The Wean Machine: Instant Baby Food On the Go!

The Wean Machine ($24) is a hand-held device to quickly purée food for your baby.

You can take any soft or steamed food, squeeze it in this little non-electric device (which looks a little like a garlic press) and have an single serving of baby food in seconds.

Just put food in the Wean Machine’s bowl and squeeze the handles together. Then feed your baby straight from the Wean Machine’s bowl (a spoon is included).

Two different size strainers are included, along with a plastic cover for the unit.

While you could use your fork to mash up food for your child or make your own purees/jars of baby food, the benefit of the Wean Machine is that you can instantly and evenly purée fresh food for your child, right at the table.

Six months ago, when my daughter was a new eater and needed finely puréed foods (she would choke if the chunks weren’t smoothed out), the Wean Machine would have been perfect for taking out to restaurants and friend’s homes.

While it’s not cheap, if you dine out with your baby frequently and want to either bring your own soft food or use restaurant food for your child, this little gadget will come in handy.

For a list of suitable foods that work well in the Wean Machine, click here. For recipe ideas, click here.

The Wean Machine is BPA-free, and free of phthalates and PVC. It’s top-shelf dishwasher safe, but cannot be microwave-sterilized. The Wean Machine is suitable for babies aged 4 months and up.

-– Nancy, Queens, NY, mom to budding comedian 3½-year-old Ben and princess-in-training 1½-year-old Allegra, loves finding stuff that makes her family’s life easier.

Comments

I actually bought this for my 95 yr old neighbor! I use it for various fruits to top cake or icecream. I also mash veggies to top her mashed potatoes! She loves it. There are lots of baby products that can be used for the elderly or people that have various illnesses/conditions. The price is worth it, cuz it’ll last for a long time.

- Hilda on September 24th, 2009

I think this is a fantastic idea. Especially for travel!

- Stephanie on September 24th, 2009

Recommended for babies 4 months and up? I am pretty sure that solids (even in the form of purees) aren’t recommended until at least 6 months of age. Until 6 months, all babies need are breastmilk or formula.

My DS didn’t eat pureed foods for very long (less than 3 months), so this would have been a waste of money for me. But for the previous poster who said she uses it for her elderly neighbour, I think it’s great.

- curly_k on September 24th, 2009

Why not just use a fork? If the items are soft enough to be used in this, a fork does just fine.

- Rebecca on September 24th, 2009

curly k it depends on the kid and the pediatrician as to when they can start solid foods.
My pediatrician says there is no need to wait until they are 6 months old unless you have food allergies in the family, he said we can start when my son is ready.

- TC on September 24th, 2009

I agree with a previous poster. A fork works just fine plus clean up is easier. When you are on the go who wants to have the mess.

- gerry on September 24th, 2009

It’s a bit too pricey.

It’s the WHO that recommends 6 months exclusive breastfeeding/lactation, as well as UNICEF and the AAP. It is not really a matter of opinion, but a recommendation based on research. What parents or particular pediatricians do with that recommendation is another story.

- Barby on September 24th, 2009

I’m wondering if a garlic press would have the same results?

- Sunny on September 24th, 2009

I find this product hilarious. It looks like a plastic version of the garlic press I bought yesterday for $16. And I thought THAT was highway robbery!

- Sara on September 24th, 2009

My son had problems with GERD and we had to give him very very fine rice cereal in his bottle to thicken up his milk because the already thickened stuff gave him such gas and constipation and I preferred to give him breastmilk, so that was the option I was given. He needed no surgery and it worked just fine for us.I think he was like 2 or 3 months old when this was given to us as an option by many members in his care team.

We also had to start feeding him baby food (only certain ones) at 4 months.In his bowl he got his breast milk or formula and 1 spoon or rice cereal and 1 spoon of pureed banana.I think the whole reason we had to do this was because he was underweight and he was extremely active at an early age so from what they explained,instead of holding onto his calories like most kids his age, he was using them up way too quickly.I know a good few people that were told the same things also from the NICU.

- Rach on September 24th, 2009

Rach – We had the EXACT same situation with our daughter! She was born with severe GERD and by 3 months, she stopped growing completely because she just couldn’t keep anything in. We officially introduced solids with a spoon at 3 months. Had we not introduced solids early, she’d likely still be around 10 lbs instead of 14 (now 6 months). The recommendations from AAP and WHO are general guidelines, but it will vary based on circumstances. That’s why it is up to individual doctors and parents to decide what is best for each individual kid.

- Summer on September 24th, 2009

Sunny, I was thinking the same thing. You could just buy a garlic press and cut the chunks smaller to smash them. Pampered Chef makes a great one!

- Elizabeth on September 24th, 2009

wonderful idea. It reminds me of a garlic mincer.

- mom to 3 boys on September 24th, 2009

Why not use a potatoe masher.

- Electra on September 24th, 2009

This seems like one those baby products that will end up at garage sales and flea markets in 2 years. It’s a lemom squeezer with holes.

- Lacey on September 24th, 2009

why not just feed your babies pieces of food that they can feed themselves, from the very beginning? all this pureeing is unnecessary. my 7 month old has never had a puree, and she has been able to feed herself table foods since 6 months just fine. Today she ate a whole avocado with black beans on the side.

- pp on September 24th, 2009

I have one and it’s great. it makes total sense to me, made for the job,clean easy to use and makes fresh baby food and family fun.

- Rosa on September 25th, 2009

It is the opposite of a garlic press. If you were to use a garlic press, the food would just squish out. The point of this product is to press it into the little “bowl” that goes on top to puree it. I just have to wonder how big it is…

- Sarah on September 25th, 2009

Summer, I completely agree !! And wow, it sounds like we had the same problems for sure. If we didn’t feed him solids, I don’t want to imagine what he’d have weighed. I do think that they are general guidelines, I do wish more people would realize it varies from a case by case basis

- Rach on September 25th, 2009

I personally use The Wean Machine and it is a great product! It does remind me of a garlic press, however, you can feed right from the unit. If you are making homemade baby food, this product will pay for itself! Just think of all the jars you no longer have to buy with this product!

You can literally feed your baby right from your own plate using this and you don’t have to worry about “running out” of baby food while you are out. No stopping at the store, etc.

You can get recipes at http://www.SimplyBabyFoodRecipes.net.

- Tamika Gardner on October 22nd, 2009