For such a compact design I was surprised that the MAM can fit up to six bottles inside, plus lids, teats and other bits. And although it's designed for MAM bottles, I found that it coped just as well with AVENT and Dr Brown’s bottles, too.
I have a compact, 800w microwave so I was a bit disappointed to find that sterilising actually takes eight minutes, plus three additional minutes for cooling, which means the complete cycle is similar to an electric steam steriliser. However, a more powerful microwave could complete the job in the advertised four minutes.
The steriliser is extremely easy to use – just chuck water in to the level indicated in the bottom, and throw the bottles and other bits in. Other sterilisers require you to stand the bottles up, which is time-consuming – and time is what you're short of with a baby!
The lid on the MAM is extremely secure. It actually clicks into place, which also means that travelling with the steriliser would be fairly easy as the contents would remain sterilised (for 24 hours) and secure. The design of the lid also means it stays in place when you remove the steriliser from the microwave.
Another feature is that the lid doubles as a drainage shelf so you can turn everything upside down into the lid once it's clean and let the water drain away. This avoids the usual problems of water leaking on to the kitchen worktop. In fact the MAM steriliser did not leak at all.
What we love
The MAM Microwave Steam Steriliser is so simple in its design – there are no gimmicks and that click-shut lid means no nasty steam-burn incidents.
The included teat tongs are very good – they're actually made of plastic that’s soft enough to make picking up teats easy.
The MAM steriliser is also made of BPA-free plastic – generally accepted as the safe norm for baby feeding products today.
It's also brilliant that the steriliser isn’t limited to MAM bottles only, unlike other sterilisers I’ve used. This is a real bonus when you aren't sure which bottle your baby is going to prefer, but you need to sterilise your bottles before your baby can try them.
What to watch out for
Even after the stipulated cooling time I still found the MAM steriliser was hot to touch, so it was a bit tricky to get out of my microwave. Considering it’s such a straightforward design – basically a plastic container with a shelf and a lid - I think the price is a little steep.
Who is the MAM Microwave Steam Steriliser best for?
Space-conscious microwave-oven owners who don't want an electric steam steriliser.
The MAM Microwave Steam Steriliser is a very practical, space-saving, easy-to-use, no-leak steriliser. It’s a big plus that it can cope with different brands of bottles, breast pumps and other baby feeding accessories. Just be prepared for it to take longer than four minutes.
