Fresh as a Baby's Bottle. (Avent Steam Steriliser)

Member Name: Autarkis

Product:	Avent Steam Steriliser
Date:	20/09/09 (209 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Keeps your baby's feeding equipment clean and safe for them.

Disadvantages: It is very hot if you open the lid up straight away after it has finished sterilising.

Towards the end of my pregnancy with my son I knew that I would need a steriliser, I didn't want a cold water steriliser as I'm not keen on using chemicals and I didn't want a microwave steriliser either. I used a steam steriliser with my daughter 13 years ago so I knew that they are easy and efficient to use.

After looking around and seeing just how much more expensive they had become I decided on the Philips Avent steriliser, as Avent are one of the leading reputable manufacturers for baby products, so I knew they were a brand I could trust. It also came fully equipped with a few essentials which were a great added bonus. I liked the look and design of the bottles which I feel is another important aspect when considering which steriliser you want, as some bottles are shaped differently or are wider which means they may not fit the steriliser. So it is important to decide which bottles you are going to be using before choosing a steriliser.

I quite liked the Avent range as their feeding products are interchangeable, so once your baby is ready to learn how to hold their bottle and when they are ready to learn to drink through a spout you can buy the extra parts which all work with each other.

At the time of purchase I paid the princely sum of £39.99 for it from Boots, which seemed reasonable compared to the other sterilisers that they had on offer at the time.

--What's included in the box--

* Philips AVENT Airflex bottle 125ml with newborn Airflex teat
* Philips AVENT bottle 260ml with medium Airflex teat
* Philips AVENT bottle brush
* 2 x Philips AVENT soothers
* 1 set of tongs & measuring jug
* Sachets of Citric Acid for cleaning the unit


The box isn't much bigger than the unit itself as all of the components were packed in the steriliser along with the plug.

Inside the unit is a removable rack with two shelves, with holes for the bottles it will hold up to six 260ml (9oz) bottles along with the teats and caps, you will also be able to fit in a couple of dummies if you wish.

Once I took the unit out of the box I found it didn't take up much space on my kitchen worktop and the design of it was aesthetically pleasing. The simple design will fit with any kitchen décor as the base unit is white with the Avent logo on the front and the lid is semi transparent.

--Setting up the unit--

Getting started is simple, you need to rinse out the base unit being careful not to get the electrics wet, however this is well covered so there is little chance of this happening. Also the lid and the internal rack will need to be washed and rinsed prior to use as well. It is preferable to fill the machine up with the recommended amount of water (90ml) and run the machine through its cycle prior to using it for sterilization.


--How it works--

It takes approximately 8 minutes to finish its cycle; and after this time everything within the unit will remain sterile for 6 hours. The intense heat kills the bacteria without the need of chemicals so there will be no nasty taste or odour on any of your baby equipment.

Before filling up your new steriliser you will need to wash all new and used feeding equipment in warm soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Not all baby equipment is suitable for steam sterilization, so do check your labels before buying other baby products. The instructions show you how to load the steriliser which after a few uses you will soon get the hang of. As well as all the feeding equipment you can also use this unit to sterilize the Avent breast pump. Once you have filled the steriliser simply switch it on once it has finished its cycle you will need to allow time for it to cool slightly before opening. There is a light at the front of the unit which indicates that the unit is on and will go off once it has finished. So good organisation and preparation is needed with a newborn to prevent a crying hungry baby as leaving the sterilizing of the bottles just prior to their use will mean they will be potentially very hot and may cause you to be panicked whilst trying to make up a feed while tending to your hungry baby.

--Care and Maintenance--

It requires a little maintenance every few months depending on whether you live in a hard water area will dictate how often it will need to be de-scaled. There are a few packets of Citric acid sachets included which are simple to use, I only needed to de-scale my unit twice in the 1.5 years of use. However it is recommended that this procedure is to be carried out every 4-6 weeks. The outside of the unit can just be wiped down with a damp cloth to remove marks.


--When to Sterilise--

Bottles and dummies should be sterilised until your baby is 12 months old, some parents stop sterilising after this time and others will continue to use it for longer, it is all down to personal preference. I personally used my steriliser for my son's bottles until he was 12 months old, but continued to sterilise his dummies and training beakers that were used for milk for some time after. A babies immune system is susceptible to infection before 12 months of age after this time they will start to build up an immune system, and of course once they become mobile all sorts will be put into their mouths.

--Why sterilise--

Steam sterilisation is based on hospital methods. If any milk is left behind then bacteria can grow which will cause an upset stomach or other unpleasant upsets for your baby.

Once my son reached 12 months of age he was moved onto full fat cow's milk and he had learnt how to drink from a trainer beaker (albeit messy) I continued to use the steriliser for dummies and teething aids. I no longer have the use for the steriliser as he only has a dummy at bedtime which I leave in a bowl of boiling water to make sure it is clean, and the same with his teething aids. Seeing as he hardly uses either they never become grubby.

In all the time in which I used the Avent steriliser I have had no problems with it at all, it ran smoothly time and time again, and was a reliable product and worth the money. It was fast and efficient and easy to use, I was able to fit in other bottles but mainly remained loyal to the Avent brand of feeding products for the first 12 months of my son's life as they do offer a large range of feeding equipment at reasonably prices.

--Availablity--

The Avent steriliser can be bought from Mothercare, Amazon, Boots, as well as some major supermarkets maybe stocking it.

www.avent.co.uk

Overall I highly recommend this product!


Published on other review sites under the same author name.

Summary: An effective and safe means towards keeping your little ones bottles clean.