Perfect prep

Health professionals will not recommend them to you and the NHS specifically say not to use them but more due to the insufficient "hot shot" rather than the bacteria issue.

People do buy them though and in their thousands so they remain popular despite the official guidelines.

Our health visitor told
Me the same and said it could be the reason DD had so much tummy pain after bottles etc.
Turned out she had a CMPA! But once I googled there is loads of info on how the perfect prep machine breeds bacteria. In the end I would fill a flask with boiled water that would cool and make my own 'perfect prep' combination. It worked well

Yes, they can be a problem but if you clean it regularly and change the filters when it tells you to it will be fine. Hundreds of thousands of people use them.

There aren’t problems with perfect prep if you clean them properly. They are brilliant for new parents. I’ve never heard of anyone who has had any problems with it.

Perfect Prep machines Some people now use ‘Perfect Prep machines’. We advise you against using one of these machines. This is because they deliver a small volume (‘shot’) of very hot water and then add cool water to make up the rest of the feed. This is not sufficient to kill the bacteria in formula milk. The Food Standards Agency recommends using cooled, boiled water above 70 degrees centigrade to make up infant formula

That's what it says in the leaflet our local hospital hands out to new parents.

Having split the hot shot water on my hand before I'm pretty sure its hot enough to kill the bacteria, it's just as hot if not hotter than boiling and leahing kettle for 30 mins like it says on my aptimil tin. Then the powder is added, shaken and then add the cold water. It's no different to how I made bottles up before I got it, just easier 🤷‍♀️

I echo what @NelliePig says, the water it almost boiling hot. Sounds like the hospital leaflet mentioned above is misinformed, not realising the formula is added to the hot shot to kill the bacteria and the cool water is only added afterwards. You just need to make sure you're regularly cleaning the water tank and filter and there won't be a problem. No doubt there are lots of people that don't bother hence the danger. Mine's been an absolute lifesaver, can't imagine not having it.

There was an issue with people buying cheap filters to use in the machine which caused the internal plumbing to grow bacteria/mould
Clean the machine regularly and use only tommee tippee filters and it’s absolutely fine.

I've had a look at the evidence (cursory, I have no skin in this!) and it isn't that the hot shot isn't hot, it's that it isn't sufficient ie not enough hot water to kill all the bacteria.

Again, from the NHS:

I am thinking about buying a Perfect Prep Machine, is this advisable? There are some safety concerns regarding these machines. The amount of liquid in the ‘hot shot’ may not be enough to kill any bacteria in the formula. Once the ‘hot shot’ hits the cold bottle / formula, it is cooled below the recommended 70°C. The rest of the feed is topped up with cold, filtered water. This water has not been boiled to remove bacteria in the tap water. The pipes and filters within the machine require regular cleaning and changing to prevent the build-up of mould which can lead to stomach upsets in babies

I've never used one, never even seen one so have no investment either way. My SIL loved hers.

I've used one for both of mine, we clean it regularly and change filters as soon as it advises and have never had problems. Maybe fill it with cooled boiled water from the kettle? This has just occurred to me but surely that would kill bacteria and it would get filtered too?

I had one and never had any issues with it. HV saw it sitting in the kitchen and never made any mention either way!

I think the initial problems with mould etc were because people realised cheaper Britta water filters fitted in the machine so they used those instead. I used the proper filters and cleaned the machine every time it was changed and never saw any mould.

I didn’t use one last time but only because I combi fed and didn’t think it was worth it but next time I will buy one. Just follow the cleaning instructions, I used my brothers many many times with no problems. I agree with the PP regarding the hot shot working fine.