We find it really easy and it just gets kept in the microwave when not in use. It does four bottles at once which stay sterilised for 24 hours if you keep the lid on."Loved by Mumsnet user OvertiredOverthinker. Our verdict

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. The length of a sterilisation cycle varies wildly between brands. If you’ve got a set-up where you intend to batch-sterilise once a day, a longer cycle won’t matter so much. But if you’re planning on sterilising more often, you won’t want to wait by the steriliser juggling a hungry baby. 4. Noise 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?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. If you’re using bottles and breast pumps regularly but not intensively, you might find that a travel steriliser is sufficient for your needs – it’s certainly cheaper to buy and easier to throw into a drawer. If you’re bottle-feeding full-time, though, sterilising one or two bottles at a time will be too inefficient and labour-intensive to manage. 5. UV steriliser 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.

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 In the hazy days with a new baby, keeping them safe is the number one priority – and also likely to be the biggest source of anxiety for parents. A steriliser can be used to kill bacteria found on lots of different baby feeding equipment like baby bottles, teats and breast pump parts. But which is the best steriliser to make your feeding schedules easier to juggle? After our latest intensive round of testing, we’ve got all the information you’ll need about our favourites. 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. Dr Browns every time - baby never had wind issues a friend of mine who fosters babies recommended them and we have never had an issue. We also used the Dr Browns steriliser."Tried and tested by Mumsnet user mommybear1 Our verdictBut 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. Electric sterilisers attract limescale on their heating plate over time so will need regularly descaling (manufacturers will specify a frequency, but it’s usually once or twice a month). To reduce limescale build-up, pour out the water after every use and wipe down with a soft damp cloth. Capacity: Six bottles, plus breast pump parts | Materials: Plastic | Included: Container and weighted grid Good for parents who As well as baby bottles, teats and breast pump parts, you'll also want to steriliser dummies and teething rings, ideally once a day unless they are dropped on the floor outside. 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

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. 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.One of the most essential features of a bottle sterilizer is bottle compatibility, Dr. Hayashi recommends. Consider what types of bottles the sterilizer allows, whether shape, size, or material, and if you have to accommodate a lid for sterilization. Some bottle sterilizers don’t allow glass, Dr. Hayashi explains, such as the GROWNSY 9-in-1 Bottle Warmer, while others struggle to close properly with tall baby bottles. If you buy the mam bottles they can just go in the microwave by themselves, would highly recommend!"Loved by Mumsnet user Roboticcarrot Our verdict

Last year’s Mumsnet Best winner is a spacious, professional-looking steriliser with a main compartment for six bottles and a top compartment for smaller items like dummies and teats.

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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. 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? Have multiple babies, use a lot of bottles per day or want to sterilise a variety of items including breast pumps, toys and dummies