Chicco Digital Bottle Warmer & Sterilizer Review
Our Verdict
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This Product
Chicco Digital Bottle Warmer & Sterilizer | |||||
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Awards | Best Overall Bottle Warmer | Most Consistent Bottle Warmer | Best Budget Bottle Warmer | ||
Price | Check Price at Amazon | $80 List $79.99 at Amazon | $28 List | $22 List | $22 List $19.75 at Amazon |
Overall Score | |||||
Star Rating | |||||
Bottom Line | A higher-price warmer that is easy to use and can heat consecutive bottles but it isn't very fast | A useful app and easy-to-use interface make this expensive warmer appealing | The lower price, features, and multiple settings are appealing | Simple and effective warming but requires prep work and could possibly be done with things you already own | Cheaper warmer that is easy to use but doesn't heat consistently or enough |
Rating Categories | Chicco Digital & St... | Baby Brezza Safe an... | First Years Gentle... | Kiinde Kozii Voyage... | The First Years 2-i... |
Health and Safety (35%) | |||||
Warming Quality (25%) | |||||
Warming Time (20%) | |||||
Ease of Use (15%) | |||||
Ease of Cleaning (5%) | |||||
Specs | Chicco Digital & St... | Baby Brezza Safe an... | First Years Gentle... | Kiinde Kozii Voyage... | The First Years 2-i... |
Heat Technology | Water Bath + Steam | Water Bath + Steam | Water Bath | Water Bath | Water Bath + Steam |
Max Temp | 92.2 °F | 105.9 °F | 88.4 °F | 117.2 °F | 108.7 °F |
Frozen Capability | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Baby Food Heating | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Audible Beep | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Measured Dimensions | 5.2 in x 5.1 in x 12.4 in | 6.0 in x 6.6 in x 11.8 in | 5.2 in x 4.9 in x 10.3 in | 3.8 in x 3.8 in x 8.6 in | 4.6 in x 6.2 in x 7.2 in |
Contents Below 113ºF/45ºC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Time to Reach 80F | 8.5 min | 5.5 min | 10.0 min | 5.0 min | 5.0 min |
Time to Reach 98F | N/A | 9.5 min | N/A | 10.0 min | 7.5 min |
Our Analysis and Test Results
Chicco (kee-ko) launched in 1958 with Pietro Catelli at the helm. It is now a component of the Artsana Group. Chicco is one of the most popular baby brands in Europe and the United States. Chicco creates gear for newborns to preschool age and is distributed to more than 120 countries.
Performance Comparison
Health and Safety
The Chicco has one of the best results in our health and safety testing. Our tests indicate it has features like auto shutoff and slow warming water, which helps prevent burns during use, as well as an overheated bottle.
Using it within the manufacturer's guidelines, it isn't likely that the bottle's contents will reach over 104 degrees F. This is the temperature at which the degradation of nutrients begins to occur. Even at the highest setting for up to 12 minutes, it never reached over 101.7 degrees. So even if you get distracted while warming, we think there is less risk of burns, scalding hot milk, or nutritional compromise.
Warming Quality
The Chicco did not warm contents very consistently in our tests. When using the manufacturer's directions based on bottle type and liquid amount, we could not achieve similar heating results time after time.
Given that it never overheats, this might not be a deal breaker, but it could be frustrating if your little one is picky about temperatures and eating.
At auto shutoff, we recorded temperature times ranging from 67F to 82F. It isn't very reassuring to use the same bottle, same settings, and same milk to get results that are so varied.
Warming Time
The Chicco earned a below-average result for quickness of warming using the manufacturer's settings. This unit took longer than others to heat milk over 98F degrees, with an average high temperature of only 96F degrees and an auto shutoff of 7 minutes.
Even after 12 minutes, this unit rarely got liquid hotter than 98F, even if we surpassed the recommended settings. While your baby is unlikely to complain about 96 degrees, it would be better if it could reach a body temperature similar to breast milk.
Ease of Use
The Chicco earns a high score for ease of use and is one of the easiest in the group to use.
It is a straightforward warmer without the bells and whistles that can make it harder to operate. It has an internal fill line for heating and clear instructions in the manual.
There is no card or instructions on the unit, but the settings are not hard to remember. Settings are based on the bottle type, amount of liquid, and the starting temperature, which is cold or frozen.
It also includes auto-shut-off to help prevent the contents from getting too hot. You can heat a subsequent bottle immediately by replacing the water bath water with fresh water and starting over.
Ease of Cleaning
The Chicco earned an above-average result for ease of cleaning, with only a couple being easier to clean.
Cleaning entails turning it off, emptying the water, and wiping it with a cloth. Easy peasy. This unit has a descaling light to tell you when it needs to be done, which we love. It requires soaking overnight, so you won't be able to use it during this process. The process is straightforward, and the instructions are clear. It is easy to clean with a bottle brush and cloth.
Should You Buy the Chicco Digital Bottle Warmer & Sterilizer?
The Chicco is a higher-ranking warmer that might be the right one for you, even though it missed winning an award in our review. This warmer has a slightly higher-than-average price, but it is super easy to use, easy to clean, and is unlikely to get too hot and damage the nutritional profile of the milk in the bottle. It could be a contender for anyone who wants to ensure nutritional consistency and wants a warmer that is simple and easy to use.
What Other Bottle Warmer Should You Consider?
If you want a fast warmer, the Chicco is not the right choice as it took too long to reach 98F+ degrees. The Philips Avent Fast is one of the fastest options in the group and is good for those who want heating done quickly. Alternatively, if you want consistency, ease of use, and other useful features, the First Years Gentle Warmth Digital is one of our favorites that preserves the nutrition of contents by avoiding higher temperatures.