For most Australian families, a complete bottle-feeding setup is four to six bottles of one brand, a steriliser (microwave or electric), a bottle brush and a kettle. Everything else, from prep machines to warmers, is a convenience you can add once you know how your baby feeds. This guide covers the minimum kit, the Australian formula rules that decide which gadgets are worth it, and mixed feeding.
The minimal kit
If you buy nothing else before the baby arrives, buy these:
- Bottles and teats: four to six 260 ml bottles of one brand with slow-flow (newborn) teats. Four is enough if you wash after every feed; six lets you wash once a day.
- A steriliser: a microwave steam steriliser is the cheapest reliable option and all many families ever need.
- A bottle brush and a teat brush: sterilising does not remove milk residue, so bottles must be washed in hot soapy water first.
- Formula: a stage 1 (0 to 6 months) infant formula if you are not breastfeeding. All infant formula sold in Australia meets the same Food Standards code, so a supermarket brand is fine.
Philips Avent Microwave Steriliser SCF281
The budget steriliser we recommend first. It takes a handful of bottles of most brands, sterilises in a few minutes in the microwave, and has no electronics to fail.
Who it’s for: most families, and anyone who wants to start small.
Check price on Amazon.com.auPhilips Avent Natural Response Bottles (260 ml)
The best-selling bottle on Amazon.com.au and a sensible default. The teat only releases milk when your baby actively sucks, which suits babies moving between breast and bottle, and the wide neck is easy to clean. Teats come in flow stages, so you buy teats rather than new bottles as your baby grows.
Who it’s for: a first set of bottles for most newborns.
Check price on Amazon.com.auNice to have, not essential
- A bottle warmer: handy for expressed milk from the fridge or freezer. A jug of warm water does the same job more slowly. Never microwave milk or formula; it heats unevenly.
- A steam-and-dry steriliser: worth it if you are fully bottle-feeding or sterilising pump parts daily. The Philips Avent SCF293 is our pick in the feeding gear roundup. See the Avent SCF293 on Amazon.com.au
- A formula dispenser and travel flask warmer: for outings.
- A prep machine: see the next section before you decide.
Australian formula preparation rules, and what they mean for prep machines
Australian guidance for powdered infant formula follows the World Health Organization method. Boil fresh tap water and let it cool for no more than about 30 minutes, so it is still no less than 70°C. Add the powder to the measured water, seal and shake, then cool the bottle quickly under a running tap and test it on the inside of your wrist before feeding. The 70°C step matters because powdered formula is not sterile and can carry bacteria that hot water inactivates. Use only the scoop supplied, level it without packing, and follow the ratio on the tin exactly. Town tap water is safe once boiled; tank or bore water must be boiled too, and bottled water is not necessary.
Make feeds fresh when you can. If you need to make up feeds in advance, cool them quickly and refrigerate straight away, use them within 24 hours, and throw away anything left in the bottle within an hour of a feed starting.
This is where prep machines come in. The Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep dispenses a hot shot of water at about 70°C onto the powder, then tops up with cooled filtered water, so only part of the water reaches 70°C and it sits in a filter rather than being freshly boiled. The Baby Brezza Formula Pro dispenses water at feeding temperature, not 70°C at all. Both are faster than the kettle and plenty of Australian parents use them, but neither follows the full Australian method. Understand that trade-off, and speak to your child health nurse first if your baby was premature or is unwell.
Sterilising: how, and until when
Australian health services advise sterilising bottles, teats, dummies and pump parts until your baby is about 12 months old, after washing them in hot soapy water. Steam, UV cabinets and cold-water solution all work. Remove vents, valves and rings so steam reaches every surface, and store sterilised bottles assembled with the lid on. After 12 months, a good wash and air-dry is enough.
How many bottles, and which teat
Fully bottle-fed newborns need around six to eight feeds a day, so four to six bottles covers a day with one wash-and-sterilise cycle. Mixed-feeding families usually manage with two or three. Start with slow-flow teats regardless of the age on the packet, and move up only when your baby takes a long time to finish or gets frustrated.
Dr Brown’s Options+ Newborn Set
If your baby is windy, refluxy or gulps air, the internal vent in Dr Brown’s bottles keeps air out of the milk, and many Australian parents report calmer feeds. The newborn set includes bottles, slow-flow teats and a brush. The cost is more parts to wash; the vent can be removed once feeding settles.
Who it’s for: babies with wind, reflux or colic symptoms.
Check price on Amazon.com.auMixed feeding: breast and bottle
If you are combining breastfeeding with bottles of expressed milk or formula, the setup is smaller: two or three bottles, slow-flow teats, the microwave steriliser and a simple pump. Introduce a bottle once breastfeeding is established, usually around four to six weeks, ideally offered by someone other than the breastfeeding parent. Paced feeding, with the bottle held nearly horizontal and regular pauses, helps a baby keep the slower rhythm of the breast. Expressed milk keeps in the fridge for about 72 hours or in the freezer for longer; discard what is left after a feed.
Medela Harmony Manual Pump
A light, quiet manual pump with a two-phase handle that mimics a baby’s quick-then-slow rhythm. It needs no power, is easy to clean, and is enough for relieving engorgement or expressing the occasional bottle. If you end up pumping daily, step up to a wearable or electric pump.
Who it’s for: mixed feeding and occasional expressing.
Check price on Amazon.com.auWhat to skip
A dozen bottles bought before you know which teat your baby will accept. A prep machine bought without understanding the 70°C guidance. Bottled water. A UV steriliser unless you sterilise pump parts daily. Toddler milk after 12 months, which Australian guidance says is not needed. And anything marketed as curing colic; a slow-flow teat and paced feeding do more than most gadgets.
Frequently asked questions
How many bottles does a newborn need?
Four to six 260 ml bottles if your baby is fully bottle-fed, which covers a day of feeds with one wash-and-sterilise cycle. Two or three is enough for mixed feeding. Start with slow-flow teats and buy faster teats as your baby grows.
What water should I use to make formula in Australia?
Freshly boiled tap water, cooled for no more than about 30 minutes so it is still no less than 70°C when you add the powder. Then cool the bottle quickly and test it on your wrist. Tank and bore water must also be boiled. Bottled water is not necessary.
Can I make up formula in advance?
It is safest to make each feed fresh. If you need to prepare ahead, cool the bottles quickly, refrigerate them immediately, use them within 24 hours and throw away leftovers within an hour of starting a feed. Do not keep a made-up bottle warm in a flask.
Until what age do I need to sterilise bottles?
Australian health services advise sterilising bottles, teats, dummies and pump parts until your baby is about 12 months old. After that, thorough washing in hot soapy water and air-drying is enough.
Is a formula prep machine safe to use in Australia?
Prep machines such as the Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep and Baby Brezza Formula Pro are popular, but neither follows the full Australian method of adding powder to water that is no less than 70°C. Talk to your child health nurse first, especially if your baby was premature or is unwell.
Related guides: compare every steriliser, pump and warmer in our best feeding gear roundup, see the best high chairs for when solids start, and visit our newborn hub.
