MILTON SOLO TRAVEL STERILISER

Product Information

But if you’re bottle-feeding full time or expressing breastmilk regularly, you should find each of the different modes very helpful – and the fact that the warming unit handles food as well as milk means it should continue to be useful, even once you’re done with sterilising completely. If you’re pregnant and unsure how you’ll be feeding, or you’re only an occasional bottle-user and don’t want to find space for a bulky appliance, Medela’s microwave steriliser pouches could be a great option. These would also be handy for days spent at a friend or relative’s home, since they’re so small and straightforward to use (add water, seal, start the microwave). Like any electric steriliser, it attracts limescale on its heating plate so will need regular descaling. Our tester also didn’t like its short cable, which limits where it can be placed in the kitchen, and that it arrived wrapped in a lot of unnecessary plastic. More expensive than some other electric models, like the Tommee Tippee Super-Steam Advanced Electric Steriliser or the Nuby Natural Touch

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. 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. Key methods include cold water sterilising (which requires a chemical to disinfect the water), steam sterilisers (electric appliances that generate hot vapour to clean items), microwave sterilisers (containers that also use steam, which you put in the microwave) and, more recently to the market, UV sterilisers (which use ultraviolet light; the only water-free method).”

Tested by mum Lucy White for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:

I liked the tall, slimline design of this machine, which takes up less counter space than most comparable models, and the accessories tray that sits above (rather than around) the bottle grid. The tray is roomy enough for lots of pacifiers, teethers and other smaller items. The steriliser is also very light, with a nice digital interface, and comes with a handy measuring cup that takes the guesswork out of how much water to use. Cold water sterilisers involve filling a container with water and adding sterilisation tablets or fluid to make a sterilisation solution. The active ingredient is sodium hypochlorite, which is a mild bleach that has been through a purification process to make it stable and non-toxic. It’s perfectly safe to use, but does smell vaguely of swimming pool. With midwife and One Born Every Minute star Lara Basini What’s the difference between steam sterilisers, cold water sterilisers, microwave sterilisers and UV sterilisers?

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. Can easily be scaled up and down for different quantities of equipment and equipment in awkward shapes 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. Over the course of nine months, from when my son was a newborn to now, I tested every method for sterilising our gear, across best-selling products from the leading brands, on bottles, pump parts, pacifiers, teethers and tableware. 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.

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? For me this product wasn't hugely useful because you can only sterilise one bottle at a time and I found it easier having several bottles ready. Having said that, I understand how it may help mums who are on the go a lot!

Capacity: Two bottles | Materials: BPA-free plastics and metal electrical components | Included: Sterilisation unit, measuring jug and tongs Good for parents who

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. As a steam steriliser, it’s a spacious model that does its job in just over 10 minutes (seven minutes to sterilise, four minutes cooling time) and in microwave mode – useful if you’re travelling – it takes about the same time, depending on your wattage. It also keeps items bacteria-free for up to 48 hours, twice the usual duration, and stores all your kit out of sight. I really love this product and love the Milton brand. It should definitely win and I will do what I can to make more mums aware of this product, as me and my friends were not previously aware of it. In addition to bottles, pump parts, pacifiers and cutlery, parents can sterilise frequently-used toys as invariably these will go into your baby’s mouth. How do I choose which is the best steriliser for me? It’s also incredibly straightforward to use, sterilising the contents in a rapid two minutes in the microwave or 15 minutes in cold water sterilising solution as per manufacturer instructions – the NHS recommend 30 minutes. Once the cycle is done, the contents will stay sterile for 24 hours.