Baby Bullet Steamer Review

Baby Bullet Steamer Review

If you’re weaning a baby or getting ready to start, you’ve probably already heard other parents talk about the Baby Bullet system. It comes up a lot in weaning groups and on parenting forums, usually alongside questions about whether it’s worth buying on top of (or instead of) a normal blender.

Making your own purees means you know exactly what’s gone into them. No hidden thickeners, no added sugar or salt, and no guesswork about how long something has been sitting on a shelf. Store-bought pouches and jars have their place, especially on busy days or when you’re travelling, but they’re not always as fresh as home-cooked food, and they can work out more expensive over time.

The catch is that steaming and pureeing veg from scratch, using pans and a separate blender, takes time you often don’t have with a newborn or a mobile older baby around. That’s the gap the Baby Bullet Steamer is trying to fill. This review looks at what it actually does well, where it falls short, and whether it’s worth the space on your worktop.

What Makes a Good Baby Food Steamer

Before getting into the Baby Bullet specifically, it’s worth knowing what actually matters in this category of product, because a lot of steamers look similar but perform very differently.

A decent baby food steamer should cook quickly without turning your vegetables to mush, since fast steaming helps hang on to vitamins that boiling tends to wash away. It should be simple enough to use one-handed while you’re holding a baby on the other hip (a common reality, whether the manufacturer mentions it or not). It should also be easy to take apart and clean properly, because anything with fiddly crevices becomes a chore you start avoiding. Capacity matters too. Too small and you’re steaming multiple batches a day; too bulky and it hogs counter space you don’t have.

Baby Bullet Overview

The Baby Bullet Steamer is designed to work alongside the Baby Bullet blender system, both made by NutriBullet. The idea is that you steam and soften vegetables, fruit, or meat in the steamer first, then transfer them straight into the accompanying blender jug to puree. Since the Baby Bullet blender’s motor isn’t especially powerful, pre-softening the food this way makes a real difference to how smoothly it blends.

NutriBullet says the steamer cooks food faster than steaming on the hob, which lines up with what most reviewers report, though exact times will depend on how much food you’re steaming and how small you’ve chopped it. As a rough guide, small pieces of softer vegetables like carrot or courgette tend to steam in around 10 to 15 minutes, while denser items like sweet potato or butternut squash take longer.

Beyond steaming, the unit doubles up for defrosting frozen puree portions and sterilising things like dummies, teething rings, and small bottle parts. The defrost setting is genuinely useful if you batch-cook and freeze in ice cube trays, since it’s quicker and more even than leaving cubes out on the counter, and generally considered safer than defrosting at room temperature.

The set typically includes:

• A steamer body with a large-capacity lid
• Five preset cooking settings with a done indicator
• A cooking tray
• Separate defrosting trays
• An egg-cooking tray
• A sterilising tray
• A measuring cup for adding water

Worth checking before you buy: some sellers have shipped units missing the instruction booklet or one of the trays, so it’s worth confirming what’s included and checking the contents against the box list as soon as it arrives.

What Parents Like About It

Most of the positive feedback centres on speed and consistency. Parents who were previously steaming veg in a pan and blending separately say the Baby Bullet cuts out a good chunk of the faff, since you’re not juggling two appliances and extra washing up.

The included guidance on steaming times for different vegetables is genuinely handy for anyone new to weaning, since knowing whether broccoli needs 8 minutes or 18 isn’t obvious the first few times you try it. The defrost and sterilise functions get consistently good feedback too, mostly because they don’t feel like an afterthought bolted onto the box for marketing purposes. They actually work, and they save a trip to a separate steriliser or a saucepan of boiling water for smaller items.

Where It Falls Short

The biggest limitation is capacity. This is a compact unit, which is great for your kitchen counter but not so great if you’re cooking for more than one baby, or for an older toddler with a bigger appetite. You’ll likely be running it in batches, and once you factor in the time spent taking it apart and washing the tray and lid between each one, some of that time saving disappears.

A number of reviewers have reported water finding its way into the base and causing corrosion on the electronic components over time, apparently happening during normal steaming rather than through user error like putting damp parts back together. If you notice any unusual smell, sparking, or the unit cutting out mid-cycle, stop using it and contact the manufacturer rather than trying to keep going.

Noise is another common complaint. It’s not deafening, but it’s not silent either, so timing your steaming around nap times is worth thinking about if your baby is a light sleeper. And while the included cooking guide covers a good range of common vegetables, it doesn’t cover everything, so you may still need to look up steaming times for less common ingredients yourself.

Cleaning and Everyday Use

The trays and lid are generally straightforward to wipe down or wash by hand, and most parts are dishwasher safe on a top rack, though it’s worth checking your specific model’s instructions rather than assuming. Limescale can build up in the water reservoir if you’re in a hard water area, so an occasional descale with a diluted vinegar and water solution (following the manufacturer’s guidance) will help keep it running properly and stop it getting noisier over time.

As with any weaning equipment, it’s worth having a quick read of current NHS or health visitor guidance on introducing solids and food safety, particularly around allergens, food textures, and safe storage times for homemade purees, since this changes from time to time and your health visitor can advise on anything specific to your baby.

Our Verdict

The Baby Bullet Steamer does what it promises: it steams food quickly, it’s simple enough to use without a manual glued to your hand, and the added defrost and sterilise functions genuinely earn their place rather than feeling like gimmicks. The small capacity and occasional build quality niggles mean it suits some households better than others, particularly if you’re weaning one baby at a time and don’t mind steaming in smaller batches.

If you already own or are planning to buy the Baby Bullet blender, the steamer is a sensible companion piece that makes the whole process smoother. Used on its own, it still holds up well as a fast, fairly low-maintenance way to get fresh, additive-free food onto your baby’s spoon without giving up your whole afternoon to do it.