Tommee Tippee
Electric Steam Baby Bottle Steriliser
8.1/10 overallAbout £45
An electric steam steriliser that fits up to 5 bottles and kills 99.9% of germs in around 5 minutes.
The verdict
The Tommee Tippee Steri-Express, around £45, is an electric steam steriliser fitting up to 5 bottles plus accessories, completing a cycle in around 5 minutes and staying sterile for 24 hours if the lid stays closed. It's more size-agnostic than the similarly priced Philips Avent 3-in-1, fitting a broader range of bottle brands, but it takes up permanent counter space and needs occasional descaling in hard water areas.
Electric steam sterilisers work faster than microwave bags and don't tie up your microwave, which matters when you're doing multiple cycles a day. The Steri-Express fits up to 5 standard bottles plus smaller accessories (teats, dummies, breast pump parts) and completes a cycle in around 5 minutes, staying sterile for 24 hours if the lid stays closed.
Against the Philips Avent 3-in-1 in this category, the two are close competitors: both are electric steam sterilisers with similar capacity and cycle times. The main difference is ecosystem fit — the Avent is sized and shaped around Avent's own bottle range and slots neatly into it, while the Tommee Tippee is more size-agnostic and fits a broader range of bottle brands and shapes without needing to rearrange the rack.
If you're using Tommee Tippee or mixed-brand bottles, this is the more natural fit. If you're fully invested in the Avent bottle system already, their own steriliser is designed around it.
Is the Electric Steam Baby Bottle Steriliser worth it?
- Fast 5-minute cycle
- Fits a wide range of bottle brands and shapes
- Stays sterile 24 hours if unopened
What are the downsides of the Electric Steam Baby Bottle Steriliser?
- Takes up permanent kitchen counter space
- Needs occasional descaling in hard water areas
- Uses mains electricity, no travel-friendly option
Specs
- Fits
- Most bottle brands and shapes
- Type
- Electric steam
- Capacity
- Up to 5 bottles + accessories
- Cycle time
- Approx. 5 minutes
- Stays sterile
- 24 hours with lid closed
How we scored it
Sterilising Effectiveness
Cycle time and reliability of killing bacteria across a full load.
Fast, reliable steam cycle with a clear 24-hour sterile window.
Capacity
Number of bottles and accessories it fits in one cycle.
Fits 5 bottles plus accessories, generous for most households.
Ease of Cleaning
How easy the steriliser itself is to descale and keep clean.
Needs periodic descaling depending on local water hardness.
Weighted by importance for this category — see our editorial policy for how we test.
How this review was done
We haven't used the Electric Steam Baby Bottle Steriliser ourselves yet. This review is built from Tommee Tippee's published specifications and product information, and scored the same way as everything else on the site. We'll update it, and the badge above, once we've tested it hands-on.
How it compares
|  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | About £45 | About £117 | About £22 | About £15 |
| Overall score | 8.1/10 | 6.4/10 | 7.4/10 | 7/10 |
| Type | Electric steam | UV-LED, no water or chemicals | Cold water chemical (tablets or fluid) | Microwave steam |
| Capacity | Up to 5 bottles + accessories | Claimed up to 6 bottles; 3-4 comfortable in practice | Up to 6 standard bottles, 5L water | Up to 3 bottles |
| Cycle time | Approx. 5 minutes | Approx. 5-7 minutes sterilise, +15-20 min to dry | 15 minutes to sterilise | Approx. 3 minutes (microwave-dependent) |
Frequently asked questions
How fast is the Tommee Tippee Steri-Express?+
It scores 9/10 for sterilising effectiveness, completing a cycle in around 5 minutes — faster than microwave bags and it doesn't tie up your microwave, which matters when you're doing multiple cycles a day.
Does the Tommee Tippee steriliser fit any bottle brand?+
Yes — it fits a wide range of bottle brands and shapes without needing to rearrange the rack, more size-agnostic than the Philips Avent 3-in-1, which is sized and shaped around Avent's own bottle range.
How much does the Tommee Tippee steriliser hold?+
It scores 8/10 for capacity, fitting up to 5 bottles plus smaller accessories like teats, dummies and breast pump parts, generous for most households.
Does the Tommee Tippee steriliser need maintenance?+
It needs occasional descaling depending on local water hardness, and it takes up permanent kitchen counter space with no travel-friendly option, since it runs on mains electricity.
Guides that mention this
Best Baby Bottle Sterilisers Compared
The NHS says sterilise feeding equipment until your baby turns one, but it doesn't tell you which steriliser to buy. Here's how six real options — electric steam, cold water, microwave tub, UV and travel bags — actually compare on speed, capacity and cost.
Sterilising Baby Equipment: Which Method, and For How Long
Four sterilising methods, one NHS timeline: until your baby turns one. Here's what genuinely differs between them, beyond price.
Reviewed by
Sepehr
Software engineer, soon-to-be dad, uncle to four — the tech-obsessed half of the two of us testing this stuff. Currently building this site with my wife, ahead of our own baby arriving.