When it came to buy a steriliser for Jayden's bottles I had not idea what I was looking for there seemed to be so many different types to choose from. We decided to have a look on the John Lewis website as we had vouchers to use, we didn't want anything too expensive but we wanted something that was going to last. After browsing through the website we came across the Philips Avent Microwave Steriliser, at the time we were planning on using Avent bottles so thought this would be ideal, however we have since moved on to Dr Brown bottles and the steriliser works just as well with these.

Packaging
We purchased out Avent Microwave Steriliser online, it came in a square cardboard box which was just a little bit bigger than the steriliser, inside the box the steriliser was inside a clear plastic bag for extra protection. I cannot remember exactly what the packaging was like as we got rid of this several weeks ago, however from what I can remember it had pictures of the steraliser on it along with the name of the product and various facts about it. There was also an instruction leaflet inside the box as well.

The Steriliser
The Avent Steriliser from the outside looks like a large Tupperware container, it comes in two halves consisting of a white round tray which is the bottom of the steriliser and a large dome lid, the lid sits on top of the tray and is held in place with two blue plastic clips, these are attached to the lid and clip onto the base to keep the two halves together.

The words Philips Avent are written on the top in the same style that they appear on the bottles which is blue writing with coloured blocks between the letters. Inside the steriliser is a blue tray, this has round dips and raised areas which is where you sit the various parts of the bottles you wish to sterilise, the tray has holes in it to allow the steam to flow through. In the centre of the tray is a handle which allows you lift the blue tray out of the base. The style of the Avent Microwave Steriliser is actually quite simple as it only consists of 3 parts, there was nothing to assemble it was literally ready to go. With this steriliser you also got a 125ml Avent feeding bottle, a pair of plastic tongs for removing items from the steriliser and a small measuring jug to measure out the correct amount of water for sterilising.

Using the Steriliser
Before we purchased the Avent Microwave Steriliser I thought it was going to be quite complicated and long winded sterilising Jayden's bottles, however with this steriliser it couldn't be easier. You simply put all of the parts of the bottles onto the blue tray inside the steriliser, it doesn't really matter how you stack things you just have to have a fiddle around to see what is the best way for them to fit in. Once all parts are in the steriliser you remove the blue tray containing the bottles then pour 200ml of water into the base and replace the tray, you then clip the lid in place and put the whole thing into the microwave for 4 to 6 minutes depending on your microwave, we always put ours in for 6 minutes. Once complete you then need to leave the steriliser for 2 minutes before opening. When you have finished sterilising you do need to take care when removing things from it as the steam inside remains very hot for a long while after the steralising has finished, the items inside are also extremely hot so it is advised you use the tongs to remove items from it.

Price and Availability
I purchased the Avent Microwave Steriliser from the John Lewis website, to be honest I haven't actually seen this steriliser anywhere else, although I should imagine it is available from shops such as Boots who also sell Avent products. From John Lewis the steriliser cost £24.00, I was pleasantly surprised at the price as I imagined that this sort of product would be a lot more expensive. Personally I would say that this is excellent value for money, the steriliser is well made and also strong and durable. A Steriliser isn't an essential as you can buy other products such as tablets and liquids to sterilise your bottles however it does make life a bit easier and this particular one is extremely affordable.

My Opinion
Our Avent Steriliser gets used at least a couple of times a day and has done since Jayden came home from hospital. We no longer use the Avent bottles as you may have seen from a previous review, however the Dr Brown bottles which we now use fit in here perfectly, the sterilise will fit pretty much any bottles you just need to have a fiddle around to see what way is best to stack them.

Using the Avent Steriliser is very quick and easy, on occasions we have realised we do not have a bottle sterilised for Jayden's next feed and with this Steriliser we can quickly have a bottle ready for him in minutes.

It is a little bulky and if you have a small microwave it would not fit inside, it is a bit of a tight fit getting it into our microwave, however once it is in there this is not a problem, so it is worth checking the size of your microwave before you buy one of these sterilisers. The whole thing is made from a tough and strong durable plastic so it cannot be broken easily. This is definitely product I would recommend.