Philips Avent Microwave Steam Sterilizer for Baby Bottles, Pacifiers, Cups and More (model SCF281/02)

Product Information

Electric sterilisers sold in the EU should have the CE marking somewhere on the box or instructions. This indicates that the steriliser complies with relevant EU legislation on health, safety and environment standards. Compatibility: Some bottles are wider or longer than others, or have a unique shape. Make sure sterilizers work with yours. We got the Baby Brezza bottle sterilizer because it was the only one we could find that also dried the bottles. It's great!" Other parents appreciate that the Baby Brezza has a large capacity, with enough room for six bottles. The orange prongs that hold bottles are well-spaced so you can hang anything on them, including pump parts or sippy cups. You can also nestle larger items in between them, which increases the multifunctionality of this machine. The type of steriliser that’s right for you will depend on your baby’s routine as well as your environment, so it’s perfectly alright to wait till after the birth – maybe buying a box of sterilisation bags as an interim measure – and assess your sterilising needs in the days and weeks afterwards.

If you’re bottle-feeding full-time, however, and need something reliable that will fit in all of your gear, the Dr Brown’s Electric Steam Steriliser is a good choice. Because travel sterilisers need to be compact enough to carry around, they’re usually short on bells and whistles. What we loved about the Milton Solo was that, travel steriliser or not, it’s more adaptable and comes with more useful design features than any other travel model we tested.During the first year of a baby's life, parents have a lot to worry about, not the least of which is that a baby's immune system is the most fragile at this time. Camille Sabella, M.D., Director of the Center for Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Cleveland Clinic Children’s, states that “an infant’s immune system doesn’t mature until around 2 to 3 months.” While there's not much one can do to avoid exposure to household germs altogether, there certainly are steps to take to help ensure they are bacteria-free. Enter the bottle sterilizer – these nifty gadgets make it easy to sanitize (99.9%) bottles, nipples, toys, pump parts, and anything the baby may put into their mouth (which is, like, everything.) Some parents have said they have to clean it frequently. One BabyCentre parent said: "We have to clean it quite often, just with white vinegar on the heat plate and wipe it round, but this may be due to the water in our area." Microwave steriliser bags have also become more popular in the last few years. These are reusable pouches made from a tough plastic and work by sealing baby equipment in the pouch with some water and microwaving for a set time. These tend to be more roomy than the cup model, with the best fitting two bottles in at a time, and able to be reused around 20 times per bag. Items inside stay sterile for 24 hours and the lid is designed with a flat lip so it can be laid horizontally in a smaller microwave – a useful feature we didn’t find in any other travel steriliser. Capacity: Approximately six bottles | Materials: BPA-free plastics and metal electrical components | Included: Steriliser and teat tongs – larger sets are also available to buy Good for parents who

If you’re using bottles and breast pumps regularly but not intensively, you might find that a travel steriliser is sufficient for your needs – it’s certainly cheaper to buy and easier to throw into a drawer. If you’re bottle-feeding full-time, though, sterilising one or two bottles at a time will be too inefficient and labour-intensive to manage. 5. UV steriliser

How does it look?

While they tend to take longer to sterilise things than a steam steriliser, the advantage of a UV steriliser is that you don't have to contend with equipment that's hot to the touch after sterilisation, making them a safer option for most households. You also won't need to do any descaling after use. What makes a steriliser safe? For cold water sterilisers, a full container will be very heavy and should be kept away from children so they can’t pull it over onto their head. Sterilisation fluid is made from sodium hypochlorite, a mild, non-toxic bleach that decomposes into water and a small amount of salt. Philips’s ubiquitous Avent brand includes a microwave steam steriliser that is robust, roomy, safe and straightforward to use – though, like our tester, you’ll need to measure your microwave first as it won’t fit in especially compact appliances (it’s 16.6 × 28 × 28cm, for reference).

I recommend Mam bottles, so easy to sterilise in the microwave!" Recommended by Mumsnetter Isababybel We chose a microwave steriliser over an electric one for ease of cleaning and time. It's very easy to clean and only takes eight minutes to sterilise items. It fits everything we need and is a perfect size for us. It can fit four bottles and accessories. I'd recommend this steriliser."Honestly I wanted it more for the drying function than the sterilizing function," says Karen. "I have to get everything washed after putting [my kids] to bed and have it completely dry for reassembly the next morning." If you’re working with limited counter space, Dr. Brown’s sterilizer and bottle warmer might be the solution. Taking up as much space as a blender, the device is easy to operate — you can even pre-program bottle warming settings for a simpler operation. To use the sterilize function, simply put the bottle on the internal peg and the nipple and other accessories in the lid. Close the lid, press a button, the steam does its job in six minutes. By the time they’re a year old, your baby’s immune system is much better developed so you can ease off sterilising toys and dummies then. Not only do they make life on the go easy, they also mean you don't have to have another large appliance on your kitchen work surface, although you do need a microwave. We're very happy with this steriliser. The bottom section holds Dr. Brown bottles easily and top section holds the teats and other bits."

You'll follow the instructions on the model you choose, but the CDC lays out the basic method for using a steam sterilizer:

When your child's outgrown the bottle stage, this device works well to heat up baby food jars on the go, too. The caveat is that you’ll need a microwave to use them, which might not always be available – and, more importantly, sterilising just two bottles at a time won’t be feasible if you’re bottle-feeding full-time.