Why do I need a bottle sterilizer?
A bottle sterilizer is a device that lets you quickly and easily sterilize baby bottles, bottle nipples, and pacifiers using water vapor. Even if you don't have much space in your kitchen – a bottle sterilizer is worth it!
In the first months of life, babies have a sensitive immune system, which is why baby bottles, bottle nipples, pacifiers, and breast pump parts should be sterilized before every use.
Does a bottle sterilizer make sense?
To ensure adequate sterilization of feeding items, it's basically enough to boil bottles and accessories in a pot of boiling water for about 10 minutes. However, this is quite tedious and you always have to stay nearby. Sterilization is faster, easier, and gentler with a sterilizing device, also known as a bottle sterilizer.
A bottle sterilizer works with hot steam, killing bacteria and germs that are dangerous for babies: some water is poured into the device, the cleaned items to be sterilized are placed in a basket above it, and the device is switched on. Once the water reaches temperature (at 100°C), it evaporates and kills all germs.
This is not only fast (about 2-10 minutes) and thorough, but also gentle on the material of bottles, nipples, and other items. Boiling often causes bottles to look dull and unattractive.
Bottle sterilizers also score points with a built-in automatic shut-off, or with the automatic end of sterilization in the microwave – so you don't always have to stand next to the device and can take care of your baby in peace instead.
With the lid closed, sterilized bottles stay sterile for up to 24 hours.
What different types of bottle sterilizers are there?
There are electric bottle sterilizers as well as microwave sterilizers.
Electric bottle sterilizers
Electric bottle sterilizers are a standalone device: simply plug it into an outlet and you're ready to go. A microwave sterilizer, on the other hand, only works inside a microwave: the basket is filled with water, the items are placed inside, the lid goes on, and it goes into the microwave. The water is evaporated only by the heat generated in the microwave.
Microwave sterilizers
Due to their simple design without electronics, microwave sterilizers are generally cheaper (about 10-30 euros) than electric sterilizers (about 20-70 euros).
What should I look out for when buying?
Even when buying, make sure the bottle sterilizer is suitable for your baby bottles. For example, some sterilizers can't fit wide-neck bottles. Which bottles and how many the sterilizer can hold is stated in the product description.
Always fill in as much water as specified by the manufacturer, since otherwise the sterilization time will change – if there's too little water, the baby items might not be sufficiently sterilized.
From time to time, the device needs to be descaled so as not to shorten the bottle sterilizer's lifespan and not to interfere with the automatic shut-off (e.g., with citric acid or vinegar).
