In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician

The First Years 2-in-1 Simple Serve Review

A less expensive option that offers somewhat consecutive warming, but it isn't consistent and you can't stop the cycle
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The First Years 2-in-1 Simple Serve Review
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Price:  $22 List
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Manufacturer:   TOMY
By Juliet Spurrier, MD and Wendy Schmitz  ⋅  Apr 2, 2024
51
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#10 of 11
  • Health and Safety - 35% 5.1
  • Warming Quality - 25% 2.3
  • Warming Time - 20% 7.5
  • Ease of Use - 15% 6.1
  • Ease of Cleaning - 5% 7.4

Our Verdict

The First Years 2-in-1 Simple Serve is not a favorite bottle warmer. This option didn't perform well in most metrics compared to our competitors, and we don't think the budget-friendly price is enough to make up for what it lacks. The worst attribute about the 2-in-1 is its inability to produce similar temperatures using the same settings and the same starting milk. This unit had a wider range than competitors, leading us to believe you'll never really know how warm or cold the milk being served is. While it didn't get too hot at manufacturer settings, it also wasn't reliable, and we worry this will result in parents using settings hotter than the recommended options to get a warm bottle of milk. This could lead to nutrition loss or milk too hot to be served. With a harder-to-use interface and confusing instructions, there isn't much to love about this First Years and we think there are other, better options in this review, no matter what your warming goals might be.
REASONS TO BUY
10-minute consecutive wait
Straightforward design
REASONS TO AVOID
Inconsistent
Manufacturer settings don't warm enough
Can't reset after starting
Editor's note: This First Years warmer is part of our full testing reset for bottle warmers that occurred on March 29, 2024.

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards  Best Value Award
Best Budget Bottle Warmer
Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Bottle Warmer
Editors' Choice Award
Most Consistent Bottle Warmer
 
Price $22 List
$19.75 at Amazon
$28 ListCheck Price at Amazon$80 List
$79.99 at Amazon
$22 List
Overall Score Sort Icon
51
71
71
71
62
Star Rating
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Bottom Line Cheaper warmer that is easy to use but doesn't heat consistently or enoughThe lower price, features, and multiple settings are appealingA higher-price warmer that is easy to use and can heat consecutive bottles but it isn't very fastA useful app and easy-to-use interface make this expensive warmer appealingSimple and effective warming but requires prep work and could possibly be done with things you already own
Rating Categories The First Years 2-i... First Years Gentle... Chicco Digital & St... Baby Brezza Safe an... Kiinde Kozii Voyage...
Health and Safety (35%)
5.1
8.7
8.7
6.6
4.5
Warming Quality (25%)
2.3
7.0
5.6
7.4
7.2
Warming Time (20%)
7.5
4.0
4.7
6.2
6.5
Ease of Use (15%)
6.1
7.7
8.8
9.1
7.1
Ease of Cleaning (5%)
7.4
7.2
7.0
6.6
8.3
Specs The First Years 2-i... First Years Gentle... Chicco Digital & St... Baby Brezza Safe an... Kiinde Kozii Voyage...
Heat Technology Water Bath + Steam Water Bath Water Bath + Steam Water Bath + Steam Water Bath
Max Temp 108.7 °F 88.4 °F 92.2 °F 105.9 °F 117.2 °F
Frozen Capability No Yes Yes Yes No
Baby Food Heating Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Audible Beep No Yes Yes Yes No
Measured Dimensions 4.6 in x 6.2 in x 7.2 in 5.2 in x 4.9 in x 10.3 in 5.2 in x 5.1 in x 12.4 in 6.0 in x 6.6 in x 11.8 in 3.8 in x 3.8 in x 8.6 in
Contents Below 113ºF/45ºC No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Time to Reach 80F 5.0 min 10.0 min 8.5 min 5.5 min 5.0 min
Time to Reach 98F 7.5 min N/A N/A 9.5 min 10.0 min

Our Analysis and Test Results

First Years is a company under the Tomy umbrella. They provide a variety of products for little ones that include feeding, bathing, and sleeping gear.

Performance Comparison



the first years 2-in-1 simple serve - the 2-in-1 performed well in our nutrition and potential for...
The 2-in-1 performed well in our nutrition and potential for overheating tests.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Health and Safety


We tested the warmers for health and safety, considering the potential for burns, scaling, and nutritional degradation. Studies show impacts on the nutritional content of breastmilk occur at temperatures higher than 104F. The 2-in-1 did well in this metric with an above-average score. At the hottest setting, the milk contents did not get warmer than about 100 degrees F at the time of auto-shutoff. Certainly, if you leave it in past the shutoff for much longer at a higher setting, it could overheat. In our tests, somewhere around 6.5 minutes, it did. However, if you use it as directed, our tests indicate it should remain within safer limits for overheating concerns.

We ran tests on the Simple Serve (and all competitors) using only one hand as this is how you might often use this kind of gear.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Warming Efficiency and Consistency


The inconsistency of this warmer is its true downfall in testing. With one of the lowest scores in this metric, it struggled to offer anything resembling similar temperatures when using the same manufacturer settings over and over. While every warmer showed some level of inconsistency, this one was more significant, with a range of 48F to almost 63 at the time of shutoff. This range got wider as the bottle continued in the warmer, and at 8 minutes, the range across tests was 91-115 F degrees. We'd rather have a warmer heat consistently each time to avoid potential mouth burns, loss of nutrition, and late-night frustration. We think most parents would agree. It would be difficult with this warmer to present a similar temperature bottle time after time.

the first years 2-in-1 simple serve - we monitored the content temperatures over several test sessions to...
We monitored the content temperatures over several test sessions to determine the average quickness of warming of the 2-in-1 Simple Serve.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Quickness of Warming


The 2-in-1 earned one of the higher scores for quickness of warming in our tests. On average, it took 7.5 minutes to reach 98F degrees, which is body temperature. Auto-shutoff is close to 3 minutes, but the milk was only about 54F degrees on average at that point. The problem here is the longer you heat it, the more inconsistent it becomes, and the quickness could become a hindrance if the contents end up too hot.

The Simple Serve has an accessory for adding the exact right amount of water.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Ease of Use


Despite the moniker “Simple,” this option is harder to use than the average warmer in this review. We found the instructions hard to understand compared to competitors.

The Simple Serve warming guide does not offer enough information...
The Simple Serve warming guide does not offer enough information, and the water container seems overdone with a lid you need to hold open to pour water out.
The Simple Serve has more parts than most for cleaning.
The Simple Serve has more parts than most for cleaning.

The chart layout took time to understand fully and wasn't obvious. It also doesn't have a setting for room-temperature milk, which seems like a design flaw. The instructions also lacked any good visuals, and the quick reference chart in our box was missing units.

The Simple Serve has a bottle basket, but the water level is higher...
The Simple Serve has a bottle basket, but the water level is higher than most and the handle sits low, making it easy to end up touching the hot water.
The Simple Serve has a single user interface button.
The Simple Serve has a single user interface button.

The fill line is whatever is over the contents of the bottle. Removing the bottle at the end requires care to avoid burning your hand as the basket isn't the best, and the water level is high. The process can not be stopped once it starts, and even when turned off and unplugged, it continues its cycle when plugged back in. We aren't sure why anyone would want this memory level, but it is disappointing. We were able to do it with one hand, and it has the auto-shutoff feature.

Requiring an exact measurement of water using an accessory makes the Simple Serve a little harder to use than those with simple fill lines.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Ease of Cleaning


The 2-in-1 is one of the easiest options in the group to clean. This option has dishwasher top-rack safe accessories, and the remaining can be wiped with a soapy cloth, rinsed with a clear water cloth, and left to dry. This warmer has no schedule for descaling, so you'll need to watch it for signs of hard water buildup. The vinegar/water mix soaks for a couple of hours and is then rinsed clean.

the first years 2-in-1 simple serve - the wider base bottles did not fit in the simple serve during our...
The wider base bottles did not fit in the Simple Serve during our testing.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Should You Buy the The First Years 2-in-1 Simple Serve?


Despite its name, the Simple Serve is oddly harder to use, and its heating consistency was all over the place with no real predictable outcome using the same settings. With one of the lowest scores in the group and disappointing scores in most metrics, we think there are better options available to meet most goals and budgets.

What Other Bottle Warmer Should You Consider?


First Years also makes the First Years Gentle Warmth Digital. This option performed better in our testing for consistency, ease of use and cleaning, and nutrition. It also sports a fairly budget-friendly price, and we think the better overall performance is worth the extra over the 2-in-1. If your goal is the high-ranking and quicker, the Baby Brezza Safe and Smart is a high-tech option we really love, but it is one of the most expensive and could be a no-go for tighter budgets or those who value simplicity.

Manufacturer Video



Juliet Spurrier, MD and Wendy Schmitz