How to prepare HiPP formula
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The answer
To prepare HiPP formula, boil fresh drinking water and let it cool to about 40 to 50 °C, as HiPP's label asks, to protect its lactic culture. Pour the water into the bottle first, add one level scoop for every 30 ml, close the bottle and shake it, then cool it to body temperature. HiPP says to give it within half an hour. The CDC and the WHO advise water of at least 70 °C for babies under two months or at higher risk; ask your pediatrician which to follow.
Key takeaways
- Water first, then powder: one level scoop for every 30 ml of water, with the scoop from the pack in your hand.
- HiPP says 40 to 50 °C; the CDC and the WHO say at least 70 °C for babies under two months, born early or with a weakened immune system.
- HiPP says to give a bottle within half an hour and to throw away what is left; the CDC's limit is two hours from making it, and one hour from the start of the feed.
- A bottle made ahead goes straight into the fridge, where the CDC says it keeps for up to 24 hours.
- HiPP says to use an opened Dutch tin within 3 weeks and prints the best-before date on the bottom.
How do you make a bottle of HiPP formula?
HiPP's label gives five steps. Boil fresh drinking water and let it cool to about 40 to 50 °C, then pour the amount you need into the bottle.1
Fill the scoop loosely, level it off, and add one scoop for every 30 ml of water. Close the bottle, shake it hard, let it cool to drinking temperature, about body heat, and check it on the inside of your wrist.1
Before the first bottle, the label asks you to wash your hands and to boil the bottle, the teat and the ring for 10 minutes.1
How hot should the water be?
HiPP's label asks for water at 40 to 50 °C and says not to pour boiling water on the powder, because that would damage the lactic culture in it.1
The CDC advises water of around 70 °C for a baby younger than two months, born early, or with a weakened immune system, because the hotter water kills germs that powdered formula can carry. The WHO's guidelines put the figure at no less than 70 °C, which, they say, dramatically reduces that risk.56
The two figures cannot both be followed at once, and neither HiPP nor the agencies settle it for your baby. Your pediatrician, who knows your baby's age and health, is the person to decide between them.
Boil fresh drinking water.
The WHO, the CDC and the NHS
Powder in at 70 °C or hotter, to kill what the powder may carry.
So do HiPP's British packs: within 30 minutes of the boil.
HiPP's German, Dutch and export packs
Powder in at 40 to 50 °C, to protect the lactic culture.
How many scoops go in?
| Product | Scoop | Water per scoop | 150 ml feed |
|---|---|---|---|
| HiPP Dutch Stage 1 | 4.3 g | 30 ml | 5 scoops · 21.5 g |
| HiPP German PRE | 4.3 g | 30 ml | 5 scoops · 21.5 g |
| HiPP German Stage 1 | 4.4 g | 30 ml | 5 scoops · 22.0 g |
Scoop weights from each product's panel, fetched 18 September 2026. The full table for every product is on the scoop size guide.
How long does a made-up bottle keep?
HiPP's label says to give a bottle within half an hour, never to reuse what is left, and never to warm it in a microwave, because of the risk of burns.1
The CDC's limit is longer. It says to use a bottle within two hours of making it and within one hour of starting the feed, and to put a bottle made ahead straight into the fridge, where it keeps for up to 24 hours.5
The WHO's guidelines add that the fridge should be at no more than 5 °C, and that a feed which has been warmed or partly drunk should not go back into it.6
How do you store an opened tin?
Keep the tin closed, in a dry place at room temperature, and use it within 3 weeks of opening, HiPP's Dutch label says; the best-before date is on the bottom of the tin.1
Products mentioned
Questions parents ask
Do you have to boil the water for HiPP formula?
Yes. HiPP's label starts with boiling fresh drinking water and letting it cool; the CDC and the WHO go further for a baby under two months, born early or with a weakened immune system, and advise mixing the powder with water of at least 70 °C.
Why does HiPP say not to use boiling water?
To protect the lactic culture in the powder, HiPP's label says: boiling water poured on it would damage the culture, so the tin asks for water at 40 to 50 °C.
How long can a made-up bottle of HiPP sit out?
HiPP says to give it within half an hour. The CDC allows up to two hours from making it, and one hour from the moment the feed starts.
Can I make HiPP bottles ahead of time?
The CDC says a bottle made ahead can go straight into the fridge and be used within 24 hours, and the WHO's guidelines add that the fridge should be at 5 °C or colder. HiPP's own label asks for each bottle to be made fresh, just before the feed, so a bottle made ahead is a choice to talk over with your pediatrician.
Can I warm a HiPP bottle in the microwave?
No. HiPP's label says plainly not to warm the milk in a microwave, and it gives the risk of burns as the reason.
Can I reuse what my baby leaves in the bottle?
No. HiPP's label says never to reuse leftover milk, and the WHO's guidelines say to throw away a feed that has been partly drunk, rather than putting it back in the fridge for later.
How many scoops of HiPP for 150 ml of water?
5 level scoops, on every HiPP powder this site has on record, because each takes one scoop for every 30 ml of water. The scoops weigh different amounts, so always use the one from the pack you are feeding from.
How long does an opened tin of HiPP last?
HiPP says to use an opened Dutch tin within 3 weeks, kept closed, dry and at room temperature. The best-before date on the bottom of the tin is for the unopened tin, and the three weeks run from the day you open it, so it helps to write that date on the lid.
Do I need to sterilise the bottles?
HiPP's label says to wash your hands and to boil the bottle, the teat and the ring for 10 minutes before use.
Does the Dutch tin come with English instructions?
No. The tin is the one sold in the Netherlands, printed in Dutch and French. The Dutch Stage 1 page on this site sets each line of its preparation panel beside what it means in English.
Sources
- HiPP Netherlands, label of HiPP 1 Bio Combiotik (NL2472-03) the preparation steps, the water temperature and the reason for it, half an hour, leftovers, the microwave, sterilising, storage after opening, best-before date fetched 18 September 2026
- HiPP Netherlands, product page for HiPP 1 Bio Combiotik the product and its label fetched 18 September 2026
- HiPP pack artwork, HiPP PRE Bio Combiotik 600 g, version 7 (May 2025) scoop weight and water per scoop, and the instruction to use the enclosed scoop fetched 18 September 2026
- HiPP pack artwork, HiPP 1 Bio Combiotik 600 g, version 8 (May 2025) scoop weight and water per scoop, and the instruction to use the enclosed scoop fetched 18 September 2026
- CDC, Infant formula preparation and storage water around 70 °C for babies younger than two months, born early or with a weakened immune system; use within two hours of preparing and one hour of starting the feed; up to 24 hours in the fridge; reviewed 14 May 2026 fetched 18 September 2026
- WHO and FAO, Safe preparation, storage and handling of powdered infant formula: guidelines, 2007 water of no less than 70 °C; prepared feeds stored at no more than 5 °C; a feed not drunk within two hours of preparation, or partly drunk, is thrown away fetched 18 September 2026
Corrections (1)
- Rewritten from HiPP's Dutch label, the CDC and the WHO guidelines. The guide had said a made-up bottle keeps for an hour at room temperature; HiPP's label says half an hour, and the CDC allows two hours from making it and one from starting the feed. Statements with no source were removed: a sodium limit for bottled water, a note on fluorosis, how much of the culture survives 70 °C, and that one feed slightly over or under the scoops will not harm a healthy baby. Links to pages that do not exist yet were removed.