Many parents I know don’t bother to buy baby food. They prefer to toss some food in the blender until it comes out into what is often an unappetizing green slop that gets smeared all over their children’s faces. The blender works pretty well, but there’s also a device, the Babymoov NutriBaby, that is specifically designed to produce baby food. The benefit is that it steams, defrosts, and blends, all in one. It also sterilizes and warms bottles.
The NutriBaby+Connect is the company’s forthcoming product and it was on display at CES. It looks a little different from the older version, as it now has a touchscreen. One side is a steamer, the other a blender. It’s also, as the name implies, smart. Using the Happeez app, parents can find recipes for the food processor, then start steaming or blending. It has a 6.3-cup capacity and three chopping speeds.
Once the food is done, the app will save the recipe, so you’ll be able to keep track of what you’ve been making. You can create separate profiles for each child, so you’ll get specific recommendations based on each individual’s age, allergies, and preferences. Naturally, Happeez wants you to start using the machine as soon as you’re pregnant, so it provides suggestions and meal planning for expectant mothers.
Simply making an appliance smart can sometimes feel gimmicky, but a machine dedicated to baby food that also tracks and helps plan meals actually makes sense. It could be especially useful for parents of kids with dietary restrictions or who are finicky eaters.
If parents leave their babies home all day with grandparents or sitters, this could also be a seamless way to make sure they’re getting diverse and nutritionally complete meals. How useful the suggestions and how robust the recipe catalog turn out to be will determine whether an app-connected baby food processor really walks the walk (or crawls the crawl?).
The Nutribaby+Connect will be available in the U.S. in January 2018 for $249.
Updated 1/18/2017: Updated with price and availability information.
