A food mill is used to make smooth purees and baby food which is why they are sometimes refereed to as a baby food mill. A food mill is kind of a cross between a sieve and a food blender and is made up of three key components – a bowl usually plastic but on older or large models metal, a bottom plate perforated with small holes, and a crank fitted with a bent metal blade which crushes the food and forces it through the holes in the bottom plate as it is turned.

It is possible to create incredibly smooth pastes and purees from a food mill and as such are often found in homes with babies but are equally likely to be found in large professional kitchens that like to produce as much as possible from scratch. Food mills are enjoying a resurgence in the UK as more people seek to make foods themselves and control their diet more closely.