Mixing baby formula is an underrated annoyance. Once you get the point of selecting a baby formula that’s right for your child, and even being able to find it in stores, you have to mix it, and for the uninitiated, it can be a bubbly, clumpy mess. No one tells you about the formula mixer that exists to make your life easier.

I remember the first month of serving formula to my daughter; it seemed like there was nothing I could do to make that formula mix well. I tried stirring it with a spoon, whirling it with a chopstick, and even used one of those doo-dads for making the milk for your coffee foamy at home. Each time it was a clumpy, powdery mess with bubbles I couldn’t get rid of. It was just one more thing that made me feel like I was doing something wrong as a new mom. But luckily I had a mom friend who saved me from this the way I can save you: with the Dr. Brown’s formula mixing pitcher.

Dr. Brown’s formula mixing pitcher does one thing, and it does one thing very well: it mixes formula to its smooth, well-blended potential, in mere seconds. And, because it’s a 32 oz. vessel, you can make multiple servings at once, vs. just one bottle at a time (especially helpful not only if you’re busy during the day, but also if you have a caretaker that you want to pre mix the formula for). Oh, and even though it conveniently can make multiple bottles at once, it’s still petite enough to fit in your bag for when you travel. (Speaking of traveling with this thing, you’ll also want to scoop up the equally indispensable Dr. Brown’s formula dispenser, which you scoop individual formula powder servings into, at a cool $4.99 a pop!)

How to make baby formula using Dr. Brown’s formula mixing pitcher

To use the formula mixing pitcher, you simply measure out the proportions of baby formula and water for the amount of servings you want. Add them both to the pitcher, water first, then formula (believe me on that point after my own trial and error—it won’t be as smooth). You put the special lid on with the stirring mechanism intact, then once in place, pump up and down. The center piece (the “blade” as the brand calls it) mixes the baby formula evenly into the water, making the perfect consistency for your babe to drink, with minimal formula bubbles (which can sometimes cause gas in babies).

Pour out into your baby bottle of choice, and then refrigerate the rest for when it’s time to feed baby again (a word to the wise: the pre-mixed formula can last for the rest of the day in the fridge). The lid is also somehow great at never spilling—which, as we all know, spilled formula is absolutely worth crying over.

At $9, there’s a shortlist of baby supplies that are so cheap and brilliant you can’t recommend them enough, and even though the mixing pitcher is on that list for me, I’m always surprised by how many new formula-feeding mons haven’t heard of it—or quite, often, who have seen it or heard of it, but don’t know how much easier it’ll make their day. It’s also dishwasher safe (top rack only, of course) and BPA free.

Can you get by without a formula mixer? Of course you can. But you don’t have to. With all the things that can make caring for a baby a struggle, this is one thing that can help smooth out an annoying (and sometimes messy!) task.

Whether you’re expecting in months or mere days, let Motherly guide you with our registry featuring curated collections of essentials for you and baby. Click here to check out Motherly’s essential registry guide.