Philips AVENT iQ24 Steam Sterilizer
by Philips AVENT
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List Price: Category: Baby Product See more product details |
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Baby Products Reviews of Philips AVENT iQ24 Steam Sterilizer
Customer Review: Convenience + Low Maintenance
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Here's a quick rundown of the features
-- 2 Sterilization Modes --
1) 6-Minute Cycle
The bottles are sterilized in 6 minutes.
2) 24-Hour Cycle
The cycle sterilizes the bottles in 6 minutes and KEEPS the bottles sterilized for 24 hours, so they're ready for use right away within the 24-hour period.
-- Sterilization Status Notification --
1) Audible Alerts
The unit beeps to alert you at each phase of the cycle. Once the cycle is completed, it notifies you by beeping 5 times.
2) LED Display
The display is a standard 7-segment LED display.
The following lists what the display is used for:
- counts down the number of minutes till the contents are sterilized.
- flashes "0" when sterilization cycle is complete.
- displays 1, 2, or 3 horizontal bars to indicate the number of hours contents will remain sterile.
- in the 24-hour mode, horizontal bar alternates between ascending and descending to indicate that the sterilization is in progress
- in the 6-minute cycle, two lit sections encircle the "0" to indicate sterilization is in progress.
- "U" indicates the water level is too low.
- "n" indicates the water level is too high.
- The LED displays:
3 Horizontal Bars
___
___
___ => contents will be sterile for 6 more hours
2 Horizontal Bars
___
___ => contents will be sterile for 4 more hours
1 Horizontal Bar
___ => contents will be sterile for 2 more hours
No bars
=> contents are no longer sterile, so you would have to start the cycle over.
-- Sterilization Contents --
The unit has an upper and lower basket. The lower basket is for bottles. The upper basket can accommodate pacifiers, breast pumps, caps, and other items of comparable size. Remember, the sterilizer heats up to boiling temperatures, so be careful to sterilize only items you can boil.
-- Maintenance --
- Descaling
If you use tap water, the sterilizer has to be descaled every 4 weeks or so due to limescale buildup.
Use either citric acid (the link is provided for reference; comparison shop for the best deals) or vinegar. A sachet is included so you can experiment to determine which one works best. Descaling instructions are in the manual.
*TIP*
Use distilled water instead. The two gallon jugs with a dispenser or "tap" is available at your local supermarket at a very reasonable price. With distilled water, there should be practically no descaling needed.
- Washing
I recommend washing it before you use it the first time. After that, there should normally be no real need to wash it between subsequent uses, especially if you're using distilled water. If you need to wash it, I recommend hand-washing it rather than using the dishwasher so its plastic doesn't get stained from picking up any sauces or grease that are washed off your other dishes in the dishwasher.
-- Additional Points --
A few reviewers have voiced concerns about BPA (Bisphenol A), which is a chemical used to make some plastics. I do not wish to propagate a BPA-scare but I feel it's my responsibility to inform you, the consumer, about its potential toxicity. Wikipedia has some helpful information and a number of external links that will help educate you about BPA. (Google "Wikipedia Bisphenol A", without quotes, and click on the first link in the query results).
-- Conclusion --
The Philips Avent iQ24 Steam Sterilizer is ideal for busy moms (or dads). It offers a lot of convenience - you just set it and forget it - sure beats having to boil your bottles. Plus, it's almost maintenance-free. There you have it. It's pricey, but I think it's worth getting if you can afford it.
Customer Review: Easy to use stand-alone sterilizer.
Summary: 3 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
WHAT: The Philips Avent iQ24 Steam Sterilizer uses the intensive heat from the steam to kill the bacteria. It's actually relatively easy to use and maintain.
HOW: You have a choice of two modes. Mode 1 sterilizes for 6 minutes and keeps the contents bacteria-free for up to 6 hours as long as the lid has remained unopened. Mode 2 runs the sterilization process throughout the day to keep the contents sterile for up to 24 hours.
CONTENTS: You're provided with: Sterilizer Body, Lid, Upper and Lower Basket, Bottle rack, Measuring Cup, Tongs, Central Stem and Power Cord.
USE: When using for the first time, all you need to do is place all the blue items (upper and lower lid, stem, bottle rack) inside the sterilizer body. Pour 90mL of distilled water using the provided measuring cup. Cover using the lid and start the Mode 1 sterilizer process. When this is done, you remove the blue components. Remove any remaining water and wipe dry. Then the sterilizer is ready for regular use.
It's as simple as pouring 90mL of distilled water for Mode 1 or 200mL of distilled water for Mode 2 use.
REMEMBER:
1. I can't stress enough in mentioning using distilled water to prevent blocking the tiny vents as well as introduce a rapid build-up of limescale.
2. When in Mode 1:
a. Allow 10 minutes of cool-down in between use to prevent overheat of the sterilizer.
b. Allow 3 minutes of cool-down after the process has ended before opening the lid or your face and hands will be greeted with escaping steam.
WHAT CAN YOU STERILIZE: Up to 6 Avent bottles of 125mL, 260mL or 330mL including parts. Or an Avent ISIS breast pump.
CARE: Every 4 weeks, de-scale the machine by measuring 100mL of vinegar and 200mL of water and pouring the liquid in the sterilizer body until limescale has dissolved. Drain then rinse. This helps maintain the efficiency of the sterilizer so steam escapes evenly and ensures all items inside are sterilized properly.
THOUGHTS: Very easy to use with a touch of a button as well as audio and visual indicator to alert of the sterilization process. Like all appliances especially one that involves water and electricity, maintenance has to be performed to maintain optimal condition. The sterilizer and it's parts are well-built and the fitting is second to none.
WHO IS THIS FOR:
This sterilizer is beneficial if you have the:
1. Space for a stand-alone sterilizer on your kitchen counter.
2. Have the need for constant 24-hour sterilization.
ALTERNATIVE: A more convenient alternative is the use of a Philips Avent Microwave Sterilizer which requires less maintenance and less parts. It is cheaper, but doesn't afford the 24 hour sterilization where you can grab bottles on an as-needed basis.
Although I would not buy it personally at it's current pricing. I wouldn't mind receiving it as a gift either.
Customer Review: Good Hygenic Product by Philips Avent
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
- This sterilizer runs on electricity. I am mentioning because there
are some on the market where you need to microwave. No more boiling
bottles on the stove :)
- The principle is simple, you fill water, electricity heats and
makes steam, which is supposed to sterilize by killing germs
- You need to rinse/clean the bottles before putting in, as this is not
a dishwasher (in fact even for dishwashers, you should rinse and
put dishes else the washer may go bad with clogged stuff)
- The sterlizer has two forms of output for user to know about
status of the process : 1. Digital Display and electronic countdown - shows useful info to indicate where you are at in either mode (6 mintue or 24 hour),even tells if too much water or too less water. It also uses
a scale of horizantal bars to indicate how long bottles
will remain sterlized inside once a cycle is done. Bars like:
--------
--------
--------
Three bars would mean 6 hours.
--------
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two bars
and of course none.
3. Sound Alerts - lets you know when a cycle you are using is
done by audible beeps
- There are two cycles of sterlization: 1. 6 minute cycle - when
you want immediate turnaround, this is to be used
2. 24 hour mode - when you don't want immediately, but want to
get bottles periodically in a 24 hour period
- With any system which builds up steam or hot water flow,
there is chances of scaling of limesalts (whitish scales) building up.
Most people will use tap water I presume and not distilled water,
and hence you need to de-scale approximately monthly using a sachet of provided material sample, or citric acid (lemon or vinegar).
- It contains two storeys, an upper and lower basket container.
The upper can be for bottles, and lower for things like nipples,
pacifiers, etc.
- The build is good quality, comes in a nice box, would look
attractive as a gift. I do believe the price can be a bit lower
though, 90 bucks is a bit too much for this simple scientific idea
this product is based on. I am giving four stars instead of five
because of the cost.
- The Avent product line in general is a trustworthy and excellent
products.
Customer Review: Gives you ONE less thing to worry about ...
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I LOVE Avent products. I only used Avent bottles with both my kids and I own both the Avent iQ24 Steam ELECTRIC sterilizer, as well as the Avent Steam MICROWAVE sterilizer. I like both of them ... and RECOMMEND them over boiling water in a pan any day. However (if price were not an issue), I do like the iQ24 a little better, simply because you can just plug it in, add water, and don't have to worry about taking something in and out of the microwave. It is very easy to use and the digital display tells you the status, so no guessing. You do pay for that added "convenience" and the bells and whistles of the digital display and alerts.
As for boiling water ... when you first bring your baby home from the hospital (whether it be your first, second, etc.), you are generally sleep-deprived and not exactly thinking at your best or clearest. The LAST thing you want to be doing in this state of mind is BOILING water on the STOVE TOP to sterilize bottles. You cannot/should not walk away from the boiling water to do other things (which is hard to do as a parent of a newborn). In a sleep-deprived state, if you walk away, you WILL at one time forget you had the bottles boiling. There is no safety mechanism ... the water will eventually evaporate ... and that is dangerous. This is why I like the Avent STEAM sterilizers ... they do the job without supervision, so you can do your job as a parent.
The GREAT thing about the iQ24, is you plug it in and put the bottles in to be sterilized. You can remove them in 6 minutes, or leave them there (where they will remain sterilized). You don't have to stay with the iQ24 to "supervise" it, as you do with boiling water. You can pick up a crying baby, change a dirty diaper, or just sit down and get some much needed rest. To me, that was the "priceless" part of the iQ24 ... that ONE less thing to worry about.
The Avent MICROWAVE steam sterilizer does essentially the same thing, but with less bells and whistles and less expense.
It also works great to sterilize pacifiers.
I give it 5 STARS ... just wish it weren't so expensive. :)
Customer Review: Excellent sterilizer, but for the fears about BPA toxicity
Summary: 3 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The IQ24 Sterilizer is easy to use and large enough to fit a pump, 6 bottle and nipples all at the same time.
The fact that I like about the iQ24 is that with all the stuff that you will be running around with your baby, you want fewer and fewer things that you should worry about - the IQ24 is one of them. You just put the bottles in it, turn it on and forget about it, you do not even have to baby sit this, instead you can babysit your baby while the bottles are getting sterilized - this alone pays for itself over and over
Now, let us get to the bitter part of it, this product is supposed to contain BPA which is harmful for humans - I did give too much attention to it at first, but later when I did further research on the net - this has been banned for all human products in Europe & canada. And the harmful effects of this chemical literally sent chills down my spine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A)
On researching philips website, they had some information stating that they will be coming out with BPA products by the end of this year, but there is no other information available about BPA available from them.
For right now, this is what I am thinking : Use the sterilizer from Philips (even if it contains BPA) and use BPA free bottles. Since most of my baby's food is going to be stored in BPA free bottles I would not be too concerned about the BPA in the sterilizer itself. Well, thats what I am thinking right now, but if I get to know of better sterilizer available in the market which is BPA free, I would go for it.