MAM Microwave Steriliser vs Tommee Tippee Microwave Steriliser: Which One Wins?

COMPARISON · FEEDING & BOTTLES

Every new parent hits the same question sooner or later: which microwave steriliser should I actually buy? With newborn feeds happening every few hours, having clean bottles ready to go is not optional, it is survival. The microwave steriliser sits at the heart of that routine, quietly keeping things safe while you get on with the rest of it.

MAM and Tommee Tippee are two of the most trusted names in baby feeding in the UK, and their microwave sterilisers are among the best-selling models on the market. On paper, they look similar: both use steam, both fit inside a standard microwave, and both promise germ-free bottles in minutes. But the differences matter more than you might expect.

We looked at capacity, cycle time, sterile storage, microwave fit, ease of use and price, then read through hundreds of parent reviews to find out which steriliser actually delivers in the chaos of real life. Here is what we found.

Lil' Bubba's verdicts

• Best Overall: Tommee Tippee Microwave Steriliser · 8.0/10 - unbeatable value with the fastest cycle and fewest microwave-fit complaints
• Best for Capacity: MAM Microwave Steriliser · 7.5/10 - holds six bottles and doubles as a cold-water steriliser for travel

Feature	MAM	Tommee Tippee
Capacity	6 bottles	4 bottles
Cycle time	5 minutes	4 minutes
Sterile storage	48 hours	24 hours
Cold-water option	Yes	No
Handles	Yes (latches)	No
Approx. price	Around £30	Around £19
Rating

How we picked the two

We started with the microwave steriliser category in our database, filtering for products from established UK baby brands with active affiliate availability and genuine user engagement. MAM and Tommee Tippee are the two most-added microwave steriliser brands among BubsNest parents, and their products sit at similar price points with meaningfully different approaches. We then cross-referenced parent feedback from forums, retail review sections and parenting communities, anonymising all quotes and stripping any named sources for editorial independence.

What to look for in a microwave steriliser

Capacity. How many bottles can you sterilise per cycle? If you are exclusively bottle-feeding, you will run through six or more bottles a day. A steriliser that holds four means running two cycles. One that holds six might save you a round.

Microwave fit. This is the single most overlooked factor. Not all sterilisers fit in all microwaves. Measure your microwave's internal height and turntable diameter before you buy, and check the steriliser's dimensions. Several centimetres of clearance on each side is ideal. If the steriliser touches the walls, it will not rotate and may not heat evenly.

Cycle time. Most microwave sterilisers run between four and eight minutes depending on your microwave's wattage. Faster is better when you are doing this multiple times a day, but the difference between four and five minutes is unlikely to change your life.

Sterile storage window. After the cycle finishes, how long do the contents stay sterile with the lid closed? Longer is more convenient, especially for overnight prep. The range is typically 24 to 48 hours.

Compatibility. Some sterilisers are designed around the brand's own bottles. They will usually fit other brands too, but the layout may be less efficient. If you are already committed to a bottle brand, matching the steriliser makes the most of available space.

Extras. Tongs, draining trays, cold-water sterilisation as a backup - these can tip the value equation, especially for parents who travel or visit family regularly.

1. MAM Microwave Steam Steriliser / 10 · Best for Capacity

The MAM Microwave Steam Steriliser takes a slightly different approach from its Tommee Tippee rival. It is taller, holds more, and comes bundled with two Easy Start Anti-Colic 160ml bottles, a soother and a pair of tongs. The two-tier basket design lets you fit up to six MAM bottles at once, which is a genuine advantage for parents running through a full day's worth of feeds.

Sterilisation takes around five minutes, and the contents stay sterile for up to 48 hours with the lid latched shut. That 48-hour window is twice what the Tommee Tippee offers, and parents who batch-sterilise in the evening particularly appreciate it. The unit can also double as a cold-water steriliser using sterilising tablets, making it a useful backup when visiting family without a microwave or when travelling.

What parents love

• Generous capacity. Six bottles across two levels means fewer cycles per day. One parent told us: "It sterilises everything in one go, I never have to run it twice."
• 48-hour sterile window. Double the storage time of most competitors. Batch in the evening, use through the next day without worrying.
• Cold-water backup. Add sterilising tablets and use it without a microwave. Parents we hear from regularly say this saved them on holiday and at grandparents' houses.
• Included extras. Tongs, bottles and a soother in the box add genuine value, especially for first-time parents building a feeding kit from scratch.

What to know before you buy

• Microwave fit. The taller profile means it does not fit in every microwave. A parent shared: "Tried it in all our family's microwaves, no luck. Had to return it." Measure your microwave's internal height before ordering.
• Optimised for MAM bottles. Other brands will fit, but the basket layout is designed around MAM's bottle shape. Wider bottles from other brands may sit less neatly.
• One minute slower. Five minutes vs four is marginal, but it adds up across multiple daily cycles.

Best for

• Parents already using MAM bottles who want a matching steriliser
• Families who batch-sterilise and value the 48-hour sterile window
• Anyone who travels or visits relatives and wants a cold-water fallback
• Households with a large microwave that can accommodate the taller design

2. Tommee Tippee Microwave Steam Steriliser / 10 · Best Overall

The Tommee Tippee Microwave Steam Steriliser, often called the Microsteri, is one of the most widely sold baby sterilisers in the UK, and for good reason. It is compact, cheap, and gets the job done in four minutes. At roughly half the price of the MAM, it is the steriliser that most parents end up recommending to friends.

The lower-profile design fits comfortably in most standard UK microwaves, which eliminates the single biggest frustration parents report with competing models. The lid flips over to create a clean, sterile surface for assembling bottles after a cycle, a small but clever design touch. Contents stay sterile for 24 hours with the lid closed.

What parents love

• Fastest cycle. Four minutes in a 1000W+ microwave. We hear repeatedly from parents that speed matters more than they expected, especially during night feeds.
• Fits most microwaves. The shorter profile means far fewer "it doesn't fit" returns. A parent shared: "Fits perfectly in our standard microwave, no clearance issues at all."
• Exceptional value. At around half the price of the MAM, it delivers the core function without the premium. One parent put it best: "Does exactly what it says, easy to use, great value."
• Reversible lid. The lid doubles as a sterile assembly surface, so you can put bottles together without contaminating the parts you have just cleaned.

What to know before you buy

• No handles. Lifting a hot, steam-filled steriliser out of the microwave without handles requires care. Parents we hear from regularly flag this as the biggest design oversight.
• Smaller capacity. Four bottles per cycle means heavier users will need to run it more often.
• 24-hour sterile window. Half the MAM's storage time. If you sterilise in the evening, you will want to use or re-sterilise by the next evening.

Best for

• Budget-conscious parents who want reliable sterilisation without overspending
• Families with a standard-sized microwave who do not want to worry about fit
• Tommee Tippee bottle users who want seamless brand compatibility
• First-time parents after a simple, well-reviewed starter steriliser

How to choose

If you are already using MAM bottles and have a microwave with enough internal height, the MAM Microwave Steriliser is a strong choice. Its six-bottle capacity and 48-hour sterile storage mean less work across the day, and the cold-water backup is genuinely useful for travel. But check your microwave dimensions first, because returning a steriliser because it will not fit is a frustration no new parent needs.

For most parents, especially those on a budget or buying their first steriliser, the Tommee Tippee Microwave Steriliser is the safer bet. It fits more microwaves, sterilises faster, costs roughly half as much, and has years of overwhelmingly positive parent reviews behind it. The lack of handles is worth knowing about, but a folded tea towel solves the problem.

Neither steriliser is a wrong choice. Both kill 99.9% of germs using chemical-free steam, and both are designed to slot into the daily rhythm of feeding, washing, sterilising and repeating. The right one depends on your bottles, your microwave and your budget.

Add it to your Nest

Whichever steriliser you choose, add it to your free BubsNest registry so friends and family know exactly what you need. No guesswork, no duplicates, just the feeding gear that will actually get used.