Which Iron would you Recommend?

[danmantn]

My mom wants a new, "good" iron for her birthday...of ALL the things I could buy her, that's what she wants....ok, well, ok....

Here's my working requirements:
----------------------------------------
Budget: Up to $150
Reliability: Excellent
Quality: Must be excellent build, she's rough on 'em
Use: She'll use it to iron everything in her house, no doubt--including underwear probably. LOL
Features: She likes to turn it on and not "fiddle" with it much

There's the requirements...what brand and models would anyone suggest? Rowenta use to be hands-down, but that up in the air anymore.

Thanks in advance!
Dan

 

[rll70sman]

I have my mother's harvest gold Sunbeam Jewel Shot-of-Steam iron from 1977. It still works like a charm because only distilled water has ever been used in it. Check eBay for a vintage NIB unit if she doesn't mind what color it is. They're out there and were built to last. Just a thought.

 

[nmassman44]

I have a Rowenta Focus iron that I love. Glides easily and makes tons of steam. It cost me about $80 at Bed Bath and Beyond. And that was using a 20% off coupon. Check your Sunday paper since they had coupons for the place.

 

[mattl]

Second the Rowentas, if they haven't been outsourced to China or some such place. I have had a Rowenta for close to 10 years and I love it. solid, well built, dependable. No fiddling around, set the heat and forget. Auto off. Self cleaning and adjustable steam. I paid $100 for it.

 

[jeffg]

We use a Rowenta Advancer. Great iron, but it uses 1800W so it usually requires its own circuit.

Rowenta's newer DW9080 (Steamium) is supposedly even better.

 

[mtn1584]

Dannyboy...

I just bought a Rowenta Steamium iron, TOL from Kohls. I paid approx $130.00 I love it, it features a constant steam button, 1800 watts and does a fantastic job. I highly recommend it. Bed Bath and Beyond sells it, so does Macy's and Kohl's , I am sure Dillard's has it too. Let me know what you get.
Mike

 

[aamassther]

Wish I could recommend Rowenta. I've had 3 of them through the years, they all leaked and I didn't think they were all that. As a sewer, I have bought many irons and need something with good steam and a higher wattage. I have three, a Bernina steam generator, a Bosch and a Krups. I really like the Bosch and the Krups, but they are no longer available. They are hot and have an abundance of consistent steam. Im probably going to sell the Bernina and suction ironing table, nothing wrong with them but Im not compelled to use them.
I've had my eye on Reliable and Oliso. They look sturdy and the ones I've had demo'ed steam and heat well. The prices are in the 100 to 140 range.

 

[mtn1584]

Dannyboy....

By the way, I forgot to mention, my Rowenta says it right on the side of iron....Made in Germany....to quote the "SHAM-WOW" guy..."you know the Germans they are always making great stuff!" LOL
Mike

 

[mattl]

This is the one I have, it's nice and heavy, that's what I want in an iron. I hate lightweight irons.

http://www.rowentausa.com/rowenta/frame.aspx?page=www.rowentausa.com/rowenta/All+products/Linen+care/Other+Rowenta+Irons/Products/Professional+Luxe+Iron/Professional+Luxe+Iron.htm

 

[mixfinder]

Pressing Issue

I was a Sunbeam devotee from the 60's until early 2000. When I couldn't find anymore of the good ones I made a shift to Rowenta, gifting them to all the kids and many friends. I just upgraded to the Rowenta's iron that took honors in Consumer Reports last test. The handle is fat and the sole plate nearly as wide as it is long so it took a little gettin gused to. This is one iron that takes no prisoners.

 

[polkanut]

I'm going to be contrary to everyone here and recommend my Black & Decker ProFinish 750. It has a nice heft to it, very easy to use, easy access to the temp settings, and super easy to turn on and off. We've had ours for 11yrs, with no problems.

 

[xraytech]

I would reccomend a Panasonic iron. I know some people who have them and I have tried them, very nice for a modern iron.

I myself prefer vintage GE irons but if I were to buy new I would get a Panasonic

 

[westtexman]

I am apparently very rough on irons. It seems like I have to buy a new one at least once per year. The problem I have with them is that they stop getting very hot after a while. Perhpas I need to clean it?

About 2 years ago I bought the Rowenta Advancer and the Rowenta Steam Generator at the same time. The Steam Generator is AWESOME, but I really only use it when I do ironing in bulk. For everyday ironing (like ironing a shirt before work) I use the Advancer. Over the past two or 3 weeks, the Advancer stopped getting hot. I'm very disappointed, as this wasn't a cheap iron. I use tap water which is what the directions call for, but we have hard water in our area. Perhpas after a good cleaning all will be well.

 

[gizmo]

I'm not sure if you have Philips irons in the US.

I have recently bought a Philips and I love it. Variable steam, anti-drip (stops the flow of water from the tank if the soleplate temp falls below steaming level) and auto shut-off after a few minutes of non-use. Fabulous iron to use. The next model up also has a ceramic coated soleplate, which glides beautifully, but mine has some sort of regular non-stick coating which is fine, and quite a bit cheaper.

Philips - United States | Philips

Learn more about Philips and how we help improve people’s lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting.

www.consumer.philips.com

 

[perc-o-prince]

Which Iron would you Recommend?

Permanent press! ;-)

Chuck

 

[jeffg]

Bryan, the manual for our Advancer recommends spring (i.e. bottled/filtered) instead of hard tap water.

 

[magic clean]

This inexpensive

$30 iron from Sears works really well. Lots and lots of steam and the sharpest creases yet. Includes a 10 foot cord and a 2 year replacement warranty.

 

[danmantn]

Is that a Kenmore brand iron?

 

[magic clean]

Yes

it is a Kenmore iron; model 80589. Sorry for the fuzzy picture.