Hello, My Bernina steam generator iron (expensive lemon) just gave up yesterday and the company is turning a blind eye to acknowledging it. NOBODY fixes them locally and the final word from Bernina was to send it back to them in Chicago for a minimum of 2 hours labor and probably greater than $100 repair. Having just put about $80 to repairing something different on it about this time last year......and having paid about $300 to buy it in the first place........I think I have reached the point of diminishing returns, need to face the facts and am not interested in throwing more good money after bad. I sew lot's of lycras and need lot's of steam but not too much heat to melt my fabrics. So, I think I need to stick with a steam generator iron. Does anyone own one that they LOVE? I need advice or comments. Thanks, Joy in Michigan
But a question about STEAM irons: I got suckered into buying a Kärcher due to the spiel at a home/garden exhibition because I could never get wrinkles out of shirts from a normal steam iron. She demonstrated how easy, yadda, yadda.
I find it more exhausting ironing with the Kärcher than the old-fashioned way. Plus I cannot iron sitting down because the steam burns my lap and even standing the steam puddles on my hardwood floor.
Am I doing something wrong? After spending EUR 100 for the iron attachment for my steam cleaner, I hate the bloody thang.
I have a Tefal Pro Express that I like very much because it delivers lots of steam and the water tank is removable to refilling (so you don't have to wait for the boiler to cool down).
It's my second Tefal and my fourth steam generator iron (the first two were Poltis). I bought them from Costco. Every time one dies, I take it back. Costco hand me the cash refund and I walk right round to the shelf, pick up a new one, and hand the money back over at the cash desk. So I guess I'm just renting them :-)
IMHO quit messing about with those "cheap" plastic steam generator irons and look at BOL or MOL professional steam boiler irons or a Naomoto HYS gravity feed iron.
Check eBay for used professional boiler irons, and new ones as well. Reliable, has several models always on eBay and their warranty seems pretty decent. IIRC Atlanta Thread & Supply has several models in their catalogue as well.
Naomoto HYS gravity feed irons produce lots of hot "dry" steam without requiring a boiler, and are the preferred choice of laundries, dry cleaners, tailors and others whom need a durable steam ironing system that gives professional results. Have an older model, but as it weighs several pounds is better suited to pressing work as one goes, or ironing only a few items at a time. Long periods of ironing tend to wear me out from lifting what feels like a cast iron frying pan. *LOL*
Am willing to bet all those cheap plastic steam generator ironing systems sold by Euro-Pro, Bernina and others are made by the same factories. Better ones in Europe the lower lines probably in Asia somewhere.
What to look for in a steam generator iron?
First make sure the system heats steam "twice". Once in the boiler and again in the iron. This produces dry steam instead of the wet version commonly found in household irons. However if the boiler is producing 80 psi or even 100 psi of steam, there is less worry as the steam is hot enough on it's own.
At least 40 psi pounds of pressure. This produces "dry" steam which won't leave your work and ironing board soggy after long periods of use. This is important as these irons produce so much steam it is easy to "wet" the material, which is not a bad thing as the heat of the iron will dry and reset (this is what smoothes fabric). But if the ironing surface becomes too wet, you'll never get good results. Professional laundries use vacuum tables to pull the heavy steam from steam boiler irons through the fabric to dry it instantly. This over comes the "soggy" effect.
Choose your steam boiler ironing system based on your average ironing time. Most systems start out at about 1.5 hours of steam, and models progress upwards to 3 , 4 or more hours of steam. Longer periods of steaming mean less down time for refills (see below). If you are only using your system to press sewing as you go and maybe iron a few shirts or other items, 1 to 2 hours should be fine.
How does the iron need to be refilled? Some steam boiler ironing systems allow for fast "blow down" to relive built up pressure quickly. This allows one to refill the tank without having to wait for the unit to cool. As cooling time can take one to several hours, during which time the unit cannot be used, either pay close attention to proper sizing of your unit , or make it a habit of keeping the tank full. Since water in the tank is boiled at each use, there is no worry about leaving water in the tank for long periods of time. Mould and gunk will not grow since water is basically sanitised each time you use the unit.
What sort of materials do you iron? Some boiler iron units will only produce steam on "Hi", that is the cotton and linen settings. Lower temps are liable to cause the unit to spit water as the iron's heating unit does not get hot enough to heat the steam a second time. Make sure your unit either comes with or buy a Teflon ironing shoe. This will allow you to iron everything on "HI" with less chance of damage.
Auto Shut Off, yes or no? Some systems will shut off after a period of inactivity. Personally hate this feature, so don't bother with it. But there are also systems which will shut off when water runs low. This is a good idea if you tend to forget about filling the tank as it prevents damage to the unit.
Professional or home use unit? Personally prefer professional units as they are designed to be repaired, and depending upon where one lives there is usually a repair person locally. Ask local dry cleaners or laundries who they use to repair their steam boiler irons, or check the Yellow Pages. Companies like Reimers, Naomoto and others will repair a unit if one sends it back to them, but as units are heavy this can be expensive.
Candide -- what is a BOL or MOL? With the Naomoto, don't you ahve to constantly push a button to get steam? I always thought a better way was the steam generator, so that the steam came from the boiler raher than the iron generated steam.
"Bottom of the Line" and "Middle of the Line" when referring to items.
With the Naomoto, don't you ahve to
Yes, with all steam generator,boiler, and gravity irons one has to push a thumb switch to get steam. Once one gets used to it, it is not that bad and comes second nature. Premise being one only uses steam as necessary. For instance in pressing/ironing, one would go over the area first with steam, then go over again without using the heat of the iron to "dry" and set the area. This cannot be done with irons which put out a constant supply of steam, unless you switch between steam on and off.
Yes, steam generator, boiler irons are "better" than gravity and regular steam irons in that the iron itself does not have to get very hot to make steam. Not only does this make for easier pressing/ironing of all fabrics including delicates, it is easier on the iron thus promoting longer life. Case in point, have some cotton coverlets I like to touch up with steam ironing (wrong side of course) after laundering. Had to use the lowest setting when using a regular steam iron which lead to spitting and poor results. With my steam boiler iron, can use the regular cotton setting with lots of steam and the results are streets ahead.
No, but have also been eye balling them also. Contacted several local vendors but all seemed to stop carrying them and one confided to me parts were hard for him to get ahold of. However when I contacted Reliable (they are in Canada) everyone I spoke with was very helpful from customer service, through repair to sales. Explained what my needs were and they suggested several models that would suit. Reliable does have a decent warranty and will repair their items, but again they are in Canada so one would have to ship the unit "up North". If you are truly interested, there are always several Reliable items on eBay at any given moment.
If you have the room and really wish to put the boat out, check with suppliers of used dry cleaning/laundry equipment for second hand boiler irons. My favourite resource for many sewing needs is B&G Lieberman,
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They carry many levels of professional gravity, boiler and steam irons to suit everyone from dressmakers to dry cleaners. Lieberman also has a great in house iron repair service and service what they sell. They also have reconditioned units as well. If you do contact them, have a reference name of the person we deal with, he is tops.
For several years I longed for a decent, modern looking stem generator iron. I'd had all sorts of good irons (including the Rowenta Professional P2, which was excellent for several years), but a combination of leaving it on all day when working, water courtesy of Blue Circle, and cats dropping them on the floor when they rocked them off the ironing board ensured none lasted more than 5 years. Then Alan found a really cheap Delta tank iron in Aldi. It was about £40, so less than a good Rowenta! And it fit my requirements: LOADS of steam, variable steam and heat settings, no auto shut-off, and a stainless steel sole plate, and at least an hour's continuous steaming - the tank is a liter capacity. At that price it doesn't have to last more than 4 years to be costing the same per year as the Rowenta. The only down side to it is that the tank is too big and heavy to fit on the ironing board, so I have to set the thing up in certain places rather than in front of the TV! :) Alan can iron most things in front of the TV still, but it uses up too much of the lead to give me the stretch I need for some pressing jobs.
Just got my Reliable steam generator iron yesterday and it puts out amazing steam!!!! (I love my Bernina serger)....but the quality of this new iron is "head over heels" better than my Bernina steam generator iron!!!! I was able to press all my tender lycras without injury. Thanks again for all the help in making this selection. Joy in Michigan
replying to Candide, Ellij wrote: thank you zoo much for you very informative and thorough advice on steam generating irons, I have searched the web for exactly this and yours is by far the best.... I originally started looking at the Laurastar system but am not sure if it is an exceptional product or great marketing, and have read of a few lemons, then as I delved deeper I found this advertised, unfortunately I cannot get hold of the company website to find out finer details and am now liaising with the deals direct people who are talking to buying department. so far I have found out that the iron has a teflon sole plate 30-60 g/min steam pressure and the iron has 1000w (?) as does the steam generator... seems strange they don't highlight the boards suction and blow capabilities in the features ....? I am now sending a second email to try and clarify
Is it a double heating system, does the water heat first in the tank then again in the iron? (this produces dry instead of wet steam) What is the heat up time? Can you refill the tank while in use (does it have a fast blow down to relive pressure quickly) or do you need to wait till it cools before refilling? does it only produce steam on high setting or continuously? does it have an automatic turn off?
My main requirements would be for pressing whilst w=sewing so it would be on for long periods with intermittent work and the occasional longer business shirt ironing session.. do you think it is worth trying this cheaper laurastar rip off? its cheaper than some of the steam iron units on their own (without the board)
any advice or thoughts would be appreciated ! (before the 9/12 Please)
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