Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I am always amazed at how many people evidently do not follow directions and then offer a negative review. I always try to be truthful and accurate. We purchased this machine purely as a convenience and small luxury - by no means is it a necessity. I am a very technical, detail-oriented and mechanically-inclined person - so it's my nature to be thorough. That being said, I tend to read through instruction manuals. For us, this machine works perfectly - but YOU NEED TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS. I will respectfully refute some comments I've read on here and explain why I think people are not having good experiences with it. 1) It does not make more than the selected measurement. When I select 4 oz., the finished result is barely over 4 oz. of formula (formula + water). 2) The machine does not "cause" spitting up. The machine simply mixes water and formula - I'm not sure how someone can blame a machine for their baby spitting-up. 3) Overflowing water - I'm guessing this can only be the result of not bothering to notice the MAX FILL line on the reservoir. The machine dispenses formula based not only on the formula manufacturer - but the manufacturer's specific blend (Example - You set the dispensing wheel not just for "Enfamil" but for "Enfamil > Gentlease"). Maybe this is why some people claim theirs makes 4.5 oz when they select 4 oz or why they claim their formula is watery ("did they follow the directions?"). Another suggestion....CLEAN THE DISPENSING AREA REGULARLY (again, "follow directions"). It takes less than 5 minutes - simply pull out the funnel and wipe the area where the powder drops out. People - it's a powdery substance - when you introduce moisture, there will be some caking! We clean ours each night when cleaning the bottles and have no problems with consistency and quantity. If you wait too long, powder will build-up and change the consistency of the formula (aha....another reason for poor results!). I simply run a toothpick in the groove around the dispensing slot and wipe the funnel - that's it! Another bonus...When grandma babysits, there's no measuring, mixing and bottle-heating required - we just tell her to put a bottle under the dispenser and press start. You pre-set the ounce selector (2,4,6,8,10 oz) and it stays at that selection until you change it. The water and formula blend together and comes out at a perfect 98 degrees - not too hot and not too cold. It's basically "formula on demand" (we jokingly refer to it as the baby's Kuerig as it sits next to ours on the counter and works similarly). One thing we make a habit of doing is capping the bottle and giving a gentle shake to ensure the mix is blended - in our quest for the right formula, we've noticed some formula clumps more than others in the bottle, but this is not a result of the machine - it's a result of mixing powder and water. All I can say is we've been using this for 2 months and this machine has been such a convenience. The 3 minutes a day (literally) you spend wiping it down is exponentially offset by the time you would spend measuring, mixing, heating/testing (too cold, now too hot...) and preparing bottles. I hope this helps in the decision process and prompts some unsatisfied users to review their methods. Update Feb 2015...Still working fine for us....Changed the baby's formula type - adjusted the settings...business as usual. Update November 2015....The machine was a great investment and provided great convenience. Our son recently turned 1 and we have just about migrated to milk only. The machine is destined to be donated to our soon-to-be parent friends. NOTE: I purchased this item on Amazon for full price and have no affiliation to the seller. I try to write helpful, unbiased and insightful reviews because I also read reviews prior to making my own buying decisions. I notice many reviews lack helpful information, are not well written or give poor reviews based on not reading directions, inexperience or failing to read the product details prior to purchasing. Writing valuable reviews helps pay it forward.