Temp control kettle

[Ttc2025]

Can I use a temp control kettle to make formula (ninja kettle) by making it up with 80degree water?
tyia

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MNHQ Update
Whether it's for baby's bottle or that perfect cup of coffee - a variable temperature kettle can help you prep drinks easily. Our guide to the best temperature control kettles is up to date with a wide range of tried and tested options. We hope it’s helpful!

Do you mean heat the water to 80 degrees only? Then no, because the idea of boiling to 100 degrees is to sterilise the water. It won't be sterilised unless boiled to 100.
You then need to let it cool to 70 degrees (not 80) before adding the formula. 70 degrees water should be hot enough to kill any bacteria in the formula. Any hotter and you risk destroying some of the nutrients in the formula.
Generally speaking 1L of boiled water will have cooled to 70 degrees in half an hour. I have one of these kettles, not the Njnja one, but I can check what temperature the water is at and after a half hour it's always 71 so seems accurate enough. Maybe your Ninja one has the same function so you can double check.

But is that not essentially what a prep machine does?

I have a filter tap so my water source is safe as the water in my area is known for not being drinking so got one installed years ago and is serviced yearly.

I don't have a prep machine and definitely can't speak for every brand.. but my understanding is that they don't heat the water to 100 degrees, therefore the water isn't sterile.
There has also been many reports of people checking the temperature of the 'hot shot' the machine produces and finding it is less than 70 degrees, so not hot enough to remove bacteria from the formula.

A tap filter is still not the same as sterilised water. The filter will remove a lot of the nasties but won't sterilise. So you can't use your filtered water for baby without boiling.

A prep machine does a hot shot of what’s meant to be over 70degrees and tops up the water which in it is just filtered water .
and especially what I’m asking is if I boiled a kettle to 80 degrees with filtered water is that not the same thing basically

Yes a myth that boiling water kills the nutrients.

Do you know why they suggest cooling to 70?

It's because formula manufacturers are worried about turf patches scalding themselves. That's literally the reason! Which is pretty silly given you will probably make yourself a cuppa (to go cold before you drink obviously) with boiling water.

I thought water had to be at least 70 degrees as this is adequate to kill any bacteria in the formula. It isn't about sterilising the water.

This is what the NHS website says:

If you use a machine to make up bottles of formula, make sure the water that comes out of the machine is at least 70C when combined with the formula. Water at this temperature will kill any harmful bacteria that may be in the formula.

@Babyboomtastic
From research myself on the hot shot method

(with a kettle and previous cooled boiled water) (and having a post on here about it and getting told if you meant to make it that way they would tell you 😅)

is basically it’s to reduce human error having the same straight forward information on formulas which in a real world no baby’s waiting the 30 minutes

In all honesty, I made 24hrs worth at the same time, flash cooled them using a sloping baking tray they sat in with cold water flowing past, and stored them in the fridge until use. Then used a microwave to take the chill off. The 24hr method is confirmed as safe by the WHO (their preference is still each made individually, but where is more practical to do it my way, that's fine).

The microwave is perfectly safe as long as you give it a good swirl and test it it on your wrist first. The reason it's 'banned' is because a couple of very stupid people literally let it boil, somehow didn't realise and fed it to their babies, who died. Be vaguely sane about it and you're fine.

You dont need to sterilise the water. You just need the water hot enough to kill bacteria in the formula powder.

Yeah unfortunately the advice is 100 degrees boiled water which is to make sure any bacteria is removed from the water. The cool filtered water isn't clean enough.

There's research about the prep machines not reaching 70 degrees.
I attended a talk with professor of Neonatology Afif El-khuffash and he highlighted the research showing that anything higher than 70 degrees water can destroy some of the nutrients in formula.

Why 80 degrees though? Sterilisation happens in boiling (100 degree) water only so same thing again the water won't be sterile.

@remaininghopeful23 the water doesn't need to get to 100⁰C. It just needs to be over 70⁰C to kill bacteria in the powder. The issue isn't with the water, it's with the powder.

I plan on doing this. Hot shot with a temp kettle and then top up with cooled boiled water. You just need to make sure you measure the water correctly as adding the power changes the water levels of the hot shot

It's best practice to use boiled water especially babies until 6 months. The water and formula can both present issues so you want to remove any bacteria from the water first by getting it to 100 degrees and then the 70 degrees should be enough for the formula

The concern isn’t bacteria in the water but bacteria in the formula.

Its actually both water and formula. Unless advice maybe differs country to country.

How can 70degrees be enough to kill bacteria in the formula but not the water? WHO says it’s the same temp for food or water (above 65 degrees).

OP it’s fine. The likelihood of there bring bacteria in the formula or water if you’re in UK which needs killing is firstly incredibly low.

I used Tommee tippee machine, it’s a hot shot then filtered water so not boiled. And to be honest, I tested mine and the hot shot isn’t actually anywhere near 70 degrees and my 2yo is totally fine.

WHO says no less than 70 degrees for infant formula.
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241595414

It's 100 for water because it ensures sterility without changing the make up of water, its safe and convenient to do. Formula isn't compatible with 100 degree water so 70 is what is next best. It's not perfect but it's the best possible way.

Guidelines are just that, a guide. People will inevitably do whatever works best for them and that's fine. Majority of babies will be fine. But guidelines exist to try to limit harm to those babies who won't be ok. And while there are higher risk groups, in the general population it's not possible to know which ones will get sick and which won't.