The report card
- Safe prep (70C)35% of score8.4
Boils the water, then holds it at 70C, so the powder meets properly hot water every time. Holding boiled water for hours isn't quite the NHS's fresh-water method, though.
- Speed & ease at 3am20% of score6.4
Hot water is always ready, but you dispense in 60ml presses and still cool the bottle under the tap.
- Feed accuracy15% of score6.5
Fixed 60ml presses make odd volumes fiddly, and you scoop the powder by hand.
- Cleaning & upkeep15% of score8.0
Stainless steel tank, a built-in clean cycle and no filters to replace.
- Value & running costs15% of score8.6
Around £80 with no consumables, and it doubles as a hot water dispenser for your tea.
The full review
The Milky Now takes a different approach from the Perfect Prep. It isn't trying to hand you a finished bottle. It boils a full tank of water to 100C, lets it cool to 70C (Babymoov says in about 11 minutes), then holds that temperature for up to six hours so hot water is always ready. Each press of the button dispenses 60ml.
That makes it the most straightforward option here on the 70C question, because the whole volume of water is boiled and held hot rather than relying on a small hot shot. The trade-off is that you're back to cooling the finished bottle under a cold tap, which is the slowest part of the kettle routine. Babymoov points out that it's still quicker than waiting for a just-boiled kettle to cool.
One nuance: NHS guidance is to use fresh water each time rather than water that has been boiled before. Keeping a tank hot for hours is a convenience that sits slightly outside the letter of that advice, so I'd empty and refill it rather than topping it up.
Upkeep is refreshingly simple. There's no filter to buy, the tank is stainless steel, and a clean function boils water through the system for three minutes. John Lewis lists it at £79.99, with a 1.1 litre capacity and a lifetime guarantee.
Pros and cons
What I like
- Boils then holds water at 70C, so the key safety step is built in
- No filters or other consumables
- Stainless steel tank and built-in clean cycle
- Works as a hot drinks dispenser once the baby years are over
What I don't
- You still have to cool every bottle yourself
- 60ml presses make some feed sizes fiddly
- Holding water hot for hours isn't the fresh-water method the NHS describes
Key specs
- Capacity
- 1.1 litres
- Dispense
- 60ml per press
- Method
- Boils to 100C, then cools to and holds at 70C
- Keep hot
- Up to 6 hours
- Temperature range
- 22 to 100C (John Lewis listing)
- Tank
- Stainless steel
- Dimensions
- H29.7 x W17 x D25.4cm
- Weight
- 1.45kg
Head-to-heads
What I read
This is a research-led review. These are the main sources behind the scores, alongside patterns in verified owner reviews. How I review.