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

Product Information

All bottle sterilizers on our list are compatible with most bottle brands, shapes, and sizes. For example, you don’t have to only use Dr. Brown’s bottles with the Dr. Brown’s Deluxe Bottle Warmer and Sterilizer—this unit is compatible with all of the company’s bottles and most other brands. You’ll only need to do this with an electric steriliser, and instructions will vary according to the manufacturer’s guidance, although a good rule of thumb is to descale it every 4 weeks, or every 14 days if you live in a hard water area. Guidance from the NHS recommends sterilising for at least the first 12 months. After your baby's first birthday, you can start phasing our sterilising as their immune system will be strong enough. However, it's important to continue cleaning all bottles, dummies and other feeding equipment thoroughly even after you've said goodbye to the sterilising tablets. What are the different types of steriliser?

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 For pure versatility, and if you’ll be using it daily, this model takes the cake. It works as an electric steriliser, microwave steriliser, cold water steriliser, food and bottle warmer, breast milk defroster, and has a ‘keep warm’ setting. It may be all you’ll need from day one until after your baby is weaned. The NHS recommends sterilisation for the first 12 months of a baby’s life. It’s important to note that whatever method you choose to use, everything needs to be washed in hot soapy water as soon as possible following feeds, and rinsed in cold running water, prior to sterilisation. What can I use a steriliser for? I particularly liked that, with no steam, I never had to worry about bottles coming out hot to the touch. It also has a drying setting and functions as a storage cabinet (its adjustable shelves enable you to customise the layout), blasting its contents every two hours with a five-minute sterilising dose to keep your equipment disinfected and ready at all times.

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Babies still need feeding on holiday (who knew?) so travel sterilisers are designed to provide a portable solution that works on the go. 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. She looked at whether each steriliser was available from a wide range of retailers, whether you’d need to buy any extras separately and whether it was possible to buy replacement parts. It’s also the most stylish option, housed in its own wipe-clean zip-up handbag with an adjustable shoulder strap. This is a UV steriliser, so no need for water, steam or chemicals. It works in just three minutes, which is very impressive – just throw in your items, zip the bag and press ‘start’.

When it comes to buying the best baby sterilisers, the options really can seem endless — do you go for a steam steriliser, a microwave one or electric one? And even then, which brand should you buy? To make things easier, we've found the best sterilisers on the market to help you make the best decision. According to the NHS, sterilising feeding equipment is necessary for the first 12 months to keep your baby free from bacteria that could harm their brand-new immune systems. If you’re planning on expressing breast milk, combination feeding or using a dummy during your baby’s first year, you’ll need to sterilise all the relevant baby equipment after every use. They are essentially a large, round, plastic box with a screw-on lid, usually with an internal basket to hold the bottles. Water is poured into the bottom (under the basket) and in the microwave it boils to create steam. Microwave sterilisers also use steam to sterilise their contents, which may appeal to you if you prefer to sterilise without chemicals. Electric sterilisers are units set over a heating plate that heats up water and sterilises the contents with steam. They’re usually generously sized, so can handle up to a day’s worth of bottles all at once, and require almost no preparation and no further outlay to use them regularly.For Mumsnetters who want to avoid buying a steriliser altogether, these MAM self-sterilising bottles are a great option. The bottle comes apart and can be assembled in such a way that they work as their own steam steriliser in the microwave, making keeping them hygienic a doddle. It's been Mumsnet's mission to make parents' lives easier for over 20 years, so we know how much difference choosing the right product can make. That's why we obsessively research, review and vet everything we recommend - from the best breast pumps to the best changing bags. We have a Tommee Tippee microwave one and it's so simple, no faff. Wash the bottles and pop them in the microwave."Tried and tested by Mumsnetter hereforfun. 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.

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. Drying function means bottles can be used immediately after the cycle without you waiting for them to dry or cool down Have multiple babies, use a lot of bottles per day or want to sterilise a variety of items including breast pumps, toys and dummies More expensive than some other electric models, like the Tommee Tippee Super-Steam Advanced Electric Steriliser or the Nuby Natural Touch

10. Best steriliser for drying: Nuby Natural Touch Steriliser and Dryer

Lara Basini, a midwife and One Born Every Minute star, who runs a popular TikTok channel on all-things pregnancy and birth, explains: “The NHS recommends sterilising bottles and other feeding equipment for the first 12 months of a baby’s life, when their immune systems are still fragile. 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 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. It has several functions, including a sterilise-only, dry-only, or combo sterilise and dry cycle and can be used as storage, keeping contents sterile for 24 hours. If you’re using Dr Brown’s anti-colic bottles, widely considered to be excellent for reflux, then six of them will fit perfectly, though you can use other brands too.

Nuby’s electric steam steriliser comes with a drying function so equipment can immediately be reused without having to wait for it to cool down or dry off. Our tester loved this feature and found it very useful.Finally, she looked at whether the steriliser represented good value for money considering the features it provided for a wide customer base, noting whether or not she’d buy another if the sample model broke. She noted how many bottles or breast pump parts could fit comfortably into the steriliser, how long the cycle was, how loud the unit was in use (if appropriate), and how big the product’s footprint was on the kitchen counter. MAM’s contribution to the steriliser market is this all-singing, all-dancing multi-part steriliser with six functions: microwave sterilising, electric sterilising, express bottle warming, gentle bottle warming, a defrost and warming option for milk and food, and, finally, a keep-warm function. Can easily be scaled up and down for different quantities of equipment and equipment in awkward shapes 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.