials for how to make:
- Hard boiled eggs
- Pulses (chickpeas, black beans, etc)
- Tender-cooked meats
- Steamed veggies
- Grains such as rice, quinoa, and barley
Not only does it make really good food, we love that the Instant Pot eliminates the standing-over-the-stove-to-check-on-food aspect of cooking!
Suggested reading: 6 Ways to Use the Instant Pot for Baby Food
Silicone muffin pan
Is there anything worse than scrubbing off stubborn, baked-on food from a dish? Yeah, we didn’t think so. Which is why, when it comes to muffin tins, we prefer silicone! First of all, their non-stickiness makes it super easy to pop the baked goods out. Secondly, they clean really easily. My method is to run my silicone muffin pans through the dishwasher first and then if there happen to be any bits left, wash them by hand. This saves so much time! And if you have a baby like both of mine were, they didn’t like to EVER be put down so I know your time is especially precious right now.
The mini size muffin pan is great for a couple of reasons:
- They’re a more manageable size for babies
- Since they have a smaller diameter, they bake all the way through more easily, ensuring a safer texture for baby. You don’t want any gummy doughy food when serving it to a baby as that can be a choking hazard.
- Even as your kids get older, they will likely find the mini size more “fun.” Mini = cute, right? Right!
BONUS TIP: choose either a structured tin with silicone cups or place the silicone pan on a baking sheet for transferring in and out of the oven. The unstructured silicone muffin pans can be a bit floppy. Another option is to buy individual silicone cup liners and place them in a regular metal tin.
