Electric bottle warmers - disadvantages for project

[hobbes79]

Hi all,

I'm currently doing a project for an Open University class and I'm required to redesign a product. I have decided after 4 weeks of frustration to redesign the electric bottle warmer.

If you have a spare minute or two (chuckle), would it be possible to post a quick list of things you really don't like about using an electric bottle warmer (any brand at all)?

It can be literally anything you don't like about them, whether its the time it takes to heat up or that you don't know what temperature the milk is at etc.

Thanks!

I have one but have never used it. You have to measure out specific amounts of water depending on the bottle size, and I just know I would get this wrong in the middle of the night

I've also been told that they are more likely to cause bacteria to multiply as they keep the bottles at an ambient temperature, but not sure if this is true.

hobbes79- Current NHS guidelines are to make each bottle up fresh and to throw away any unused.

I've heard that different brands of bottles don't fit some electric warmers

I like ours as it is (obviously) smaller than the microwave. We make bottles up in advance, chill them and then reheat, so far no problems at all for LO.

However, the problems with ours are...

1 - no timer. We have to set the timer on the oven. I could really do with something that at least had an alarm, ideally I'd rather it was programmable for 5 mins etc

2 - doesn't switch itself off. In fact, its so hard to know when its on that we switch it on and off via the main plug

3 - its open top (you just pop the bottle in) so what with water slopping around all over the place its never felt portable and has to stay in the kitchen

we were given a second hand one but even though its small its just another thing to have in the kitchen. Just as easy to boil the kettle and stand the bottle in a jug of hot water!

I have one plugged in next to my bed for the night feed. It is an Avent one. (In the day, I just use boiled water and jug or use microwave and shake!)

I take a sterilised bottle (empty) and a carton of milk to bed.

Advantages:
Takes the NUK bottles.
No need to measure water- you just top it up to near the brim (have a bottle of drinking water for me by the bed too!).
Smaller and more compact than having a microwave in my room.
Saves me having to go to the kitchen in the night!

Disadvantages:
No timer - risk of over heating and then having to wait for bottle to cool.
Takes 4-5 minutes to heat bottle, which in the dead of night with a screaming baby can seem like a lifetime (microwave takes 30 secs).
Not obvious if it is on or off so at night could be dangerous if accidentally left on.

Good luck with the project!

Thanks everyone, very much appreciated! Some great points there that will be very helpful.

All the best!