Do you have a steam generator iron?

[eltham]

Are they really better than the old steam irons?
Which one have you got?
Do I really have to faff around with replacement cartridges?

Yes, i have the philips one that mumsnetters tested. It is pretty good, but you could check out everyones views on the thread

Sorry thread link

I have a Philip 8220 and it's brilliant, worth every penny. There is no cartridges at all. You clean it out with water ever 100 hours.

I had Phillips one which packed in about a month after the guarantee ran out. I wasn't too keen on it and went back to a regular iron after that.

thanks. Do you need a special ironing board? and do they drip onto the floor?

You need an ironing board that is suitable for steam ie with some sort of holes or mesh otherwise the cover will get soaking wet. No they don't drip at all.

I have a Tefal GV9360 Protect Steam Generator which was a whopping £300 from Argos but reduced in their sale to £250 and luckily I had loads of Argos vouchers.

No cartridges to change. It makes ironing easier as there is no pressing down with the iron, the steam cuts through every crease so you only go over something once.

I bought a new ironing board as I had had mine 12 years so the iron holder bit couldn't accommodate a steam generator so I just bought a Minky.

If you iron for a very long time the board does get moist underneath but it has never dripped.

The only downside is, because of the amount of steam it produces it is noiser than a standard iron, and every so often it makes a noise as it puts water into the tube but it only lasts a couple of seconds each time. It just means watching TV/listening to the radio can be harder

I used to wonder what all the fuss was about but I have absolutely no regrets.

Mine dripped like mad! I had to put a towel on the floor under the ironing board to catch the drips.