MAM Microwave Steam Steriliser, Comes with 2 x MAM Easy Start Self Sterilising Anti-Colic Baby Bottles and Baby Soother, Bottle Steriliser for Babies

Product Information

Key details – Type: Cold-water sterilisation; Capacity: Approx 5, 260ml bottles; Travel-friendly: Yes Babies still need feeding on holiday (who knew?) so travel sterilisers are designed to provide a portable solution that works on the go. 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. Can only sterilise two bottles per cycle – so if you’re getting through more than four bottles a day it’s fairly labour-intensive

It’s not as roomy as the microwave steriliser bags like the ones made by Philips or Medela, which can usually fit two bottles or a bottle and a breast pump – this fits one or the other After the sterilisation cycle is complete, you can leave the items inside without opening the lid and they’ll remain sterile for a set period of time (often 24 hours, but it varies between products). Or you can take them out and use them once they’re cool. The handy latches make closing the lid safe and easy. The innovative lid design can also be used as a drainer for sterilised items. On the downside, the heating plate will almost certainly attract limescale over time so the steriliser will need descaling once or twice a month. You can buy descaling liquid for this, though all steriliser brands now include instructions for natural descaling liquid from store cupboard ingredients which is a more eco-friendly option. Electric sterilisers are also the most expensive to buy. 3. Microwave steriliser

Electric steam sterilisers: These clean your baby's bottles, dummies and breast pump by using steam to kill germs. This is plugged into the mains which turns into steam and sterilises the items inside. Unique flat symmetric shape – like mom’s breast when breastfeeding. Silky soft silicone surface - for a familiar feeling. 94% of babies accept our bottle teat 1 I’ve always opted for a microwave one. Very easy, no faff. We use avent bottles do have the avent microwave steriliser." Tried and tested by Mumsnetter Moominmiss Our verdict

Flat, symmetrical shape always fits perfectly in baby’s mouth. Designed with dentists to support healthy dental development. The cold-water sterilisation method has been around for many years and kills germs by using a tablet or fluid that dissolves into cold water. Items are placed in this mixed solution, which can be used both at home or if you’re out and about. The best part about this method is that this cold-water solution can be reused for the next 24 hours after the initial setup. Cold-water sterilising can take around 15 minutes to get items sterile. What is a UV steriliser? Self-sterilising bottles: These work in a similar way to microwave steam sterilisers. Simply fill the base of the bottle with cool water and pop it in the microwave. They're super easy to use and a great option for when you are on the go. The only downfall is you are only sterilising one bottle at a time. Like many first-time mothers, I had no idea when I was pregnant whether breastfeeding would prove successful or how often I’d want to express or formula feed. As with every baby product, I was utterly baffled by the choice in sterilisers. Nine months on, I almost exclusively breastfeed but regularly pump and often travel, so I’ve needed different cleaning methods for varying scenarios. Electric, microwave and travel sterilisers using steam will all get very hot, so the usual cautions apply: wait the recommended amount of time before opening the lid after a cycle has completed, open the lid away from you to redirect any steam, use oven gloves to retrieve from the microwave if necessary, and of course keep any hot items away from children.If you have many things to sterilise in a day (perhaps you have twins or large breast pump accessories to clean), a larger unit might be best. If budget is a concern, cold-water or microwave sterilisation systems tend to be more economical, yet still very effective solutions. How do steam sterilisers work? 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. Milton do a travel steriliser that fits 1 bottle in. In theory any clean plastic container with a lid will do, but the travel sterilisers have the lines on so you put the correct amount of water in (as do the normal Milton sterilisers)." Recommended by Mumsnet user confused123456 Our verdict This isn’t cheap, so for infrequent trips you’re better off with the aforementioned Milton’s Solo Travel Steriliser. But if you’re regularly away or just out and about, Nuby’s portable UV unit is a worthy splurge (plus it comes with a Nuby bottle and pacifier, among other extras.) Tommee Tippee has put a great deal of thought into the redesign of their electric steam steriliser and it really shows. The Tommee Tippee Super-Steam Advanced Electric Steriliser is made from tough BPA-free plastics and is exceptionally straightforward to use, with plenty of room for bottles and breast pump parts over two tiers.

The items are sterile after a manufacturer-recommended 15-minute cycle – the NHS recommends 30 minutes – and remain so for as long as they’re in the solution. Plus, they don’t need rinsing off when they’re needed. Items can continue to be added and removed as necessary over 24 hours when the solution will need to be remade. Not the most budget-friendly electric steriliser we tested, and a more expensive initial outlay than microwave or travel versions Our tester, Maisie, is a mum of three with a six-year-old, four-year-old and an 11-month-old baby. She spent six months testing the shortlisted products with her own bottles and breast pump parts, each for a minimum of 10 days. 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: Five bottles | Materials: BPA-free plastics and metal electrical components | Included: Sterilisation unit, one Nuby Combat Colic 180ml bottle and a dummy Good for parents whoThe only downfall is you will need to clean or descale the elements every few weeks, which can be time-consuming. Electric steam sterilisers can also be quite bulky, so if you're pushed for space in your kitchen, this might not be the best option for you. The device starts to cool down, all the LEDs are lit. Allow the steriliser to cool before removing the lid. This stops after 4 minutes with 2 long beeps. Baby plates and bowls, cutlery and sippy cups will also need to be sterilised if they’re used before six months but, after that, washing in hot soapy water should be sufficient. Should you sterilise baby bottles every time?