I am reviewing Bear NutriEase AllStage Stainless Steel Baby Food Maker Steamer and Blender
I am using this product for an elderly person who has problems with swallowing adult food. This product allows me to make fresh, appropriate portions for him quickly while I'm making dinner for myself. We can eat the same things, just his are easier for him to swallow.
The product looks and feels like it is very well made. It is not huge, but it is going to take a bit of space on your countertop. It is very intuitive to use. The touch buttons are on the front and are easy to read and use. The stainless parts are of appropriate weight to be durable and of good quality. The food container has measure marks on the side, which is very helpful. Inside the bottom of the container, where the water for steam is placed, there is a clear fill line. Easy, no guessing. The blades are many and sharp.
The parts that must be cleaned come apart easily and other than the blades, are super easy to clean. You must take care with the blades, but there aren't any really difficult to reach areas. I'm hand washing mine and it is no problem.
There are different settings for foods and for the amount of chopping you wish. I'm still experimenting with it, but it is very straightforward. Add water. add food. Make the choices and wait. You can hear the water begin to heat up. When it is ready to begin steaming, you get a countdown timer on the screen. You can let it complete the process through chopping, but because I'm using it for my husband and not a baby, I'm using the manual chop button.
My reason for deducting one star is because the stop/cancel button does not work mid steam. I would imagine that is a safety protection, but I want to be able to stop the steam process before the automatic shutoff. Other than that, I am impressed at the speed at which the little blades can make meat into meal. As I said, I am still experimenting with it, but it is very versatile and well made. I feel like the price of $129 at this time, is very fair for the quality and ease of this machine, as well as the savings you will enjoy making your own, healthy foods.