Using a baby bottle warmer is a quick and easy way to get your baby’s bottle at an ideal temperature. This is safer than using a microwave and more accurate than running the bottle under some hot water from the tap. As a mother, it has been my experience that the best bottle warmer depends on where you will use it and how often you need to warm up bottles.
I often see new parents ask the same questions about baby bottle warmers. I did my best to answer all these questions.
This depends on the product you are using. Typically, you should be able to warm up a bottle or formula or breast milk between three to five minutes. Warming up a bottle of frozen milk can take up to 15 minutes.
Yes, but you need to look for a product designed for use with the material of the bottles you are using. Using a baby bottle warmer is safe than putting milk in a microwave since there won’t be any hotspots.
Baby bottles need to be sterilized before you can use them. Submerging the bottles, rings, and nipples in a pot of boiling water for five minutes should do the trick.
If you have a bottle warmer that doubles as a sterilizer, place the new bottles inside and select the sterilization setting.
If your baby is used to breastfeeding, she will probably prefer to drink lukewarm or warm milk from a bottle. Drinking warm milk can help your baby relax and go to sleep.
Warm milk might also be easier to digest. However, some babies like cold milk or cold formula so it’s not something you need to do.
Breast milk starts losing its nutritional properties when heated above 104°F. If your baby is used to breastfeeding, heat her bottle to 98.5°F to mimic the natural temperature of breast milk. Heating your baby’s bottle in the 75 to 78° range is fine if your baby prefers lukewarm milk.
You can use your microwave to sterilize baby bottles as long as your microwave is clean. You can either place the bottles inside of a microwave steam sterilizer or fill the bottles halfway with water and microwave them until you see steam.
Using a baby warmer with a sterilization setting is more convenient than relying on your microwave. You will have to heat the bottles to 212°F with a water baby bottle warmer or to 250°F with a steam baby bottle warmer to properly sterilize them. Keep in mind that the bottles need to be exposed to hot steam or water for a few minutes.
The bottle warmer itself won’t be in contact with milk or formula, so it isn’t necessary to sterilize this appliance. However, you can wipe it with a damp cloth if you need to clean it.
You can also use hot soapy water to clean the inside of the appliance and use a mix with two parts cold water for one part white vinegar if you need to get rid of a calcium buildup inside of the bottle warmer.
You can use a food thermometer to test the temperature of the milk. You can also sprinkle a few drops of milk or formula on the inside of your wrist. This is an area where your skin is very sensitive, and you should easily be able to tell if the milk is too hot for your baby.
I put together this list of different types of baby bottle warmers to help you decide which appliance would be best for your needs and lifestyle.
These are typically small appliances that you can plug in your kitchen and fill up with water. Electric appliances either heat up the water or turn it into steam.
An electric appliance would be the best baby bottle warmer for you if you plan on using it at home and need something quick and efficient.
Battery-powered portable bottle warmers have a heating band that wraps around the bottle. You can use these products to sterilize a baby bottle, but this is a convenient gadget to have when you are on the go.
Bottle warmer bags keep milk or formula warm thanks to insulating materials. You will need to heat up the bottle in advance and place it inside of the insulated bag to keep it warm.
These bottle warmers are somewhat similar to portable travel bottle warmers since they use a heating element or heating band rather than water or steam. However, you can power these bottle warmers with a car adapter rather than a battery.
These bottle warmers are typically electric appliances designed to be used at home. However, they are large enough to accommodate two bottles, which helps you save time when sterilizing baby bottles.
Some of the best baby bottle warmers can fit baby food jars. This convenient feature allows you to warm up food without having to worry about hotspots.
These appliances use steam to warm up baby bottles. This is typically faster than using water, but some steam bottle warmers require you to use a precise quantity of water to reach the desired temperature.
If you have a water or steam bottle warmer, you will need to fill the appliance with water. You can then select the desired temperature and insert the baby bottle in the bottle warmer.
Some baby bottle warmers have a timer while others will require you to carefully monitor the time, so you can turn them off before the milk gets too warm.
I have used a few different bottle warmers over the years. These are the options and features that I think are most important to look for:
I selected five of the best baby bottle warmers sold on Amazon after looking at specs and reviews. These are the products to consider if you are thinking about purchasing your first baby bottle warmer.
This is a portable bottle warmer that you can use for milk and food. The price tag is very affordable, which makes it an ideal option for something you will use occasionally.
There is a thermal flask that you need to fill with hot water. This baby bottle warmer is insulated so the milk or food stays warm for several hours. The secure lid makes the bottle warmer safe to use, and the compact design is a plus. This is the best travel bottle warmer.
Pros
Cons
This is one of the best baby bottle warmer if you are looking for an electric steam model. There is a knob with three different settings for warming up milk, food, or for sterilizing. You can choose between five different temperature settings ranging between 98°F and 108°F to warm up your baby’s bottle.
You can sterilize or warm-up two bottles at once to save time.
Pros
Cons
This is a steam baby bottle warmer that lets you adjust the temperature by one-degree increments. The lowest temperature setting is 98°F and the highest is 212°F so you can use it to sterilize bottles as well.
The digital display is an interesting feature because it makes it easy to keep track of the temperature. You can use this appliance to warm up or sterilize two bottles at once.
The thermostat control feature sets this bottle warmer apart. You can leave a bottle in the bottle warmer all day long and set a temperature. The bottle warmer will maintain the bottle at the desired temperature so the milk is ready when your baby gets hungry.
Pros
Cons
This baby bottle warmer has a compact design that would be perfect for a small kitchen. It can heat up a bottle in two minutes thanks to its powerful heating element.
You can place a bottle or a baby food jar on the heating element for a couple of minutes or use the sterilization cover to get steam to circulate and sterilize a baby bottle. All you have to do is set the timer and wait for the bottle warmer to shut off.
Pros
Cons
This is a water bottle warmer that you can use for breast milk, formula, and food. The water heats up very quickly and circulates to warm up the bottle or food jar.
It comes with a measuring cup, so you can easily determine how much water you need to put in the bottle warmer. There is a convenient auto-shutoff feature to prevent overheating.
Pros
Cons
Any of the above bottle warmers will do just fine depending on your preferences and needs. If you're looking for affordability and the best travel bottle warmer its the Tommee Tippee for sure.
But my top pick for the best bottle warmer with the most features is the Babebay bottle warmer, heater, and sterilizer.
As a mother, I know that the best baby bottle warmer is an appliance you should be able to use while holding a crying baby. The ideal baby bottle warmer should reach the desired temperature within a couple of minutes and shouldn’t require you to measure water or go through a complex settings menu.
Reading reviews written by other parents made me realize a lot of people will be using their bottle warmer at night to warm up breast milk. They need an appliance where you can simply push a button and not even think about which temperature you need to select.
This is why I think the Baby Bottle Warmer & Bottle Sterilizer, 3-in-1 Steam Sterilizer Bottle Warmer Portable Warming Breastmilk and Baby Food with accurate Temperature Control is the best baby bottle warmer money can buy.
I liked the compact design, the fact that you can sterilize two bottles and once, and the five temperature settings. I think the knob temperature control is easy to use, and you can see the difference between the sterilization temperature and the range of temperatures suitable for food or milk.
Kiinde Kozii utilizes convection technology to warm milk and baby bottles. Here’s how it works: first, the water reservoir of the warmer is filled with water. Then, as the water heats up, it rises and circulates inside the warmer to heat the milk bottle. In the case that the water level becomes too high, the excess warm water enters the overflow valve and back into the water reservoir.
This process allows the even heating of your baby’s milk and prevents hot spots. The Kozii bottle warmer also includes an auto shut-off feature and a defrost setting. The latter is especially helpful if you need to thaw frozen breast or formula milk. Kiinde Kozii takes pride in their “one size fits all solution” which means that this warmer can accommodate baby bottles in various sizes including baby food jars.
The Philips AVENT Bottle Warmer uses the same heating concept as the Kozii bottle warmer. However, this one is a cheaper alternative. The main feature of the product is its large opening which can hold bottles of various sizes. So, if you have Comotomo bottles at home which are known for their wide mound, they will fit just right in this warmer.
Some of the complaints about this product include the lack of a timer and an auto shut-off feature. Also, it has a slower heating time compared to other products. While the company recommends a 3-minute heating process, the actual procedure takes longer.
For the moms who appreciate hi-tech products, the Baby Brezza warmer is the perfect choice for you. The product features three modes: steady warm, quick warm, and defrost. The steady warm mode uses the water bath method while the quick warm uses steam. The warmer even comes with a downloadable App that allows you to control it remotely. It’s also safe to use for both plastic and glass bottles of various sizes.
As you might have expected, this product is quite pricey and not to mention, relatively bulkier than other warmers. However, if you don't mind spending more on a bottle warmer and you have a lot of space to spare for this product, then you should consider purchasing one.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when you compare different baby bottle warmers:
There are additional baby products that will come in handy. In my experience, these are the products parents can benefit from:
The best baby bottle warmer depends on where you will use it, and on whether or not you will need different temperature settings to choose from.
I think the Baby Bottle Warmer & Bottle Sterilizer, 3-in-1 Steam Sterilizer Bottle Warmer Portable Warming Breastmilk, and Baby Food with accurate Temperature Control would be an excellent investment for most parents but take the time to shop around and compare different appliances know that you know more about bottle warmers.
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