172 of 172 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great item!... even if you have a dishwasher!!, December 7, 2005
This review is from: Microwave Steam Sterilizer (Baby Product)
Even with the mixed reviews of this item, I put it on my baby registry. Granted, at the time... I was not completely certain how much use I would get out of it. Well now that my son is 4 months old, let me tell you... I use this item EVERY day (and sometimes multiple times a day)! Let me explain why I think this simple piece of plastic is worth the $13... even if you have a dishwasher and even if you use Avent bottles (or Platex, or Second Nature, etc.):
1. It is simple to use. Wash bottles (or if you are like me and are expressing breastmilk too... then wash all your pump paraphernalia) and put them in unit... add some water... put in microwave and "cook" for 5 minutes... let stand (to steam) for an extra 2 minutes... remove items and sit them on rack to dry. That is it... very simple.
2. I personally think this is a cleaner way to go than the dishwasher. Why? Well, if your dishwasher is like mine then you often find food particles still caught on dishes or utensils. Hardly a sterile environment... even after going through the heated dry cycle. I may be super cautious with my bottles and breastpump equipment, but I'd rather wash them by hand and then sterilze them cleanly using steam.
(Side note: for the reviewer who thought she didn't have to CLEAN her bottles before using this sterilizer... honey, please... use some common sense! YES, you need to wash the bottles to get the milk film out. This unit is used to kill bacteria, etc on your baby's bottles by way of steam. It is not a dishwasher itself. [rolls eyes in disbelief])
3. Who wants to have to run the dishwasher every time a bottle or PACIFIER needs to be sterilized! This unit uses less energy than running the dishwasher all the time (ahem... that means our utility bills don't become any more outrageous than they already are!).
4. When it came to bottles, my son was quite the product tester. We started with Platex Nursers of both 4oz and 8oz size... then tried Avent 6oz... after that didn't work... we tried Second Nature 4oz and 9oz bottles. (My son is breastfed and as it turned out prefered the nipple style of the Second Nature bottles -- more like nursing.) Anyway, the point is... I have SUCCESSFULLY sterilized all these bottle types within this unit. Yes, sometimes you have to be clever at packing them in... and sometimes you have to use the unit twice if you just washed a bunch of bottles... BUT it can be done! While it is true that the lid doesn't lock down, realize that it doesn't need to do so! The engineering here is simple... you boil the water in the unit using microwave *heat*... and then the items in the unit get steam cleaned for a couple of minutes because the lid traps the steam in. All the lid needs to do is keep most of the steam inside the unit. And in my experience, the lid does this without being tightly locked down. (If there is a caution here, it is: use a towel when lifting off the lid as the lid gets hot and the steam sometimes billows out. Ouch!)
5. The plastic spindles do rotate around... so you can fit some pretty unusually shaped items in this unit. (Did I mention all those pesky breastpump parts I have to wash! [wink])
Anyway, I hope this helps people. I would be lost without this sterilizer. In fact, I am buying another one for my daycare provider to use because I feel that strongly about this unit's functionality!
:)
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70 of 72 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
great if you don't have a dishwasher, October 11, 2004
This review is from: Microwave Steam Sterilizer (Baby Product)
We don't have a dishwasher so we use this every day to sterilize our bottles. It is easy to use and gets the job done quickly.
Be careful taking it out of the microwave though. If the top comes off you could get a steam burn.
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39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love It!, July 26, 2004
This review is from: Microwave Steam Sterilizer (Baby Product)
I love this sterilizer. It's quick and easy to use. Bottles are sterilized in 5-8 minutes in your microwave. I'm having twins and wanted an easy way to sterilize bottles and pacifiers and I'm so glad I purchased this item. It's definitely worth the money and a definite time saver.
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