Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced Review

Once upon a time I was weighing the tough decision of whether to continue nursing my fourth baby and thought that bottle feeding sounded simpler—if not less emotionally exhausting—by comparison. (The grass always seems greener, right?)

When I learned there was a formula dispenser that could whip up his many meals with the push of a button, providing some of the instant convenience I’d be losing with stopping breastfeeding, I decided to give it a whirl. While I’m not totally convinced the perfect bottle exists, the Formula Pro Advanced was still a helpful tool for my husband and me while we adjusted to feeding yet another bitty (and perfect) mouth.

Setting Up

Getting started with this machine is involved, so don’t think you can open the box and immediately begin making bottles.

First and foremost, you must wash all necessary parts: the water tank, the spout, the silicone scraper, etc. The manual insists on hand-washing all mixing components in soapy warm water and allowing to dry completely before use; the water tank, however, is dishwasher-safe.

Once assembled, you have to pair your machine to your brand of formula. The instructions have a nifty QR code available to send you straight to a formula directory to ensure you’re choosing the right option. With different countries using different measurements and standards for baby formula, this step is critical for knowing your baby’s bottle is prepared properly with the right ratio of water to formula.

One thing to note is the worsening formula shortage (due to a mix of pandemic supply chain issues and a hefty recall from this past February) may impact your ability to use your indicated formula brand long-term, as many parents have had to switch at least once. Updating the formula setting is a safety precaution you’ll have to remember if toggling between products.

The rest of set-up is pretty self-explanatory. Choose the desired settings for temperature and ounce increment, and you’re ready to go.

Notable Features

The Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced prioritizes the convenience of exhausted parents wanting to give their little one a satisfying meal in a snap. The price tag may give some moms and dads sticker shock, but these added features help justify the cost.

Instant baby food: Obviously, the biggest appeal of this product is getting a ready-to-eat formula bottle in seconds. This is especially beneficial during night feedings when getting back to your screaming baby—and ultimately, back to bed in general—is the primary focus.

Tailored temperature setting: There’s no need for a bottle warmer with the Baby Brezza; it heats the water before dispensing and can be adjusted depending on how your baby likes it: room temperature, body temperature or warmer.

Different bottle size options: You can choose from 2-10 ounces of water and adjust the drip tray accordingly for less spillage.

Maintenance notifications: When there is something wrong with the machine (such as the tank is out of water or the spout needs to be cleaned), an illuminated icon pops up on the product dashboard signaling the required action. The exception to this is when the amount of formula in the powder container gets too low. For this, there’s a minimum line that indicates the need for more formula powder.

What I Liked About this Formula Maker

Aside from the ease of making warm bottles effortlessly, I liked that I wasn’t handing my son’s actual formula as often. It felt more hygienic to only interact with the powder when refilling the container. Knowing fewer hands were involved in the bottle prep hopefully equals a safer eating experience for him when all other guidelines are followed.

I also appreciated how easily the water and formula containers are refilled. The water tank can be removed using one hand, which is exactly what would happen when making a bottle with a hungry baby in-arms. And it doesn’t hurt that the Baby Brezza is designed to more or less fit in with all kitchen appliances and can be placed right next to your blender or a Keurig coffee maker—just don’t get them confused.

Areas for Improvement

Overall, this product does what it’s meant to, and in the grand scheme of things, that’s more than enough. However, there are a few things to know beforehand that may sway your decision to splurge on something not considered a necessity.

There’s a lot to clean: The benefit of breastfeeding is that you have all the hardware ready to go at anytime with no cleaning or sanitizing required. The opposite is true for the Baby Brezza, and while expected, it’s still something to contemplate regarding your time and sanity.

Not only do you need to clean the formula-making parts often, but the spout specifically must be cleaned every four bottles, which is often for a newborn sucking down a meal of milk around 12 times a day—and don’t forget the bottles, too! (If you don’t clean the spout well enough, it will start to mold. Formula is perishable food, after all.) The machine actually will not run if you try to skip this step and make the bottle, which in theory is very good, but it can get annoying.

The ratios get a bit wonky: My biggest issue with this product surrounds the ratio of water and formula that end up in the bottle. They boast a “perfect consistency” every time, but I’ve found that some bottles appear milky and creamy, while other appear watery (even with a newly cleaned machine). This apparent inconsistency has led me to stop using the Baby Brezza more than once out of fear my son wasn’t getting enough formula, and that anxiety in and of itself isn’t worth it in my opinion.

Who Would Enjoy this Product

I think the Formula Pro Advanced is suitable for anyone bottle feeding and wanting some added convenience. (There’s even a model that connects to Wifi, so you can make bottles from your phone!) Moms of twins or more may particularly find this gadget to be a lifesaver.

Like many other aspects of parenting, using this product properly and to the fullest benefit involves some maintenance and prepping ahead of time (cleaning, refilling, etc.) that should be taken into account to decide if it’s a worthy item to add the the registry, or if you’ll simply scoop and shake the old-fashioned way.

Price: $190