The sterilisation cycle is just five minutes, one of the shortest from an electric steriliser we tested. If the lid isn’t removed, everything inside stays sterile for 24 hours after running a cycle. While the initial outlay is more than a microwave steriliser, it’s considerably cheaper to run. Altogether, the Tommee Tippee Super-Steam is a reliable, thoughtfully-designed steriliser that’s widely available, well-supported and should do its job consistently over time – a lifesaver to an overloaded new parent and a worthy winner of this year’s Mumsnet Best Steriliser award. Once the cycle is complete, the items inside will stay sterile for 24 hours if the lid is kept in place. 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?

After cleaning, rinse off each item in cold, clean water and then you’re ready to sterilise. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions exactly, especially when positioning items in the steriliser and adding the correct amount of water or sterilisation solution. Whether you want the ease of a sterilising solution, a steam-sterilising microwave option or the latest electric all-rounder, we've looked at all the options on the market. We've also listened to our BabyCentre parents to find out which sterilisers they are raving or ranting about. 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 Our editors have highlighted these through research supported by the recommendations shared by our experienced parents in the BabyCentre Community.Bottle sterilizers kill bacteria on the surface of baby bottles or other items that you use to feed your baby. Though they do the same job, sterilizers have different capabilities. Here are some things to keep in mind. These are what they use at my local LC consultation place. I used them when I pumped for my DD for 9+ months & have been using them for almost 3 mo now w/ DS. I have never had any problems, and they are so convenient!" Microwave sterilisers are smaller, but not exactly portable. They could sit on top of the fridge or stay in the microwave itself if you’d rather not keep them out. 3. Cycle time However, Kate says, “It is always recommended to sterilise your baby’s bottles and teats for as long as you continue using them. This is because milk and milk curds can remain in small amounts in the teat and bottle, and the bugs that feed on them can cause stomach upsets.” How do I sterilise baby equipment? 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.

Do you have enough kitchen counter space to keep a sterilising unit out all the time? Would you want to if you did? Electric units usually stay plugged in on the counter – they’re too large to store and too bulky for it to be convenient to move them often. I use the Dr. Browns bottle warmer. It works great with other bottles other than dr.browns. I also use it to thaw out breastmilk."There are four main sterilisation units on the market: cold water sterilisers, microwave sterilisers, electric sterilisers and travel sterilisers. They all have their own pros and cons. 1. Cold water steriliser