steam generator irons

[FangsForTheMemory]

You know, the ones that cost a couple of hundred quid? I hate ironing but I love the way ironing laundry looks and smells. Are these things worth the staggeringly high cost? Which have you got?

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If you're short on time, here's a summary of the steam generator iron brands recommended on this thread:

• Tefal GV9820G0 High Pressure Steam Generator Iron, £365
• Morphy Richards EasySteam Steam Generator Iron, £100
• Polti La Vaporella XT90C Steam Generator Iron, £240

For more top-notch steam generator irons, head over to our best steam generator irons round-up.
MNHQ

I got the cheapest Philips steam generator iron from Argos. I think it was £40. It does the job well. Much better than any normal steam iron I’ve ever had.

I've had Tefal and now got a Morphy Richards. Can't say either have been perfect, but wouldn't have anything but a steam generator now. Had one for years when I lived in a soft water area - they don't last so well with our super hard water.

I’ve had a few Morphy Richards ones but the current one is a Bosch which is better. I buy mine reconditioned, as new, on eBay usually as they’re cheaper.

I wouldn’t be without a steam generator though, I hate ironing but what I do actually do, is done with ease. Don’t look back.

I love mine. I don’t fill it with tap water though I buy distilled water or use the water from the dehumidifier.
I’ve been teaching my teens to iron this holiday and it’s great because there are no temperature settings they can just crack on with no risk of burning anything. Mine was about £150 it’s not one of the really huge ones.

@Reclinershunt which one is that please?

Mine is a Bosch one. Cost £300ish. Love it. Makes ironing a doddle. But I iron for a living. Wouldn’t have spent so much otherwise. I also have one I got from lidl. Their own brand. £50. Fine but not as good as the Bosch.

I have had a few of these over the years. The best is my current Morphy Richards self cleaning one (no filter to change). Worth every penny!

@Franticbutterfly I probably have the same one (blue) as you. There's a lot to like about it, but we've had problems with it sputtering brown water. Hoping I've solved it by running descaling solution (citric acid and water) through it. We do live in a very hard water area.

I have Polti steam generator one. So good to use, but I am quite lazy about ironing, so it can be unused for weeks.

[quote Cynderella]@Franticbutterfly I probably have the same one (blue) as you. There's a lot to like about it, but we've had problems with it sputtering brown water. Hoping I've solved it by running descaling solution (citric acid and water) through it. We do live in a very hard water area.[/quote]
That's only happened to me a couple of times over the last few years. Our water is hard, but midlands hard as opposed to London hard. We have the black one.

I've got a Philips one and it was definitely under £100, more like £65 on offer. It's brilliant other than it can take a while to heat up and if you leave it for more than a few minutes you've got to wait for it to heat up again (though not as long from cold). Maybe the more expensive ones don't take as long as this.

I need to decalcify every now and again but there's a setting for this and it comes with a tray that it deposits the brown water into.

I hate using a normal iron now.

I have had several steam generator irons. I wouldn't go back to a normal iron now. The last one I bought was an Aldis own and cost about £35. That was a good machine for ironing and I only got a new one when I found a bargain. AEG model when on holiday 3years ago. That too is a good iron although I miss the carrying handle that was on the Aldi one.

I’ve had one since they were first invented, I couldn’t go back!

I've had mine about 15 years. The same one is still going strong. I actually went on a Mumsnet product testing day and we were given the iron to take home and test and feedback on! At the time there's no way I would ever had spent the sort of money they cost but if it broke I would def buy a new one.

I have a Tefal one . Shoots out steam for dealing with delicate items too.

I can see myself lurking in a lot of middle aisles in the near future!

Yes. Absolutely worth it.

I hate ironing but it makes it so easy that it’s almost tolerable.

Mine is a tefal and literally glides over clothes. I just iron one side of a t shirt and I’m done.

I have one and wouldn't go back to a normal one. It didn't cost anything like £200, I think it might be Morphy Richards too

Someone bought us one as a wedding present 6 years ago, it's still going strong and it makes ironing very quick. Takes up a bit of space though which is a bit annoying.

I have the Polti one which I bought refurbished for £75 on eBay - love it!