The items are sterile after a manufacturer-recommended 15-minute cycle – the NHS recommends 30 minutes – and remain so for as long as they’re in the solution. Plus, they don’t need rinsing off when they’re needed. Items can continue to be added and removed as necessary over 24 hours when the solution will need to be remade.

Relatively new to the steriliser market are UV sterilisers, which use UV light to kill bacteria. Their versatility means that you can use them to pretty much sterilise anything, including mobile phones and keys, however some UV sterilisers may not be suitable for sterilising natural rubber and latex (think certain dummies and the ever-popular Sophie La Girafe). Consider how many bottles or other pieces you want (or need) to sterilize simultaneously. Because bottle sterilizers come in varying sizes, they don’t always hold the same amount of items. For example, if you’re the parent or caregiver of twins, opt for a large bottle sterilizer, like the Papablic Electric Steam Sterilizer and Dryer, which fits up to 11 bottles and accessories, such as pacifiers, plastic toys, and teethers. Even if you don’t have twins, a bigger bottle sterilizer accommodates enough bottles for a day of feeding, breast pump parts, and more. On the other hand, some units only hold one bottle, such as the BÉABA BabyMilk 3-in-1 Bottle Warmer, so you can sterilize as you go (and save counter space).

Best sterilisers - at a glance:

Our tester, Maisie, is a mum of three with a six-year-old, four-year-old and an 11-month-old baby. She spent six months testing the shortlisted products with her own bottles and breast pump parts, each for a minimum of 10 days. Plus, they’re usually more expensive to run than electric sterilisers as they have a smaller capacity (so you’ll be running more cycles) and microwaves ultimately use more energy. 4. Travel steriliser

For cold water sterilisers, a full container will be very heavy and should be kept away from children so they can’t pull it over onto their head. Sterilisation fluid is made from sodium hypochlorite, a mild, non-toxic bleach that decomposes into water and a small amount of salt.This electric Baby Brezza bottle sterilizer holds up to six bottles of different shapes and sizes, plus accessories and pump parts. We appreciate the stainless steel heating plate to protect against water or rust build-up regardless of how often you use it. However, it's hard to reach for cleaning purposes. On the plus side, the bottle sterilizer is impressively quiet. After it finishes sterilizing in eight minutes, it automatically switches to drying mode and shuts off in just one easy step. Electric sterilisers sold in the EU should have the CE marking somewhere on the box or instructions. This indicates that the steriliser complies with relevant EU legislation on health, safety and environment standards. Cold water sterilisers involve filling a container with water and adding sterilisation tablets or fluid to make a sterilisation solution. The active ingredient is sodium hypochlorite, which is a mild bleach that has been through a purification process to make it stable and non-toxic. It’s perfectly safe to use, but does smell vaguely of swimming pool. The caveat is that you’ll need a microwave to use them, which might not always be available – and, more importantly, sterilising just two bottles at a time won’t be feasible if you’re bottle-feeding full-time. For Mumsnetters who want to avoid buying a steriliser altogether, these MAM self-sterilising bottles are a great option. The bottle comes apart and can be assembled in such a way that they work as their own steam steriliser in the microwave, making keeping them hygienic a doddle.

Milton do a travel steriliser that fits 1 bottle in. In theory any clean plastic container with a lid will do, but the travel sterilisers have the lines on so you put the correct amount of water in (as do the normal Milton sterilisers)." Recommended by Mumsnet user confused123456 Our verdict Nuby’s electric steam steriliser comes with a drying function so equipment can immediately be reused without having to wait for it to cool down or dry off. Our tester loved this feature and found it very useful. Dr Browns every time - baby never had wind issues a friend of mine who fosters babies recommended them and we have never had an issue. We also used the Dr Browns steriliser."Tried and tested by Mumsnet user mommybear1 Our verdict

7. Best multipurpose steriliser: MAM 6-in-1 Electric Steriliser and Express Bottle Warmer

We tried electric and microwave and ended up using cold water Milton - it’s so easy just keep adding bottles after washing them and they’re sterile in 15 min."Tried and tested by Mumsnetter CharlieB93 Our verdict

It takes one touch of a button to start a cycle and, if you have any accompanying Tommee Tippee bottles, each bottle is clearly marked to show how much water to add to the steriliser – a thoughtful touch that our tester really appreciated.After cleaning, rinse off each item in cold, clean water and then you’re ready to sterilise. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions exactly, especially when positioning items in the steriliser and adding the correct amount of water or sterilisation solution. Because travel sterilisers need to be compact enough to carry around, they’re usually short on bells and whistles. What we loved about the Milton Solo was that, travel steriliser or not, it’s more adaptable and comes with more useful design features than any other travel model we tested.