This is a question I've gotten a few times, and I may as well put some info together in a blog post to explain what exactly a Ceres Chill is, what it can be used for (aside from breastmilk too!) and why I believe it's worth the money.
I personally have had these for about two years, and have found more uses for them than just holding breastmilk!
TEACHINGMOTHERHOOD saves 15% on these!
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I am a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist. However, the advice and tips on my pages is not personalized individual medical advice and you should always discuss concerns with your healthcare provider or seek the help of a lactation professional. I do not currently offer consults or counseling, just general information.
Via the Ceres Chill website
A Ceres Chill is a specially designed insulated cooler bottle, intended for the safe storage of breastmilk or formula for up to 20 hours.
These cost $69.98 (before taxes and shipping) so when you look at it and see it's "just a bottle" for that much money, you're probably thinking nope, no way. I will get a $20 cooler and an ice pack.
I know, because I thought the same thing. But then they had a sale, and I bought one. While it is definitely a 'luxury' item, it is extremely practical and versatile.
This does not require electricity, like some other chillers. You just put ice cubes in either the outer chamber or the inner chamber (don't worry, we'll get to that) and it's enough to keep breastmilk or formula at a safe temperature for up to 20 hours.
They are available in two sizes, the OG chiller which is larger, and the Demigoddess chiller which is smaller. I'll add some pictures of both below, and how much ice or liquid they hold in their chambers.
How does it work? How much milk does it hold?
This image is pulled from the Ceres Chill website, I did not create this.
This is the diagram for the larger of the two, the OG Ceres Chill (OG because it was the first version, the Demi came second.)
As you can see in the far left image, there are ice cubes in the outer chamber. This keeps the ice separate from the milk which is in the inner chamber, and can hold 12 ounces. The ice keeps the milk cold.
In the middle image, the inner chamber is filled with ice, and the outer chamber is filled up TO THE FILL LINE (remember, displacement! Don't overfill or it may spill) and can hold 27 ounces. The ice keeps the milk cold.
On the far right image, the entire outer chamber is filled with either cold or hot liquid, with NO inner chamber, up to 34 ounces. The liquid will keep the temperature, it will not be cooled by ice because there is none inside.
Now for the Demigoddess, the entire function of the chiller is the same but in smaller sizes. This was created because some parents didn't need to carry a full sized chiller! This also fits great in cupholders, where the OG needed to be flipped upside down to fit into a cupholder due to the wide body.
As you can see in the left image, the outer chamber is filled with ice and the inner chamber holds 6 ounces of milk. The ice keeps the milk cold.
In the middle image, the inner chamber is filled with ice while the outer chamber is full of 12 ounces of milk TO THE FILL LINE, do not overfill or it may spill! Displacement! The ice keeps the milk cold.
The third image, the entire outer chamber, with no inner chamber, is filled with either chilled or hot liquids. This holds 16 ounces.
This size is about $10 less than the OG, at $58 before tax and shipping.
Are they both worth the money? Do I need both, or just one?
Whichever size will fit your needs, if it's worth it to you then it's worth it. If you find yourself lugging a cooler with milk every day, you can lighten the load by bringing just the chiller bottle. I have found this to be extremely handy, I do have both sizes and find them both handy. For example, I have brought both when I bring older pumped milk that I'll use to prep a bottle (example being 3 days old, from my fridge) and wanting to keep that separated from the new, freshly pumped milk.
I have also used these for water bottles and carried one water and one milk, or for popsicle transport.
Frequently asked: Can I combine milk that's already chilled with fresh milk? How do I do that?
There's a lot of mixed information out there, but the consensus seems to be that you can combine in most cases.
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) Protocol number 8 states that "Mixing milk: Freshly expressed warm milk should not be added to already cooled or frozen milk, to prevent rewarming of the already stored milk. It is best to cool down the newly expressed milk first before adding it to older stored milk."
The CDC says "Mixing freshly expressed breast milk with already cooled or frozen milk is not advised because it can rewarm the older stored milk. It is best to cool freshly expressed milk before combining it with older, previously cooled or frozen milk. It is also important to consider storage duration guidelines for breast milk."
There's not a lot of info to back this up though, and it's based on outdated information. To each their own, and always do your own research and do what you're comfortable with!
However, if you pour your pumped milk over the cold inner chamber, it cools it down quickly while it combines with the previously chilled milk. I personally mix milk temps, but I won't put a recommendation in writing one way or the other just in case.
My friend Kristen over at Bemybreastfriend has a bit of information on this, if you'd like to read more. She dives deep into this and is really well versed about it. I would also recommend reading this great post by Free to Feed on Pooling Milk.
What else can I use it for after I'm done breastfeeding? It was a lot of money!
Here are some things you can do with your Ceres Chill aside from store breastmilk or formula:
Use it as a water bottle with their little drinking spout (or just from the lid, if you don't have one of those!)
Carry warm or hot liquids like tea or coffee, they actually have little tea sets with an infuser and some jars of tea or you can purchase your own elsewhere
Carry popsicles to the beach (my favorite alternate use!! See my pics below, they stayed frozen for hours in there!)
I have heard of these being used for mixers or holding wine
I filled this up with completely frozen popsicles on a hot summer day, this photo is stamped 5:44 PM.
This is 8:04 PM after sitting in my beach bag in the hot sun
They were still solid! And actually still frozen when I got home too- We had leftovers I kept inside of the chiller!
My review?
The amount of times I've used these for milk, water, or even popsicles, they've earned their title as "well worth the money". I give these a solid 5/5 and highly recommend them if you're looking to slim down your load while traveling and pumping (or carrying popsicles).
I love that they've added a second size option for those who didn't need a whole full sized chiller or wanted to save a little space. I've found both to be handy, I can bring ready chilled milk to feed in the Demi and put fresh milk into the OG, depending on where I'm going and how long I'll be gone I may need two full sized ones. I like having options.
These come in a variety of colors and are truly versatile beyond your breastfeeding era.
If you'd like to buy one, the code TEACHINGMOTHERHOOD saves 15% at the Ceres Chill website, or TEACHINGMOTHERHOOD15 saves 15% at Sarah Wells Bags (she also carries them, including a limited edition golden boob chiller collab with Bemybreastfriend). You can also grab one from Amazon and take advantage of your baby registry discount if you have one!
Check out some of my related posts for more info on milk supply and exclusive pumping!
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