Do you need a bottle sterilizer? Dada says yes
Verdict by Papa · October 2026
You can find plenty of articles saying an electric sterilizer is a gadget. We thought so too. Then we lived four weeks without one, and Dada changed his mind for good. This one is his story.
Dada's view: "Boil that pot, Dada!"
Toto was born abroad, far from home. Everything we bought there had to fit in our bags for the flight back, so we didn't buy anything twice, and definitely no gadgets.
Mom was breastfeeding, so we thought we were safe. We weren't. Twice a day Toto got a few drops of vitamins and probiotics with a little newborn spoon, and that spoon had to be sterilized every time. Breastfeeding or not: boil that pot, Dada!
After two weeks, Toto wasn't gaining enough weight and needed a bit of formula on top. That's when the madness started, and we were only doing top-ups. With a fully formula-fed baby, the number of bottles goes through the roof.
We did four weeks without a machine. First baby, no sleep, all the rest of the newborn chaos, and boiling water was the job I hated most. The kitchen was tiny, every surface was already covered with daily life, and keeping a clean, ready-to-go set was a constant fight.
With less than six weeks left before flying home, I bought one anyway, just to fix one of my pains. Worth every penny. Wash the things, put them in, press the button, done. It saves time, and you actually know it was done properly.
The two we use
These are the two we own and use. We didn't line up every sterilizer on the market; we're telling you what earned its place in our kitchen.
At a glance
- Best overallMomcozy BS04 steam sterilizer and dryer€€Check price
- Best for your moneyChicco Steam Sterilizer 3-in-1€Check price
1. Momcozy BS04 steam sterilizer and dryer
Sterilizes and dries. The real fire-and-forget machine, and it travels.
The catch: The 'forget' part works too well: you'll wonder whether you already ran it.
Check price2. Chicco Steam Sterilizer 3-in-1
Simple, fairly cheap, small or big mode. Just water and a button.
The catch: No drying: everything comes out wet, so you still need a drying rack.
Check priceThe first one: Chicco Steam Sterilizer 3-in-1
"Nothing fancy: water in, push a button, it steams. It doesn't take much space but holds a good batch when you need it, and there's a small and a big setting for when you only have a few things."
Chicco Steam Sterilizer 3-in-1
Water in, button pressed, done. Simple, fairly cheap, and it goes small for a few bits or big for a full batch of bottles.
The catch: No drying: everything comes out wet, so you still need a drying rack.
Dada's first love
The upgrade: Momcozy BS04 with dryer
"When we flew home, the Chicco stayed with the grandparents for the next visit, and I loved it so much that I upgraded for home: a model that dries too. The drying is well worth it. It becomes truly fire and forget. Just be careful with the 'forget' part, because the new question in our house is: is it sterilized or not? It's also compact enough that it came with us to visit my parents."
Momcozy BS04 steam sterilizer and dryer
Sterilizes and dries in one go, so it's truly fire and forget. Compact enough that it came on holiday with us.
The catch: The 'forget' part works too well: you'll wonder whether you already ran it.
the upgrade
When boiling water is enough
- Only now and then: a dummy or a spoon once a day, while travelling light.
- Short term: the first days, before you know what your feeding will look like.
The moment bottles are part of every day, the machine pays for itself in time and nerves.
How to use a steam sterilizer well
- Wash first. A sterilizer kills germs; it doesn't remove milk residue. Wash with hot soapy water and a bottle brush.
- Open side down, so steam reaches every part.
- Descale regularly if you have hard water, with citric acid or vinegar, as the maker says.
- Keep the lid closed until you need things. Most makers say items stay sterile for a set number of hours with the lid shut; check yours.
clean bottle, happy Toto, slightly less tired Dada
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