Baby Brezza One-Step Advanced sterilizer and dryer review

While I no longer have a baby (my son is now a busy 9-year-old!) I remember the arduous process for feeding time whenever he was having a bottle. Not only did I have to mix formula or warm up breast milk, I also had to make sure the bottles, nipples, breast pump accessories, and other items were sufficiently cleaned and sterilized. My sterilization process was fairly low-tech and had its disadvantages (more on that later) but it could have been simplified with the use of a dedicated sterilizer and dryer like the Baby Brezza One-Step Advanced. While I have long since given away my baby bottles, I was able to test this small appliance using other items, including glass mason jars and plastic Tupperware.

What is the Baby Brezza One-Step Advanced?

The Baby Brezza One-Step Advanced is a small appliance that functions to both sterilize and dry baby bottles, pacifiers, and other items so they are ready to go quickly when you need them for that 3 a.m. feed. It can fit up to eight bottles and two full sets of pump parts along with other related accessories in the two baskets and unique accessory tray. The machine will kill up to 99.9% of germs using steam and the stainless-steel heating plate; there’s no soap or harsh chemicals required. Once it’s done cleaning, it can dry everything inside as well, or you can choose not to use the drying function. It’s also storage for up to 24 hours so you don’t have to rush and put everything away.

Made of BPA-free plastic and finished in white, the unit has three drying settings that can help dry bottles up to 33% faster than Baby Brezza’s on One Step Sterilizer. The stainless-steel heating plate is designed to resist corrosion and hard water build-up so the machine will last and can be handed down to a friend or family member when you’re done with it (or saved for the next wee one!)

Using the bottle sterilizer and dryer

The first thing you’ll notice about the Baby Brezza One-Step Advanced is that it’s rather large. You will need significant counter space for the 20.32 cm D x 35.56 cm W x 27.94 cm W appliance, which is about the same size as a large air fryer.

Before getting started, make sure to buy distilled water, which you can get at most grocery stores. Fill the base/heater surface with distilled water up to the MAX line, which is about 165mL of liquid. Put the lower basket on the base and add your bottles. Note that this isn’t a washing machine, only a sterilizer, so you will have to hand-wash the bottles before inserting them inside. The opening of the bottles should be face down on the bottle posts.

The machine allows for a modular set-up, so you can put the accessory tray in the lower basket for items like nipples, collars, caps, and other accessories, but if you have tall bottles, you can leave this out. Add the upper basket on top ensuring a secure fit without gaps and add more accessories, like breast pump parts that need to be sanitized. Or just use the lower basket with the accessory tray on their own if you don’t have too many items that need to be sterilized at once, or the upper basket only if you just need to sterilize some accessories.

Since I no longer have baby bottles or accessories in my home, I decided to sterilize a few glass Mason jars and a small plastic Tupperware container in the main bottle compartment along with two plastic Tupperware lids in the top accessory tray. Sadly, one of the Tupperware lids ended up with its coloured edge melted from the heat. That might be partially my fault for not confirming that the material could stand up to the heat (literally), but it also brought up an interesting point: the manual only lists what types of items you can place inside, like baby bottles and breast pump accessories, but doesn’t clarify specifics in terms of the materials. With that said, if you want to sterilize other items, like pacifiers or toys, remove any plastic parts first that aren’t safe for high heat.

Once everything is good to go, press the power button once and the icons will light up. Choose if you want to sterilize, dry, or both. If you want to dry as well, press the Sterilize/Dry or Dry button once for a 30-minute dry cycle, twice for 45 minutes, and three times for a full hour. You have three seconds to choose after which the machine will begin. Don’t forget to choose the function you want as if you don’t, the machine will just turn off and you’ll return disappointingly to bottles that haven’t yet been sterilized.

I love the second-by-second countdown as the sterilization process begins so you always know where it is in the process. The heating up and prep steps are about 10-15 minutes. As the machine heats up, it makes a sound similar to boiling water and you can see the condensation form on the container as well as feel the heat that it being generated. In fact, you can also see steam coming from the top. Once it starts, the noise is quite loud: I was working in the dining room next to the kitchen and had to move because it was distracting.

The Baby Brezza One-Step Advanced beeps once it’s done sterilizing then five beeps once drying is complete if that option is chosen. The appliance comes with a handy set of tongs you can use to remove the basket or tray, or grip small items like bottle nipples, since they’ll be hot.

The whole process of the Baby Brezza One-Step Advanced is super simple and sure beats the method I used, which was to place the bottles and accessories in a pot of boiling water for about 10 minutes, remove with tongs, and leave to dry on a dish rack. It sounds simple, but as a busy parent, I either had to set a timer, or stand and wait for the process to be done or I’d be busy doing other things and forget the bottles sterilizing on the stove (it happened more than once!) With this machine, you can literally set and forget, and never worry about getting up in the wee hours of the morning for a nighttime feed only to discover that all the bottles are still in the sink, unwashed, or washed but not yet sanitized.

Cleaning is done using a soft damp cloth on the base while the lid and accessory rack can be cleaned in hot soapy water (don’t put them in the dishwasher). It’s advisable to wipe the surface of the base after each use (or, let’s be real, whenever you have time!) to prevent mineral residue and deposits from accumulating. Should you have a busy few months where you forget this step, you can use scale removers or leave a mix of half vinegar, half water on the heating plate for half an hour, then wipe it clean with a dry cloth. (Don’t worry if it looks a little discoloured after this process.)

Who should get the Baby Brezza One-Step Advanced?

Given its size and ability to sterilize so much at once, the Baby Brezza One-Step Advanced is ideal for larger families with multiple babies: if you have twins, this is the machine for you! But for parents who are exclusively bottle feeding, you’d be surprised how many bottles you will go through in a week and how little time you have to wash, sterilize, and dry them. So, if you have the space in your kitchen, this machine might be worthwhile. Not to mention that it will free up space in your drying rack by the sink, and space in the cupboard, since the unit serves as a 24-hour bottle storage area as well.

This machine would also work well for home daycares where caregivers find themselves sterilizing and cleaning plenty of items on a daily basis for multiple kids.

You can find the Baby Brezza One-Step Advanced bottle sterilizer and dryer at Best Buy Online.