Nov 2006 Iron Update: New Iron Review

Well my 6-7 year old Rowenta finally died, failing to maintain a high enough temperature to iron at all. The Rowenta people said my iron may have been affected by the softened water we had when we lived in Wisconsin. They did not previously put that in their manuals but they do now. We had a water softener that used salt and those are the worst apparently. If only I'd known!

So, after reading gazillions of reviews, I finally got another iron. First of all, I noticed a huge difference between the Consumer Reports reviews and the consumer reviews online (ie- Amazon reviews, quilt resource reviews, etc). The CR people obviously pay no attention to what consumers really think. Second, it is amazing how many women really hate their irons and give them bad reviews. That indicates a real problem in the industry with manufacturers failing miserably to listen to consumers. The vast majority of irons seemed to get poor reviews and the more the consumer used the iron, the worse her opinion seemed to be. Incredible.

I purchased a newly engineered 1800 watt Rowenta recently, the DZ 9080 "Advancer". There were only good reviews on this iron though not that many since it is so new. Only time will reveal its dependability and longevity but it performs about 300% better than any iron I've ever owned and that is no exaggeration. It has 4 lights, yellow for heating, green for proper temp, red for temp too high (like when you turn it down before it cools off) and white for auto turn-off. The auto shut-off engages after 8 minutes of non-use which is much better than my previous

3 minute one. Unlike some, this is a feature that is essential at our house.

This is the heaviest iron I've ever used and I really like that. It helps with the ironing. The sole plate is stainless steel with a platinum-ized finish (no teflon) and it is very smooth. The point of the iron is specially designed so you can get into small places easier. It looks a bit weird but it works fantastically well. There are 400 steam holes all over the sole--- not just at the tip--- and boy do they ever put out effective steam. There are several main steam settings that are apart from the iron's temperature settings. One is for delicate steam. One is for regular, continuous steam like most people are used to in irons and within this setting, you can regulate the amount. One is for self cleaning (done over a sink) and my favorite is a pressurized steam that the iron emits every few seconds. This is one of the features that sets it apart from all other regular domestic irons. This puppy pumps out a very forceful, effective steam that'll knock your socks off. And I estimate, conservatively, that it irons things beautifully in 1/3 less time than any of my previous irons. Because of the pressurized steam, I recommend using this iron only with a proper ironing board--- one that allows the steam to penetrate and go thru the board (like professional boards) and definitely NOT a solid metal or wood board.

Once my iron reaches the temperature I set (just under the highest linen setting), it maintains that temperature without the light ever coming on for the entirety of my ironing sessions (which have been quite long given that I had been without any iron for a time). That is wonderful and unlike any iron I've had before. No doubt wattage plays a role there and I'd much rather iron for a shorter time with high wattage than iron for much longer with somewhat lower wattage where the iron cannot maintain a continuous high enough temperature and then spits all over my clothes when the temperature drops. I really like the red light that tells me my iron temperature is not yet safe for silkies or whatever.

The tank holds more water than any of my previous irons and that is nice. And you can fill it up to the full mark without it leaking. Honestly, I just can't say enough about this iron. It's really awesome. Best iron ever. Mine was $130--- definitely pricey. But it will save me a great deal of time so given that, it was well worth it for me. I am soooo glad I did not get that Reliable "Velocity" iron. The Rowenta "Advancer" is superb for my needs. I congratulate Rowenta for finally listening to consumers. I hope the iron lasts a good long while so I will care for it to the letter pursuant to manual instructions.

Phae

Reply to
Phaedrine
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I always thought that was because as far as internet reviews go, people are more likely to log on to complain than they are to express satisfaction.

Your old iron had 3 minute auto-off? *That* would drive me crazy.

Reply to
Angrie.Woman

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