BEABA Babycook Neo review

This Babycook is all about purées. The main function of the Babycook Neo is to steam, chop and purée fruit and veg for your weaning baby. This flashy food “cooker” can even defrost and reheat food - and the stainless steel blade blends your food to your preferred style, be it smooth, mixed, lumpy or chunky. I’d say it was best for the early stages of weaning, when you’re busy whizzing up different food for your baby to try. Or if (like me) you have a veg-a-phobic toddler, it’s helpful for blitzing up your carrots and courgettes to secretly add to pasta sauce.

How does the Babycook Neo work?

It’s pretty simple to use. First cut your fruit and veg into roughly 1x1cm cubes and chuck them into the bowl. Then, fill the correct amount of water in the tank, according to the cooking time (there’s a guide in your instruction booklet) and hit the cooking button. There’s a bit of guesswork involved because the instruction booklet doesn’t provide info on all food groups but because of the automatic turn off, your fruit and veg should never be overcooked.

Once done, pour the cooked food into the glass bowl and blitz to your required consistency for a max of 12 seconds. Done.

How well does it purée food?

I tried carrot, potato, green beans and broccoli and the consistency of the purée was smooth but with some lumps. You can alter the texture by holding your finger down on the chop button for as long as 12 seconds. But no matter what veg I used, it didn’t seem to blend completely smooth - but perhaps I was doing something wrong.

Is it noisy?

No. It pulses and is actually quite quiet for a blender. The real proof is that neither my toddler nor six-month-old baby startle when I use it to blend their food.

What capacity does the Babycook Neo have?

It has a 600g capacity and this was just right for what I needed. You can fill it up to the top or halfway, depending on what you have in the fridge and adjust the water accordingly. It’s the perfect size for baby food.

Can the Babycook Neo defrost food?

Yes. I tried to defrost a couple of purée ice cubes, and after one setting they were still frozen, but after two they’d melted into mush. However, I think with time you’d get more skilled - it does seem to be a bit trial and error.

What did you think of the automatic turn-off feature?

Fab! One less thing to remember. Forget burnt rice or overcooked apple and pear, this feature is fantastic, allowing you to get on with jobs around the house worry-free.

Is it quicker and easier than steaming and blending on the stove?

It took close to 24 minutes to steam green beans. Maybe that’s because it uses something called “soft steam.” The Babycook steams your veg while preserving the nutritional quality of the food, collecting cooking juices and limiting water consumption.

But the amount of time it took was enough to put me off. This is fine for when you’re organised enough to forward plan and batch cook - but as a busy mum of two hungry children, waiting almost half an hour for a pot of green beans is not ideal. However, they were the tastiest green beans I’ve had in a long time. Obviously, neither of my children ate them.

Is the Babycook Neo of any use for parents who opt for baby-led weaning/finger food?

For those folk who fancy baby-led weaning, it still has some use in the early stages. Steaming carrots, beans, broccoli and other fruit and veg is easy and you can use the blender to chop it all up to make some thick soup. That’ll be messy - but lots of fun.

Does the Babycook Neo take up a lot of space?

It’s about the size of 2 juicers and doesn’t take up too much space on your countertop. For those of you that like dimensions, the Beaba Babycook Neo Night Blue is 26.5 x 21.5 x 21.5cm. It’s compact, neat and looks great - a pretty addition to my kitchen.

What’s it like to clean?

As with any blender, there are hard to reach places and you have to be pretty eagle-eyed to make sure you’ve removed food debris from each nook and cranny on the blades, but other than that, it’s easy to clean. The glass bowl is dishwasher safe and the stainless steel basket can be popped off and washed after use.

Do you like the way the Babycook Neo looks?

It looks fab and is a really stylish product, it could be mistaken for a high-end coffee maker. It’s nice to look at if you leave it out on your worktop. The design of the blender is smooth and rounded, and the glass bowl and stainless steel steamer make it feel durable and expensive.

Is it easy to set up?

Yes. The bulk of the product comes ready set-up and the rest is pretty easy to put together following the instruction booklet. There’s a cooking guide at the back of the book, although it doesn’t list every food item you may want to use in your Babycook. I think this could go into a lot more detail to help the average parent start off on their weaning journey.

Do you need to buy any accessories?

No - but you can. There’s a set of three glass jars that you can pick up for £11.25 - and many more goodies, including a rice/pasta cooker.

What would you have wanted to know before you purchased the Babycook Neo?

That some food products will take an awful long time to steam.

Who would the product be most useful for?

First time mums who are keen to purée food for their baby. This is a great product and definitely helps make batch cooking purées easier. I’m keen to keep trying it out because I think with time and more use, my purée/secret veg sauces for the toddler will keep improving.

Is the product value for money?

At £160, it’s not cheap. And I’d think carefully about how often you’d be likely to use it before splashing out.

Where can I buy the BEABA Babycook Neo?

It is available from Jojo Maman Bebe, Kiddies Kingdom and Olivers Babycare .

MadeForMums verdict

It’s a really snazzy product that brightens up any kitchen worktop - and would be a fantastic purchase for those parents who have the time and are keen to purée tasty food for their weaning baby or fussy toddler. At £160, it doesn’t come cheap - but the more you use it, the more likely you are to use it. So I’ll keep trying…

Read More...

• What do I need to buy for weaning?
• How do I start weaning my baby?
• Tommee Tippee Baby Food Steamer Blender review

MadeForMums product articles are independent, honest and provide advice you can have confidence in. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links. However we never allow this to influence our coverage. Our reviews and articles are written by parents who are professional journalists, and we also include feedback from our parent community and industry experts.