Grownsy Fast 5-in-1 Review
Our Verdict
Our Analysis and Test Results
Performance Comparison
Health and Safety
The Grownsy Fast earned an average score for health and safety. It has the option to heat via water bath or steam, depending on the rate you want your milk to warm. Grownsy recommends the water bath function for a slow and steady method, which we also prefer. When using this setting, the milk temperature never rose above 90F; however, it took a full 12 minutes to get there. We think this is much longer than most parents will want to wait, and many may find it tempting to use the fast warm function. If you choose to go this route, you must be very attentive. In our tests, the temperature quickly rose to the ideal 99F. However, if left for just a few minutes too long, the milk soon jumps to well above 104F, at which point breastmilk will start to lose essential nutrients. At the end of our 12 minute test period, the highest recorded temperature was nearing 160F. Much too hot to be safely handled and past the point of nutrition degradation. Without a beep or auto-shutoff alert, you may end up wasting a full bottle of milk.
Ease of Use
With only one dial, you would assume that operation would be simple. However, the symbols are not very explicit or intuitive. We found the instructions to be full of grammatical errors and misspellings, making them very difficult to follow overall. We were scratching our heads trying to figure out which setting to use, how much water to fill, and when to remove the bottle. The max fill line is in Chinese, and there is no timed shutoff and no audible signal to let you know when a bottle is ready. There is only a safety shutoff to prevent the machine from heating when there is no water left.
Warming Efficiency
We put each machine through multiple rounds of heat testing to measure their efficiency and functionality. The Grownsy had a below-average warm time. It took 12 minutes to reach 90F when following the manufacturer's recommended settings. There is no auto-shutoff, but at this rate, parents will likely take the bottle out well before there is a risk of overheating.
Ease of Cleaning
The Fast bottle warmer has 2-3 parts that need cleaning, depending on the warming method you use. The cleaning instructions are minimal, only noting to let the warmer cool and then wipe it with a damp rag after use. The removable parts may be hand-washed, but there is no statement noting whether they are dishwasher safe. You should descale every four weeks, and a chemical descaler comes with the package to get you started. Grownsy notes that you can also descale with a white vinegar solution. However, the instructions are crammed with grammatical errors and confusing sentences, turning a simple process into a complicated experience.