Here Are Our Top 5 Best Bottle Sterilizer Picks – Reasons Why You Need a Baby Bottle Sterilizer
“We Realize How Precious A Baby Is To A Mother. Every Mother Tries to Make Sure That What Ever Goes into their Baby’s Mouth, it is 99.9% Germ Free. This Is Why, We Have Spent Hours On Research and Now We Bring You Our Top 5 picks of Best Bottle Sterilizers. These Sterilizers Are Chosen Based on the Advantages They Offer As Compared To Other Bottle Sterilizers.”
Product Name | Quality | Price | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
A | $$$ | ||
A- | $$ | ||
B | $ | ||
B- | $$ | ||
B | $$$ |
**Below, you'll find our more detailed reviews, but you can also click the links above to see current prices or read customer reviews on Amazon.
Why Is Sterilization So Important?
A baby is more prone to catching any kind of illness in the first year. When milk bottles or nipples are not sterilized, bacteria, parasites and viruses gather on the surface, which makes your baby ill. Due to this, a baby can develop a mild thrush or in severe cases, diarrhea or vomiting.
While you cannot make every place 100% germ-free, by sterilizing the milk bottles and nipples, you can keep your baby healthy and safe from the bacteria and viruses. According to Market Research Store , by the year 2019, baby bottle sterilizer market CAGR growth will increase by 3.15%. In fact, according to NHS, 67% of people use steam-sterilizer to clean baby bottles.
Why Use Electrical Steam-Sterilizers ?
There are still some women who use boiling as a sterilization method. However, there are few drawbacks to it.
In boiling, you often miss the boiling point, which can damage the feeding equipment. Even if you master the temperature, after a few months of constantly boiling, there are chances that the teats will get damaged. Not to forget, the mess caused by constantly filling the large pans with distilled water.
In the case of steam-sterilizers, there is little to no mess involved. The sterilizer only requires a cup of water that will produce steam and clean the feeding equipment. This method is much more effective because not only have you got a sterilizer, you have a clean storage area where the bottles can be kept for 24 hours.
How Are Sterilizers Used ?
Unlike manual cleaning, where you need a brush cleaner and an hour to clean all the nook and crannies of the bottles and teats, steam-sterilizer cleans these germs in eight to ten minutes. First of all, you need to clean all the feeding equipment in soapy hot water. This means, anything that has come into contact with breast milk or baby formula.
The reason why you should use hot water is because it easily dissolves stubborn milk curds that might have gotten stuck at the edges of the bottle or in the nipple. It is necessary that you use a bottle brush for the cleaning process, which has a large brush at one end and small and thin brush at the other. Instead of damaging the nipple by turning it inside out, it is better to use the thin brush to clean it.
You can watch this video and get an idea about how to clean bottles and nipples:
When all the feeding equipment is thoroughly cleaned, you have three choices. You can:
1. Boil the equipment
2. Put it in the dishwasher separately or
3. Use a sterilizer
While there are other methods to do it, steam sterilizers might be the best choice for cleaning feeding equipment as compared to boiling or using a dishwasher. In the case of a dishwasher, there’s a chance that any residue left from the last dish cleaning might color the bottles and nipples, and give them a bad odor.
When it comes to electric steam-sterilizers, they all operate on one system: The heating coil. The heating coil evaporates the water and pushes the steam through the rack, which circulates in the sterilizer and cleans the equipment. In the case of microwave steam-sterilizer, the steam follows the same path but without the heating coil. Microwave sterilizers are smaller in size and sterilize the equipment much faster.
Every machine has a drawback. In the case of a microwave sterilizer, it’s the size and in the case of electrical steam-sterilizer, it’s the heating coil. Rust can buildup quite fast on the rack if the sterilizer is not properly maintained. There’s a simple solution to this problem:
Home Remedy for Cleaning the Sterilizer’s Heating Coil
This remedy can be applied on all the sterilizers. The cleaner is a simple mixture of 2/3 water and 1/3 white cleaning vinegar. All you need to do is pour this mixture in the steamer and let it stand for around five to ten minutes. The rust flake will dissolve in the mixture and the coil will get cleaned itself. It is recommended that the sterilizer should be cleaned every four weeks however, according to many women; they do not face this problem until four months.
This video will give you an idea about how to descale your steam sterilizer:
Advantages of Steam-Sterilizer
A steam-sterilizer has lots of advantages as compared to boiling or using a dishwasher. These include:
- Uses less time for cleaning
- Depending on the size of the sterilizer, might require less maintenance
- No water mess
- Kills 99.9% germs with natural steam
- Some sterilizers have a dryer in them, which makes the cleaning process easier
Now that you have an idea about the various cleaning methods, you might have come to the obvious conclusion that a steam-sterilizer is much more effective. Following are our top five best bottle sterilizer picks from prestigious companies, which we have rated according to their pros and cons.
TOP 5 BEST BOTTLE STERILIZER PICKS
Product Name | Quality | Price | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
A | $$$ | ||
A- | $$ | ||
B | $ | ||
B- | $$ | ||
B | $$$ |
PICK #1- Baby Brezza Sterliizer Dryer
(Via Amazon.com)
Our first pick of best bottle sterilizer is “Baby Brezza Sterliizer Dryer”. The name says it all. It’s a two-feature in one machine sterilizer, which automatically makes it to the top in our list. While our other sterilizer picks only help with sterilizing the baby feeding equipment, Brezza also dries them.
The sterilizer features three options: Sterilize only, dry only and sterilize and dry. Bottles are sterilized in eight minutes and after that, you can switch it to dryer mode for 30 to 60 minutes.
Pros
- Fits in all bottle sizes
- Nipple, pacifiers and breast pump parts can be placed on the top rack
- Takes eight minutes for the sterilization
- Bottles can be dried in thirty minutes
The reason this is our top pick is because many women have voiced their opinion on the benefits of the dual features. For them, the extra time taken for drying is worth the money because they do not have to worry about drying the bottles, nipples and pacifiers with a towel and reversing the entire effect of the sterilization.
Cons
- The only drawback of this sterilizer is that it starts leaking after a few months.
Following are some frequently asked questions that will answer your concerns about this sterilizer:
Q1: Up To What Bottle Size Can I Put In The Sterilizer?
Ans: From 8oz to 11oz, any bottle brand can fit into the sterilizer. The size of the bottle does not compromise the sterilization process.
Q2: Should I Add Water When Only Drying The Bottle?
Ans: The dry only cycle does not require water. You can simply put in wet bottles.
PICK #2- Philips AVENT 3-in-1 Electric Steam Sterilizer
(Via Amazon.com)
Our second pick of best bottle sterilizer is “Philips AVENT 3-in-1 Electric Steam Sterilizer”. This steam-sterilizer is by far the most spacious sterilizer. The three compartments of the sterilizer clean almost any kind of feeding equipment.
Here’s how its parts work:
- The first part is the white, slightly see through compartment in which you can add small objects such as pacifiers and nipples
- The second part is another larger white compartment that can be removed and used for sterilizing breast pump, toddler utensils and plates
- The third part is the large compartment, which you can use to sterilize up to 11oz bottles and other feeding equipments
The second compartment goes into the third part and both parts are secured with the first part on top. The sterilizer cleans the bottles in six minutes and shuts itself off automatically. The best feature of this sterilizer is that all three parts can be used separately. Plus, it takes minimal kitchen space.
Pros
- Cleans all types of feeding equipments
- Can also be used to clean sippy cups and chew toys
- Its unique design allows cleaning of all equipments at once
- Comes with tongs for easy removal of feeding equipments
Cons
- The only concern that users have with this sterilizer is that the rust buildup is quite fast due to its large size.
Following are some frequently asked questions that will answer your concerns about this sterilizer:
Q1: On What Voltage Does This Sterilizer Work Best?
Ans: 120V
Q2: Can I Use Stainless Steel Bottles?
Ans: It is better to use AVENT bottles or bottles with the same material.
PICK #3- Philips AVENT Microwave Steam-Sterilizer
(Via Amazon.com)
Our third pick of best bottle sterilizer is “Philips AVENT Microwave Steam-Sterilizer”. This compact small size sterilizer might be just the perfect sterilizer for work moms.
Though, the sterilizer holds fewer bottles as compared to other sterilizers, the sterilization process is quite quick. In two minutes, you can clean bottles and other feeding equipments and that too, in the microwave. No worry of finding the perfect place on the counter where the cord can reach the circuit!
The sterilizer feature’s a higher temperature than a dishwasher, which makes it microwave compatible. Depending on the wattage, the sterilization process can take from two minutes to six minutes.
Pros
- For work mothers, this can become the perfect accessory in their bag for a quick sterilization process
- While fewer bottles can be put in the machine, the two-minute sterilization time limit more than makes up for the former part
- No maintenance required
- Comes with tongs for easy removal of feeding equipments
Cons
- The only concern that users have with this sterilizer is that the rust buildup is quite fast due to its large size.
The advantage of microwaving is that the sterilization process does not leave any smell behind. Since, there is no copper coil involved in the steaming process, the distilled water boils similarly to the way when water put on a gas burner. Make sure that you open the sterilizer’s lid slowly, as heat can build up in the equipment and singe you.
Following are some frequently asked questions that will answer your concerns about this sterilizer:
Q1: If I Load More Than The Recommended Number Of Bottles, Will The Bottles Get Sterilized Or Not?
Ans: Depending on the position of the bottles, as long as the lid is tightly secured and the feeding equipment is face down, they will get sterilized.
Q2: Can I Put In Electric Breast Pump Parts?
Ans: For this, it is better you refer to your breast pump’s manual and see if they mention its "microwave-safe".
PICK #4- Tommee Tippee Electric Steam-Sterilizer
(Via Amazon.com)
Our fourth pick of best bottle sterilizer is “Tommee Tippee Electric Steam-Sterilizer”. This chemical-free sterilizing machine is designed to kill germs on baby equipments such as 5oz bottles, pacifiers and breast pumps in eight minutes. We have gathered a few features of the bottles, to help you understand why this might be the right sterilizer for you.
Pros
- The sterilizer has an oval-shape feature to better accommodate the bottles
- Up to six 5oz bottles, bottle lids and nipples can be placed inside the sterilizer
- Equipment in the machine can stay sterilized for 24 hours, granted the lid is not opened
- The unique design of the sterilizer allows the steam to circulate through the lid. The lid can also be removed to create a bigger space for bottle preparation
- Bottles get sterilized in five minutes and then, the machine automatically switches off
- The sterilizer comes with tongs for taking out nipples, two Closer-to-Nature 5oz bottles and a formula dispenser
If we talk about benefits, several moms consider Tommee Tippee Electric Steam Sterilizer a reliable sterilizer as they have been using it to not just clean bottles and pacifiers but also for sippy cups and Playtex straw cups. In fact, few moms have even recommended it for cleaning plastic chew toys since it is BPA-free.
Cons
- The drawback to this sterilizer is that, when the rust builds up on the coil, it creates a bad odor in the bottles and nipples, which is hard to get rid of.
Following are some frequently asked questions that will answer your concerns about this sterilizer:
Q1: Is The Sterilizer Compatible With Any Bottle?
Ans: Yes, as long as the bottles are 5oz, they will fit in the sterilizer
Q2: Can I Use Wet Bottle To Make The Formula?
Ans: As long as you are using distilled water, you can use the wet bottles or you can dry them with a towel, which must be used only for this purpose.
PICK #5- Dr. Brown's Electric Steam-Sterilizer
(Via Amazon.com)
Our fifth pick of best bottle sterilizer is “Dr. Brown's Electric Steam-Sterilizer”. The reason behind this rating is not based on its functionality. The sterilizer works at the same level as the other sterilizers. However, the only drawback is that it takes around twelve minutes for the sterilization process.
The sterilizer features removable parts, which makes it easy for bottles and feeding equipments to be placed. The removable basket can hold up to six bottles where as the top accessory tray holds items such as pacifiers, nipples and breast pump parts.
Pros
- Easy auto on and off operation
- Removable parts
- Comes with tongs for easy removal of feeding equipments
Cons
- Many mothers have a concern related to the sterilizer’s heating coil. It’s true that with time, deposit can build up on the coil and reduce the steam’s efficiency. As mentioned above, the vinegar-water solution can be used to clean the coil.
Following are some frequently asked questions that will answer your concerns about this sterilizer:
Q1: On What Voltage Does This Sterilizer Work?
Ans: 110V
Q2: Does The Sterilizer Give Off A Chemical Odor?
Ans: No, since it is BPA-free, it does not produce any bad odor.
Conclusion
According to our top five best steam-sterilizer ratings, combined with their pros and cons, it is clear that a sterilizer with a dryer option cannot be discarded. However, if you look at the microwave sterilizer, you do not have to worry about monthly maintenance. In fact, you do not have to worry about maintenance at all! However, the size is a big issue and you would have to sterilize the feeding equipment one-by-one. It all falls down on to the size and the heating coil but we cannot overlook the dryer option. So, the clear winner of this roundup is the “Baby Brezza Sterliizer Dryer”.
Sources:
● http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/global-baby-bottle-sterilizers-market-2015-2019-35319
● https://www.statista.com/statistics/509118/method-to-sterilise-bottles-united-kingdom-uk/
● http://www.babycentre.co.uk/a554982/sterilising-bottle-feeding-equipment
