Anyone tried the Beaba Babycook?

[WatchingThemGrow]

I'm getting this item to encourage me to make more fresh homemade food for DS. A family in my area is moving back home (overseas) and already has one there. The mama said she LOOOOVED it, so I'm going to try it.

Just wondering if anyone else has experience with it... What did you find worked out well? What didn't?

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku5279732/index.cfm?pkey=cnewelt

There's a little video of it on the bottom left side of the link.

[o_mom]

It seems like a pretty high price for a limited use item, IMO. If you wait until the recommended 6 months or more to start solids, you won't need many purees at all. With DS3 we just went straight to finger food around 7 months and the occasional mashed stuff. He is on table/finger foods exclusively at 10.5 months. We only spoon feed things that are meant to be spoon-fed (applesauce, yogurt, etc).

A regular food stearmer ($20 at Target) would be a better long term choice if you don't have one already.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Thanks for your reply! I totally wouldn't pay full price for it - eek! She sold it to me for $40, and I figured I could probably resell it for close to that when I'm done with it. DD just had so many issues with stage 3, finger foods, and choking, we seemed to go through so much of that stuff and I wasn't good about making things in advance (using the steamer or the Pampered Chef micro-steamer and the blender, freezing them, etc.).
DS is a slooow gainer, so our pediatrician wanted him to start on rice cereal at 4 mos. and move on to other items at 5 mos. I was shocked since she didn't advise that for DD. I was probably was a sucker to buy it, but I felt like I just needed something new and exciting in the kitchen to help me make food instead of buying those annoying little boxes/jars. I thought it would be less to wash since everything is done in the one little compartment. We'll see what happens when I try it out on some fresh veggies for DD tonight...

[o_mom]

For $40 and the ability to recoup at least half that or more by resale, I would say it would be worth a try. I was looking at the full price and thinking you could buy 6+ mos worth of organic baby food for that! :)

I would be a bit concerned with your ped's advice to start cereal. Formula and BM both have more calories per ounce than rice cereal. By replacing formula/BM with cereal, he will be getting FEWER calories. If you start a new thread with 'slow gainer' in the title, there are some mamas here who have been through that and can give you all kinds of links and advice.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Oops, my bad! It wasn't the 25%ile weight that made her suggest starting him early on rice cereal, it was reflux. We've done the "sitting upright after feedings" thing, good burping, and he was still spitting up bucketfuls of precious BM. Rice cereal should thicken up things in his system so he wouldn't be so volatile. We had to do Zantac with DD, so we're trying this before turning to meds. So far, we can see a difference.

I just tasted the first batch of carrots in the Babycook. Yum.. I think it will be just the thing to keep me from relying on those little boxes of Green Giant frozen veggies for DD and the prepackaged babyfood for DS. I like that it takes up a lot less room on the counter and in the dishwasher than adult-sized steaming tools, and I can blend the food right there in the same container.

This one came from Europe, so it has a different plug. She gave me the transformer box (not just an adapter) and a little insulated bag to carry the food with me. I think it was a pretty good buy so far. I hope some others get to try one out!

[octmom]

Just FYI, I noticed that the container where you cook the food is made of polycarbonate. I am fairly certain (but not positive) that it is one of the plastics that is considered less safe, particularly when heated. You might want to check into it. HTH!