IS A FANCY STEAM GENERATOR IRON REALLY WORTH IT? (and what to look for in one as a home sewist!) 

Great video Evelyn. If Tefal is listening, I want them to create the perfect steam generator for home sewing based on your requirements and name it the Evelyn. I would love to hear your follow up in a few months on how the water tank looks from the new Tefal. I currently use a Reliable Maven 120IS that works nicely and I noticed after a few months the water tank is starting to hold some tiny mold spots that I am unable to clean, which is disappointing. Other than that I view it as a upgrade from my domestic home iron and it hasn't let me down. I would love to have a professional steam iron someday.

Pay attention Tfal, this is important: more heat, instant steam, no spitting. Got it? 👍😊

Just to clear up the confusion, depending on the model, Tefal (as well as most) steam generators on the market still have a boiler tank in their base. You just get the plastic removable water tank as a convenience so you don't have to always wait for the boiler to cool down before unscrewing the cap like on your Easy Pressing model, with the removable water tanks you can just fill it up on the go for continuous ironing. The way they work is instead of filling the water straight inside the boiler like on the Easy Pressing model, you fill the plastic tank instead and then a pump draws the water from there inside the boiler where it turns to high pressure steam that gets released to the iron when pressing the steam button. The pump only activates when the water inside the boiler reaches a certain level but otherwise, the iron acts just like your Easy Pressing model with instant steam with no pumping noises and no delays. Now I believe your new steam generator is actually a model WITHOUT a boiler, meaning it only has a water pump inside its base that pumps the water all the way up inside the iron where it turns to steam there, basically just like a regular simple steam iron. Those are just glorified steam irons where all the pressure is built up by thr water pump rather than forming naturally inside of a boiler. On Tefal and Calor steam generators, you can tell which model has a boiler and which one doesn't by looking at their model number. The model number on steam generators with boilers (like the Easy Pressing) always start with GV followed by a series of numbers, whereas models without a boiler always start with SV instead. An easy way to tell them apart by looking is by checking where the anticalc mechanism is. If it's on the side of the base then it's a GV model with a boiler, if it's only on the back of the iron then it's an SV model without a boiler.

I use a Tefal ordinary steam iron. I have tried other makes but I've found Tefal give the best results. Many years ago I bought a steam generator iron,off a well known TV shopping channel.It had a cork handle which was suppose to be better and it said(and showed),it ironing over sequins,transfers and it said you could iron on the right side without shine.None of those worked and I ruined a top.Also you had to leave it cool down for at least 10 mins before you could refill the tank.I returned it.Does the new one your using have to cool right down before refilling.Why don't you contact Tefal direct to ,not only,give them your feed back but also to see if they do still make one like your old one. p.

Thank you Evelyn. I too have a Tefal steam generator and I'm so frustrated with it!! It spits water all the time. I've done the cleaning and de-calc process' several times but no - it spits. I'm also not thrilled with the auto temperature feature, although to be fair, it does a good job. I'd prefer a boiler and the immediacy of the steam as you mention, but these days, I think only 'professional' irons do that. I hope you're able to convince Tefal to engage with you on some research. Kind regards from UK

Thank you for the video! Now I know I am not missing ANYTHING out by not having a steam generator iron. I have Tefals high end domestic iron with XXL water tank of 0.6L. And from your video it looks like my iron works more or less exactly like this one. My iron can also do vertical steaming, same amount of steam 400G, pumps the stem like yours. But my iron has the linen temprature ;) So it looks like a better purchase forless money is the high end domestic irons. Only real difference I see is the water tank capacity.

Great video - I bought a Laurastar Lift to see if they were really worth the hype… they are! Instant steam and no spots of water. It also has temperature settings. I was so impressed with the Lift that I bought the Laurastar Smart all in one - it’s exactly like a pro ironing system (more stylish) with an inflatable ironing board cover. It only has one temperature setting but it is magically perfect for everything. I never knew ironing could be so quick!

I have a Miele iron and the steam is grea, it comes with a special hand steamer. I recommend this iron

I use all my irons as dry irons. When I want steam, I use a spray bottle to pump water on the item I want to steam (then I put the iron on to the damp fabric and steam). However, when I want to steam an item that I don't want to touch the iron to, I use a pressing cloth on top (so I will not leave an iron shine or water stains). We have very hard water here. Putting water inside any iron here will damage the iron in a short time. I would not bother buying an iron anything like the two you used.

I've been sewing for many years, but have always just made more simple patterns. I have never heard of this kind of iron, so this video was mind blowing for me. My husband and I both like our clothes well ironed, so this may be a Christmas gift to both of us. He hasn't sent his shirts to the cleaners for many years. Just think about the amount of money we have saved. BUT, we have had to replace irons more often than we would like. We also make our own starch using liquid starch and water!

I don't even have room for a big steam iron, but I do like using my general electric light'n easy. (easily the heaviest iron I've ever used) It looks like it's from the late 70s or early 80s. Works so much better than any of the newer irons I have used.

I love all your videos! Your older steam iron has a much more powerful steam shot that is obvious from this angle - I vote for THAT one! The newer one would seriously tick me off with the sputtering of hot water rather than steam and the fact that it continues to steam on it's own is a deal-breaker for me. I'm an oddball who enjoys ironing. When replacing my old iron (standard steam iron that broke beyond repair), I had a heck of time trying to find one that's heavy. I want the weight and it seems no one else does. Grrr. I wish someone would make a good quality, heavyweight iron.

I have a Tefal Liberty steam iron, I bought it last year and it made my life so much easier! Before I bought it I absolutely hated ironing and pressing seams but now I actually enjoy it, it works so well that I'm still fascinated every time I use it. I especially love the heaviness, the 1,5L tank and thin tip. The iron that I had before was very cheap, simple and super lightweight, even ironing very thin fabrics took me a long time, pressing something like linen was basically impossible, and the 80ml tank was so useless I ended up using spray bottles. It also kept sputtering water and the steam felt uncontrollable at times. I'm so happy that I don't have any of those issues with my new Tefal!

Great video, Evelyn! Thanks! I have to say I love my steam generator -- a Rowenta I have had for over a decade. I know it has been at least that long because I purchased a while before I retired, and I have been retired for 18 years. I haven't used it as much as I did when I was sewing a lot more. But, I do LOVE it when I need a lot of steam. Maybe I will set it up to use all the time when I can get my sewing room organized better and maybe have a little more room. I know it was expensive, even that long ago, but it is worth it!

Not everyone can afford those irons, perhaps you could also rate some that are affordable…..

I see some sewists on RU-vid using gravity feed irons and loving them. I would be curious to see a comparison between this type and the gravity feed. I’m hard on irons and have worn out 5 or 6 in the last few years so really need to try upgrading to a more durable model

I have the lara star lift and I love it. It's perfect when I want to iron the yardage of fabric. For general sewing purposes though, and little fiddly seams, I like to use my Panasonic cordless iron.

I do some quilting and find that the sharper point at the tip is really nice. I have started spraying the fabric and using a dry iron as we have hard water that gummed up my old iron.

Evelyn, I also wasn't convinced with the idea of no temp regulation provided! I thought the same as you that I know the best what I iron. So I've chosen iron with both options, traditional thermostat regulation as well as with "magic" one. Believe me or not I have never used the manual mode since then. It is magic, the iron "knows" better than I do. I use this iron for 3 years and never melt or burt anything. And quality of the results that I have with this i-temp is excellent, better than before when using manual. 100% recommend!

Thank you for this demo. I have never heard of this type of iron. I have been interested in a cordless iron as I have seen some videos of sewists who use these. Nice to not have a cord. Have you ever used one? I live in Canada and will research what steam generating irons like this are available here. Cheers!

Love my Laura Star lift! Works like a dream and never spits or sputters water.

I have never seen a one temperature iron. Only thing I would use it as is an upright steamer.

Thanks for this video!! I’m eyeing the Rowena DG8624U1 🤞🏿🤞🏿🤞🏿 I hope Santa shows up for me this Christmas!! 😁

Why are you comparing it to an item that is no longer available? What is the point?

I really like your old boiler iron - it always bugs me to hear the pumping / surging of my regular iron. Having a continuous flow of steam without the spitting would make ironing fun!

Great video Evelyn! I could have used this about 4 weeks ago, as I bought a steam generator iron too. I got the model down from yours, the Tefal Express Easy. It’s the one with the teal coloured base. Interestingly enough, its temperature goes up to linen, and I haven’t had any spitting from it at all after its first start. Like you, a non-negotiable inclusion was the ability to select temperature. I was surprised how many of the other options had “intelligent” temperature sensing. I do wish my new iron had instant steam like your old iron though

I've had 3 steam generator irons. I love the way they work when I get to control the tempperature but not impressed with the so called intelligent temperature where I had no choice. They definitely don't perform as well. I had Phillips and tefal. I've given up on them as they only seem to last a couple of years, maybe three ... it's a lot of money for something that doesn't last long. My children bought me a great cordless iron which I love!

Can I ask the model of your old Tefal for those of us who can only afford 2nd hand? Thanks 🙏

I can't understand the reasoning of the business model that decided that a one temperature iron was something we wanted or needed. That's kind of not the point of ironing. Thank you. This was a great video. - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi

I libe in a very small apartment, so a regular iron from rowenta with a retractable cord is what I decided to go with. I would have no place to put this, even though it looks cool

Great video. I'm not sure if these irons are apples to apples comparable as I'm not familiar with this brand. However, here's what I do know and you mentioned this in your video. Quality is not what it once was, and that's all about cost-cutting to the detriment of the consumer. And that's what causes landfills to fill up. There was a time when products would last forever - providing people took care of them of course. What I am beginning to see is swappable components, so that even if the technology changes, the core product doesn't need to be replaced. The components are replaceable and recyclable. We as consumers need to demand more from corporations than profits, we need to demand better quality, and real concern for this planet.

My Bosch Sensixx iron is in fact one of the first irons that came with the one temperature technology. I love it, also for sewing. The vibration technology accelerates the ironing process at a considerably lower temperature, with makes it rather fool proof. You don't have to press down so hard either. The only thing I do not love about it is the fact that it cannot run without steam. That's why I also have a small "traditional" iron.

Bosch sensixx advancesteam is a dream to work with. A lót of power ( even lifts a little of the boardif you press the button) temperature regulated. The sole of the iron is easy cleanable. We have very hard water where we live, so next time i will go for a model with calc filter. But other than the once a year heavy cleaning ritual its great! My colleague bought it for me as a thank you for repairing his clothes, and it's used daily during my sewing time!!!

I hate ironing! For everyday use I would love something like this, and it would make actually ironing easier I would think! 🤔

I just saw your video on the iron. My home iron died several years ago and my husband found the Hi-Steam SVP 24 for me. It generates the steam in a boiler and I love it. I am located in the USA if that helps. Hopefully your iron is working out for you. I can select the temperature on my iron. I have had it now for several years and I am quite happy with it.

Thank you so much for this awesome video - I would love to see other videos about steam station/generator irons, please! :) So helpful!

I piece quilt tops, and quilt them too of course. After 15 years and having had several irons disappoint me due to spitting and spotting and getting brown gunk on the plates, I bought a gravity steam iron. Only 4 months into using it but so far it is wonderful. No spitting. No brown gunk build up. No auto turn off, plugged into a power bar with a lamp so I remember to turn it off. And it was extremely affordable. Plus several parts are replaceable so if something breaks you can just replace a part not the whole iron.

What to look for according to Evelyn: 1.Definitely must have adjustable temperature not just low, med, high. Dealbreaker 2. Ease of placing a hot iron on a stable surface created by water container 3.Must be able to be used as a vertical steamer mode 80% work saving 4.Eco mode for long time work not a dealbreaker 5.No spitting of water 6. Must have steam that is ready to go not waiting for it to come online as in the tefal anticalc model which slows things down 6. Temperature goes to linen not just cotton

I upgraded to a steam generator iron while I was still more uncertain about fabric content (and owning a lot of synthetic rtw I wouldn't know how to treat), so I opted for an auto temp one... It hasn't really been a problem in itself, though I do kinda regret it. The one time it has basically failed me has been iron on adhesives (and the iron not knowing I basically need all the heat and none of the steam). I cheated and got *some* hold by air steaming and using the heated iron immediately on the patch in short bursts, but even that was only semi successful. I was sewing down the thing anyway, but I'd be interested in seeing how your adjustable temp new iron copes with something like that!

Note for those of us in the US the brand name is Rowenta. Same parent company.

Rowenta makes a good steam station.

Thank you for the comparison and tips for the choice of a steam generator! Talking about your new sewing room...is a video about organising sewing supplies something you would be interested to make ? I'm slowly but surely building my sewing stash, but I have yet to work out how to store everything so it's out if the way, but still accessible, and if possible aesthetic X) Help !

Was just about to look for a video like his then this came up in my subscriptions! Thanks 😊

My Tefal has stopped steaming properly and my husband has pulled it apart and thinks he can fix it. 🤞🤞

I also have a Tefal iron from the same model series the the new one but it's an older model. For some reason it occasionally spits out rusty water, especially on lower settings. It started to do that some time ago (the iron is couple of years old) and suspect that there is rust inside the iron. Be look out for that. I hope that problem has been solved in this model. Luckily, I have noticed the rusty water on time and I haven't ruined any of my projects.

Thanks a lot for the video. It helped to finally make up my mind what I am looking for and where to get it. 🙂

THANK YOU FOR SUCH THOROUGHNESS... on all the details that we might run up against, plus the positive attributes, as well. 🙂

I have a decent home iron made by Sharp that I thought was pretty good for steam, then I tried the one my mom got that's half the price (maybe $25 CAD) and it's so much better! I think it's GE and is such a light iron I was amazed at how fantastic it is.

I own a steam generator iron and am very happy with it. The make is Philips. And there is in deed no temperature control but this is not necessary because the iron controls it automatically. The iron can sense if the temperature for linon or silk is needed. Same goes for the amount of steam. There is a key to press for the steam to be delivered manually but there is also a key for the steam to be delivered automatically. Then the iron measures how dry or wet the cloth is and how much steam is needed. I like it. But I'm not so happy about the steam function because it works good only if hold strictly vertical. But I used to hate ironing and now with my new steamer I don't mind it anymore. Love from Germany

I would love one of these, maybe a Christmas idea? Hmmm...

You should invest in a LauraStar. I love mine and can't praise it enough.

I happy with my iron but I do more craft sewing than fine garmet sewing. It's nice to know that there are ones out there if I want to up grade.

Great video for these irons. Great education on these irons.

You can clearly hear that the white one to the left is way better in the way it steams. What's the model number/name?

The more I watch you the more I realize that the hard time that I have getting wrinkles out of fabric has nothing to do with me and everything to do with my iron and the quality of fabric I'm using.

Recently found out my iron can come out of the steam but have to keep pouring water in it a lot more than use to.

I have the same as your new one, temperature control was also a deal breaker for me. I am happy with it but have never used it for vertical steaming. Not sure if you are aware that you can get an extra strong boost of steam by pressing the trigger 3 times. I haven't had a problem with it steaming continuously when on the stand, I think it just gets rid of the residual water then stops, but I could be wrong. Also, I couldn't really hear the pump in the video, and I know what I'm listening for so hopefully that won't be a big problem for you.

I didn't know there was even such a thing.

I've never used one like that, the plain old boring domestic iron I've been using is really old (I think a GE, I think avocado so probably 60's-70's), gets really hot (great for linen), has temp control so I can safely do polyester, and it pops the circuit breaker if I try to use the steam function, so I've just gotten used to using a fine mist spray bottle. I recently acquired a brand new Black and Decker steam iron that someone left behind when they moved out and I'll be donating that to a thrift store because it's dangerous to me the way I need to use it, it is probably fine for ironing clothing but not at all for pressing seams when I need my fingers near it to hold down edges, because it doesn't steam at lower heat and doesn't stop steaming at higher heat! Also because it never stops steaming, my garments ended up damp becuase I couldn't iron them dry cause it just kept steaming!! Its nod to being able to "steam" at cooler temperatures is a button operated spritz that's aimed in front of the iron... But at least if I get tired of using a spray bottle with my old one, I know what to look for in a new one. I also am used to hit the button, get steam, none of this waiting around for steam to build business...

really great video! honest, good compare and including small details. Thank you so much! I now have a much better idea of what to look for when I switch my very old basic iron. Love your channel!

I have a 15 to 20 year old Rowenta boiler iron (I don't remember exactly how old it is) and it is still working. If it ever dies, I will definitely be looking for another iron with a boiler.

Evelyn, I am not sure where to send a message for HELP!!!! Beginner sewer and totally your fan. I am so angry with a task that every garment or item requires. BACK STITCHING! Ugh.....the person I learned from said to start a half of an inch in, back stitch to the edge and forward stitch over that and away you go. Well, when I try that my material will not move forward, the material jams up and I am left with a clump of looped thread. I know back stitching is necessary, but how do you advance without jamming? I hope everyone gets a good laugh with my question, probably the simplest task and I am at wits end. Sewing 101

I have a Sunbeam iron that is cordless or can attach to the base which I like for larger pieces. I have stopped putting water in my irons as our water here is really hard but the irons say not to use distilled water. I always forget to empty it when done because I always think I will be coming right back to do more so the water sits in the iron. I do miss the steam though, spraying with water first is not the same when you are doing short seams. I don't think I can justify the cost here in Canada or have the room to use it. Thanks for showing it though I was always curious about them.

Excellent video! I had a search online & found this one that seems to be a closer replica to your old one on Tefal Australia’s site: Tefal Pro Express Ultimate Care - GV9553 Steam Generator. Not affiliated in any way. I have a Braun Tex 7 handheld I was really hopeful would be great, but it’s absolutely terrible. Spits water, no temp selection, absolutely will not get creases out of almost any type of fabric, and ADDS creases to knit fabrics. I hate it after less than 12 months & wasting far too much time ironing, so looking to replace it with something much better. Was looking at steam stations but worried I’d have the same issues & it looks like the one you bought has quite a few reviews saying the spitting doesn’t stop. So that’s a deal-breaker for me. This other one is available a few places in Australia so sale price is possible, and I had no idea that it needed to have the boiler inside to properly generate the steam. When you’re ironing metres of fabric before cutting out, denim jeans, and countless school uniforms you really need an iron that doesn’t actually make extra work for you. Seems like someone in France had gotten similar feedback to what features you wanted and built this one! Now to see if I can get it on sale for Xmas 🎄

I just wanted to share my experience with you, so hopefully this doesn’t happen to you. I did what I thought was a lot of research on steam stations. Since I have a velocity iron from Reliable corp and I like it very much I went with their steam station the Maven 140IS. Well, it did not steam much even on highest setting. I called Reliable, instead of sending a new one I had to wait 2 months to send it back get repaired and then sent back to me. After all that, it still didn’t steam. Now I have sent it back for a refund, but I have to pay 10-20% restocking fee. So I bought a Rowenta DG8624U1/23. I tried it out this morning and wow! What a difference in the steam! It sounds like the steam in Evelyn’s videos ! And it has the dial to manually choose temperature settings from very low all the way up to linen. The difference in this one and the one from Reliable proves to me that I got a dud from Reliable in the first place, it is a shame I have to pay a restocking fee for a dud. You may like a product from one company but that does not guarantee you will like all their products. I learned that one with this experience . So if anyone is searching for a steam station I think this is a good one.

I don't hear the pump on new iron on you video

Question for you, Evelyn...the tank in my home steam iron rusts over time because I'm not good about following the directions! Technically, I am supposed to empty the water tank after every use and admittedly, I don't do that. With this type of stream iron, where the tank is separate from the iron itself, will that not be a concern? I'm tired of rust dripping on my garments, but also a bit lazy about emptying the tank. 😵‍💫

How funny. I only just came across your videos, and I was looking for a review of the new Tefal Express Anti-calc, and noticed that I have the exact same two irons as you. I bought the new one to replace the old one, just because I wanted a newer version. I've had the other one for 13 years. It's still going strong, but I want to be able to fill it easier. How coincidental that we have the exact same two irons. And yes, you can't hear that noise in the video but I thought there was something wrong with mine. I was expecting it to work like the old one. It's gonna take me a while to get used to it. I feel like sometimes the steam comes up later, so it might cause some steam burns if you move your fingers through material to straighten out as your ironing.

I have just replaced my very old steam generator iron with a Tefal one . I do a lot of sewing and am really happy with the new one. I researched the different models and decided on a slightly pricey one but sold on sale on Amazon. Probably saved about 100 English pounds. Couldn’t quite understand how it knows how to adjust the temp to the fabric - but it works. No spitting so far but not had it long enough to properly evaluate it. I agree - the 1.8L tank is great. I can keep the generator on a chest of drawers situated just beside my ironing board. Thank you for a great video. Dot

The newer one reminds me of a steam locomotive. Not a sound I dislike, but unexpected in an iron! True confessions: I'm still using he Rowenta I got, ah, oh my god, 25 years ago. 😵 But, I am not a professional sewist, so it's fine for my needs (and has a nice hot linen setting!). I should also confess that I'm in the avoid-ironing-clothes-at-all-costs camp. The only time my iron comes out is when I have seams or yardage to press, so my iron has likely seen less action over its lifetime than most.

Hi Evelyn. I hope your iron is still working ok for you. I’m currently looking at purchasing a new iron and I’ve actually used a friend’s Philips which doesn’t have a seperate temperature control. I went from silk to cotton to linen with no problem at all.

Pumping is not audible

Great information. I would love if you would talk about sergers. What you would look for in one. 😊

my iron is over 25 years old, yes a fancy steam iron, Still working great, super hot when I want it and super steam when I do too. I love it! I was given a new light weight steam iron, it cost them over 100 dollars, but it was junk, I had them return it and I am back to my ancient one lol

I have never seen or used this kind of iron

I bought a Tefal steam generator iron many years ago and it is still in perfect working condition. It does make a noise while it refills with water but it doesn't cause gaps in the amount of steam available though it does spit water at the beginning. Not a problem, I just press the steam trigger for a few seconds and it settles down. I absolutely HATE ironing but with dressmaking it is so necessary. Yes, steam generators are the way to go with dressmaking and probably with any domestic ironing though I never do any of that unless absolutely necessary! Also the ironing table must be one with mesh, not solid, so the steam can go right through what you are ironing. I also have a Tefal one with no lead which is good but it does cool very quickly which is frustrating though it does heat again very quickly.

It's so strange that some irons don't have a temperature setting! I ironed both cotton and polyester shirts today, I couldn't do that without different temperature settings. I have a Rowenta DG8520 and like it for my purposes (apparently no longer available on Amazon, at least in the US). It has a vertical steam option but I haven't used it yet, so can't comment on how well it works. It pumps from the tank occasionally, so every so often I'll hear this low hum/gurgle, but there's never a delay with the steam in my experience. I do get spits of water on occasion but not very often, most commonly after I refill the tank.

MMMmmm steamed clams. 😆

I don’t often sew for myself and I avoid ironing anything. Sewing is the exception. Got to iron as I sew. For my own clothing I mainly alter vintage and repair. I sew dolls and dress make for dolls. And I patchwork quilt. I recently purchased an Oliso steam iron because of how much patchwork pressing I do. I haven’t tried it yet for vertical steaming clothes, but I will. The main thing I like about the Oliso so far is how kind it is to my skinny weak wrists. I have thought that if I’m not really happy with Oliso’s performance of pressing and steaming over time then I will check out Tefal steam station irons. So thanks for this review. I look forward to hearing how it’s working out after further use.

Great video. I, too, want an iron with your specs named Evelyn.❤Question: Is the table you are demo'ing the irons on your ironing table you use? I believe I see material covering it.

I have a steam generator with what is called perfect temp and have had no issues with it all. Don't know how it does it, but the temperature is never wrong, have not burnt anything and nothing seems to be not pressed enough. It is nice to no burn myself like I seem to do on my old standard iron. Steam generators are well worth the extra money. I even got the extra wide ironing board with the stand at the end the hold the iron.

Thank you Evelyn I never thought about using the iron as a vertical steamer, I'm certainly going to give it a try.

I've had a EuroPro for 15 years and use it for normal ironing AND steaming clothes - not just for sewing. I have the mini Steamfast and use a tailor's ham for pressing most seams. Longer ones, like pants or midi-length dresses get the steamer treatment.

I have a steam generator iron and found that it is as you said, only one heat level. I didn't realize I could get one where I could choose. Will definitely do that for my next one - as this one really doesn't get all that hot. But in general, I really do like it.

Love that old one as well. I despise that pumping sound on modern steam irons

Love you ❤

Nice video as always! I'm dumbstruck hearing about modern household steam irons without a thermostat! Never heard of it, but I guess I'm not the target audience for that type of product... From the look of it, your old steam station has a large boiler and you fill up the boiler itself. If that's the case, the cons are that it'll take a bit of time (and energy) to heat up, and also that it has to cool down before refilling. On the other hand, you have a large volume of water available at steaming temperature acting as a buffer, giving you an even feed of relatively dry steam at a high momentary capacity. Until it runs low on water, that is. I'm pretty sure I've seen some new Italian made steam stations recently that works this way, although they have a more "industrial" look to them. They are basically the smallest models for commercial use I guess, but I frankly don't see any difference between the needs of an advanced enthusiast and someone sewing professionally. The newer steam station in the video is obviously fed by a feed water pump. From the look and sound of it, my impression is that it has an on demand steam generator. Pros would be a very short time to heat up and the ability to fill the tank "on the go". Cons would be lower and uneven steam temperature, no heated water reserve to even out the feed and a lower momentary steam capacity. It seems like it's not all that much of a step up from a high end regular steam iron, especially not if compared to a gravity fed one!? Maybe its more suited for ironing larger batches than it is for pressing while sewing? Another option would be to get a steam cleaner with an iron attachment. At least Kärcher and Nilfisk has those, maybe also other brands out there... If you get one of their larger steam cleaners for home use you get both a decent size boiler and a separate feed water tank with a pump, so theoretically you get most of the best from both worlds, and the benefit of having a steam cleaner for other use as well! On the other hand, Tefal also have higher end steam stations that should be on par with, although not as flexible as, the larger steam cleaners, at roughly the same price.

🌹

I like it when it has its own base

Hi, I use a standard steam iron, but I would like an upgrade one day.

Great ideas

I’ve used one for years but my best one is the tefal one x

No thermostat 🤯!!!???

The only T-fal iron I've owned spit and leaked big drops of water all the time. I stopped using it. I might try T-fal again after watching this....maybe.

How does this differ from a gravity fed iron?

Professional-grade, gravity feed types are great for heavy use. However, I love my fabulous 1800-watt Rowenta Professional steam and dry iron. Top-of-the-line, it was made in Germany for US use with all of the adjustable bells and whistles, including vertical steaming. It includes a wonderful 3-D stainless steel soleplate with 400 microsteam holes running all the way into its precision-tapered tip. Freshly washed, heavily wrinkled linen is perfectly smoothed in one light pass. The hefty iron is very easy to use. Around US$120.00 five years ago, it's not made any more either.

I've always wondered about these irons.

If you can’t adjust the steam iron it’s because it’s set to one optimum heat (typically 100c) that's safe to use on all iron-able fabrics including delicates. They didn’t just pluck it out of thin air, they wouldn’t be on the market if they were known to damage the more delicate fabrics! One temp control is therefore a great innovation 👍🏼

My original steam generator was Euro--press, similar to your 1st Tefal. When I left Brisbane & moved to Northern Rivers I was unable to have repairs done. I recently replaced it with the same as your new Tefal. My assessment would be the same as yours and I will not us a normal iron for sewing. I had the same experience with the modern auto temp irons 😏, definitely no. I am fairly happy with the new Telfal.

Thank you for this - I had never heard of a steam generator iron, so very educational. My one comment, just from curiosity, are you at all concerned about having a very hot pot of water sitting on an ironing board, possibly subject to mishaps ... someone bumping the ironing board.