Philips PerfectCare Compact Steam Generator Iron with 420 g Steam Boost, 2400 W, Blue and Black – GC7846/86
Iron Faster with 2x More Steam*
Our most compact steam generator
Powerful, continuous steam makes fast work of all your ironing – without any need to adjust temperature with our OptimalTEMP technology.
Compact and lightweight, Philips ProVelocity high pressure steam pump innovation makes it possible to pack powerful steam into a smaller steam generator base for easy use and convenient storage.
Now even easier – double press the steam trigger and wait half a second for automatic ultra-fast steam, there’s no need to keep hold of the trigger whilst ironing.
*Compared to Philips Azur Performer steam iron
Key Features:
- Ultra-fast ironing with 120 g/min continuous steam
- 400g steam boost to tackle thick fabrics
- Iron everything from silk to jeans without adjusting the temperature
- 1.5 L transparent water tank with large filling door
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No Temperature Setting NeededThe advanced smart control processor inside the iron replaces the traditional temperature dial and maintains a constant, reliable setting that is safe on all ironable fabrics. Iron everything from silk to jeans without adjusting the temperature, pre-sorting, or waiting for the iron to heat up and cool down. You’re ready for any fabric, anytime. | No Burns with OptimalTEMPThanks to OptimalTEMP technology, this iron will never cause burns to any ironable fabric. You can even leave it resting face down on your clothes or ironing board. No burns, no shine. | Ultra-Powerful Steam for Ultimate Crease RemovalStrong, continuous steam tackles even the thickest fabrics with ease. Watch stubborn creases melt away with an extra steam boost just where you need it. This extra steam is perfect for vertical steaming to refresh clothes and curtains, too. | Compact and ConvenientThe lightweight, compact size is perfect for storage and fits conveniently on your ironing board. Exclusive ProVelocity technology makes our steam generators smaller and more compact than ever. |
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SteamGlide Soleplate for Ultimate GlidingOur exclusive SteamGlide soleplate moves smoothly over any fabric. A durable, 5 layer coating—including anti-corrosive base—makes it last longer. Non-stick, scratch-resistant and easy to keep clean. | Large Water Tank for up to 1.5 Hours IroningA 1.5-litre transparent water tank gives you more than 1.5 hours of continuous use. See clearly how much water is left and refill easily at any time under the tap through the large filling door. | Safety Carry LockLock your iron securely to the base station for easy carrying around the house and to reduce the risk of accidentally touching the hot soleplate. | Smart DescalingKeep steaming as strong as ever and extend the life of your iron with Smart Calc Clean, our built-in descaling and cleaning system. The iron will let you know when it’s time to be cleaned. |
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| Technology | OptimalTEMP no burns guaranteed | OptimalTEMP no burns guaranteed | OptimalTEMP no burns guaranteed | OptimalTEMP no burns guaranteed | Traditional temperature settings |
| Steam pressure | Max 6.5 bar pressure | Max 6.5 bar pressure | Max 6.5 bar pressure | Max 6.5 bar pressure | Max 5.2 bar pressure |
| Continuous steam (g) for fast ironing performance | 120g/min | 120g/min | 120g/min | 120g/min | 110g/min |
| Steam boost (g) effective against tough creases | 420g | 420g | 400g | 400g | 200g |
| Water tank | 1.8L detachable | 1.5L | 1.5L | 1.5L | 1.3L |
| Heat up time | 2 min | 2 min | 2 min | 2 min | 2 min |
| Calc management to prolong lifetime | Smart Calc-Clean: 2 mins | Smart Calc-Clean: 2 mins | Smart Calc-Clean: 2 mins | Smart Calc-Clean: 2 mins | Smart Calc-Clean: 2 mins |
| Carry lock for safety | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Weight of iron for easy handling | 1.2kg | 1.2kg | 1.2kg | 1.2kg | 1.25kg |
| Weight: | 3.3 kg |
| Dimensions: | 19.3 x 37.3 x 22.3 cm; 3.3 Kilograms |
| Brand: | Philips Domestic Appliances |
| Model: | GC7846/86 |
| Colour: | Blue/Black |
| Colour: | Blue/Black |
love my new iro
eplacement for old steam geratoed iron which I had had for 5 years, was also a Philips I used to go through Irons at the rate of one a year so to keep one for 5 was brilliant (other irons were not steam generatored)
Irons really quickly if you are concerend about the fact you have no heat setting don`t be
love my new iro
eplacement for old steam geratoed iron which I had had for 5 years, was also a Philips I used to go through Irons at the rate of one a year so to keep one for 5 was brilliant (other irons were not steam generatored)
Irons really quickly if you are concerend about the fact you have no heat setting don`t be
Best iron eve
Fanatic iron by far the best steam generator safe iron I’ve used . Temperature regulator means no damage ever done to fabrics , safe to use on all delicates and powerful stems for heavier linens and cottons .
Easy care system is a life changer for descaling .
All in all a fantastic iron . Highly recommend .
Best iron eve
Fanatic iron by far the best steam generator safe iron I’ve used . Temperature regulator means no damage ever done to fabrics , safe to use on all delicates and powerful stems for heavier linens and cottons .
Easy care system is a life changer for descaling .
All in all a fantastic iron . Highly recommend .
The best iron so fa
I bought this iron after the last one broke
It’s so light weight and u can use it on any fabric it’s the best I have ever bought.
An extremely well made Steam Generator Iro
The Steam Iron is both lightweight and extremely easy to use
Wonderful iro
During lockdown I found ironing very zen and now actually enjoy ironing. Well that is if I have a really good iron.
This iron is fantastic. It heats up really quickly, knocks out the creases even in linen pillowcases and you don’t have to faff around changing the temperature dial.
It just does it for you. Fantastic.
If you are moving from a conventional iron you will find the fact you cannot rest it upright a little disconcerting at first. You get over that fast.
It has built in descaling so you don’t have to use filters. Descaling it is pretty dramatic.
You put it on this special container that comes with the iron and then hit the de calcifying button. Loads of noise and then you see the gunk in the tray. Leave it to cool before throwing the extremely hot water in the tray away.
I highly recommend it.
Wonderful iro
During lockdown I found ironing very zen and now actually enjoy ironing. Well that is if I have a really good iron.
This iron is fantastic. It heats up really quickly, knocks out the creases even in linen pillowcases and you don’t have to faff around changing the temperature dial.
It just does it for you. Fantastic.
If you are moving from a conventional iron you will find the fact you cannot rest it upright a little disconcerting at first. You get over that fast.
It has built in descaling so you don’t have to use filters. Descaling it is pretty dramatic.
You put it on this special container that comes with the iron and then hit the de calcifying button. Loads of noise and then you see the gunk in the tray. Leave it to cool before throwing the extremely hot water in the tray away.
I highly recommend it.
Compact and Lightweigh
Lightweight and compact. Easy fill and operation. Sturdy build. Good back up from Philips if a query arises.
Does not produce continuous steam, steam is controlled by button under handle. Some confusion on this in reviews I read prior to purchasing iron.
Lots of ironing
It is a good iron. It is heavier than my former normal iron. On my older iron, I use the steam setting and it uses the water quicker so I have to refill the water often. Also I do ironing once a week for the whole household, which means a lot of clothes to iron. Refilling water on my old iron after ironing 7 shirts has become tiring.
After getting this Philips iron, my life has become a bit easier. This iron has a reservoir that takes lots of water. No need for me to keep refilling. The iron plate is small and light weight which makes ironing less tiring. I don’t have to carry the weight of water while ironing. As the water tank stays in one position, the iron plate needs moving only. It does its job good. It has settings for multiple types of clothes to iron. I’m pleased with this Philips perfectcare steam iron.
Very pleased
I like the fact that you don’t have to set it it will lie in any fabric. I’ve ironed thick cotton and very thin chiffon with excellent results easy to fill very easy to use
Very pleased
I like the fact that you don’t have to set it it will lie in any fabric. I’ve ironed thick cotton and very thin chiffon with excellent results easy to fill very easy to use
Great iron but...
he iron part is much heavier than our last steam generator. Not a problem for us, but anyone elderly or doing iron for extended periods may want to look for something lighter.
Great iron but...
he iron part is much heavier than our last steam generator. Not a problem for us, but anyone elderly or doing iron for extended periods may want to look for something lighter.
Compact and powerful
I especially like this steam generator iron because it’s very compact for an iron in this category.
I like that it enables me to iron clothes very fast, with minimal effort.
It really helps to have a big ironing board to use it with.
Amazing
Very very impressed by this . Couldn’t find this model on Argos so got it from Amazon . Love the price love the performance. Will strongly recommend this iron a bit costly so perhaps add the additional protection which we didn’t get and realised later .
Amazing
Very very impressed by this . Couldn’t find this model on Argos so got it from Amazon . Love the price love the performance. Will strongly recommend this iron a bit costly so perhaps add the additional protection which we didn’t get and realised later .
MOST EFFICIENT IRON I HAVE HAD PLEASURE OF USING
This is hands down the nicest iron I have used in my life so far. One question on my mind the moment I ordered this is … will this live up to the price tag and brand reputation bestowed on it?
Simple answer – Yes.
The iron has a large water tank allows for a lot of things to be ironed in one sitting. The efficiency of this is just something else compared to the older irons I had. I am also finding that it does a better job of not gunking up so bad also. You have to admit that it is a really good looking iron too and I guess one takes more pride in something that is more aesthetic generally.
The iron gets to temperature at lightning speed and has no leak or drips.
This is one of those irons that you would have wanted during all of your school days and first work days when you were ironing those sales shirt creases out since you knew you would be really judged on them.
Wow! Huge amounts of steam to power through tough creases. A fantastic iron!
First thoughts:
Steam is the thing I use the most as it makes ironing high crease items a breeze and this iron has a boat load of it.
There’s no temperature control which took some getting used to but it produces so much steam that the temperature of the plate mainly produces the pressure to assist in flattening the material. I was very happy with the results and the claim that it won’t burn the material seemed to hold true for at least the materials I was ironing.
Details and things to note (See pictures):
Huge 1.5L tank that was still over half full when I was done steaming the entire green screen and two photo backdrops..
Powered through a thick cotton iron session and did a very good job. The only creases that were left were a few stubborn ones you can only see up close when I was ironing vertically with no backboard to press against. The part of the screen that was on the floor ironed completely flat and I think if I’d had the upper half of the screen on an ironing board then that would have ironed flat as well as the rest had.
The steam unit has a push button power toggle, an Eco function and Calcium cleaning function (there is a cleaning dish that is shaped to fit the iron while cleaning the steam plate).
The iron itself is fairly light but I did have to pick up the water reservoir to steam the top of the screens as the iron wouldn’t quite reach with the tank on the floor. This was at 6 feet 7 inches from the floor to the top of the fabric though.
The water tank has a lock/unlock switch that can hold the iron in place for moving the system around as I could pick the whole lot up by the attached iron (I’m not sure if I’m meant to do that with the tank full or not).
Easy to fill and empty as the dropdown door to the tank accepted poured water from a jug quickly. On the subject of filling, I would have expected a jug to be included in a system at this price point in case you don’t have one in the house but this is a minor issue.
Final thoughts:
Love it, it’s now my main tool for steaming my video screens, photography backdrops and of course clothes.
The iron was still working with over half a tank remaining after ironing and vertical steaming three 3m x 2m backdrops.
I’d be happy to recommend one of these for all types of steam ironing and although it also works well without the use of steam, the lack of a temperature control may not give you the exact control you would expect for non-steam tasks. That being said, the ‘no burn’ claim is looking promising as a failsafe.
No issues with it so far so I think it’s a very impressive ironing system.
Incredibly compact for a steam generator iron, easy to use but iron is heavier than I thought.
When I got this it to try out I was surprised by how small it was. steam generator irons are usually much larger than this but somehow Philips have manage to squeeze one into a sleek looking compact design. The iron itself works really well and is super simple to use, fill it with water and away you go, there’s no settings to mess around with, it sets itself to a temperature that works well for most clothes so it’s nice not having to worry about that. Steam output is constant and the boost is great for those extra tough creased that just won’t come out. There’s a lock on the base unit that locks the iron in place and the cable can be tucked into the base, though I think they could have done a better job with that. The actual Iron part is also still surprisingly heavy so it will get tiring after a while. Otherwise, it works really well and the compact size makes it easy to store.
Highly effective at taking out creases from clothes with minimal effo
I have never used a Steam Generator Iron before but always wanted to try one as I have heard really good things about these types of irons. I hate ironing so much that even though we have a good steam Iron, Ironing Desk and time, I still don’t even try to do my own ironing. Most of my office clothes go to a laundromat and the rest I don’t bother.
When I saw this, I thought it is finally time to give it a go. I have used a lot of Philips products in the past and they have always been really good quality. I was quite happy with the colour that I got as it looked quite premium in the pictures and as soon as I opened the iron, I could see that it looks really nice. The blue and black is a perfect colour combination which looks good from far and does not look cheap like others I have seen.
Compared to my old iron, this one is so much lighter as it doesn’t have to hold the water inside. The water tank is quite big as well compared to a traditional steam iron which means the water lasts a lot longer. I was surprised to see that it does not have any settings button and had to read some instructions to find out that it automatically adjusts the steam and can be used on any type of clothes with the same setting. This was really a new concept for me and I wanted to try it out for myself.
After using it for a few times, I realised that the real difference is the amount of steam it can generate. It generates so much steam that ironing takes significantly less time and as the plate does not get very hot, it can be used on any surface without worrying about burning the clothes. Steam does all the hard work and you have to just glide the iron over the clothes. Instead of a chore, I started enjoying it as I just had to press the iron gently and even heavy creases started disappearing. Its really satisfying feeling. Instead of 1 shirt every 5 mins I was doing 2 and sometimes even 3 shirts in 5 mins.
I was worried about using tap water with this as our water is really hard but as per the instruction, I could use tap water with this so I didn’t bother much. It has a built in descaling and cleaning system which is quite useful and it gives you an indication of when to clean. I was shocked to see the amount of limescale collected after 1 session of ironing. This will require a longer duration test to check if this descaler keeps doing its job after prolonged use.
Build quality feels quite good as well and both the parts feel sturdy although the iron itself is quite lightweight. I didn’t notice anything out of place in both the parts and all the knobs and buttons felt well made
Pros
looks premium
Lightweight
Works on any surface
No fiddling around with settings
Limescale remover built in
Cons
Cable is a bit short
Overall this is a really good steam Generator iron and performs exceptionally well. I will never go back to traditional steam irons after using this. Highly recommended. 5 stars
Crease destroye
What is this wizardry? A tiny transparent dragon? I see the smoke but where is the fire!
As they say, there’s no smoke without fire, and in this case the smoke is steam and the fire is the performance.
I’ve only ever used standard irons in the past, thinking steam irons are excessive. My opinion hasn’t changed, they are, but gloriously so!
This iron is a beautifully designed thing, from the actual iron to the water reservoir. The ergonomics are great as it is comfortable to hold, glides smoothly across fabrics, and is surprisingly light meaning it’s comfortable to use even for extended periods.
The reservoir is easy to fill and holds so much you get through much more ironing on a single fill than you do with a single iron on its own. The amount of steam generated is mindblowing and absolutely destroyed creases on even the thickest of fabrics – the wife caught me pretending I was the father of dragons.
Best iron I've ever owned
Priced at 174 (discounted from 250) (28th January 2021)
It absolutely smashes through creases like nothing I’ve seen before, I think it’s halved my ironing time.
It does come at a cost though.
Here’s my breakdown:
Makes ironing way easier
Adjusts to the fabric being ironed
No burning
Lightweight
Easy to use
If you’re willing to spend the extra cash, it is worth i
One Perfect Setting
Ordered this Iron as I am sick and tired of keep destroying my nice and expensive clothes using a dumb iron.
Iron arrived in a nice strong purple box.
Surprised how small this iron is compared to my old destroyer, this is not a negative it is light weight and really easy to hold and glide through your clothes.
This iron really does what it says its going to do – one setting does all and I have not burnt one item of clothing since I have started using it. Already paid for itself. Really quick to use, very quick to heat , just fill up water plug in and iron.
This iron generates so much steam, 6.5 bars of pressure with every press. I was taken back that Iron can’t stand by itself but this is not an issue because its impossible to try and stand alone and fits onto water tank nest.
Large water tank is transparent so you can see when water is getting low, for me this is not necessary as a full tank last over 1 hour of steaming and I’m never gonna iron longer than that
Overall, can’t believe I’m excited about an iron – I wish all electricals would follow suit and created products with one perfect setting that works on everything.
I would recommend this produc
Absolutely cannot fault this, even if I really wanted and tried! The only negative I could think of – the fact that the water tank could not be removed from the steam generator platform for easy filling and emptying, ended up being one of the biggest positives, as this is exactly what allowed for the iron to be so compact, yet so powerful!
It does have only 2 modes – eco and normal, but I do not really see the point of or use the eco mode, so cannot comment!
I have used this steam system for 2 weeks now and did A LOT of ironing! A LOT! I was in love with a different system by TEF.., but this one actually blew it out of water, as it is just as effective, but is 2/3 of the size of the TEF.. one.
The cord that connects the iron, which is small, sleek and glidy as can be, is long and strong and the electric cable is long enough for you to use your iron even quite far from an electric outlet.
And when you think about the way it looks – that is another thing as it is really a thing of beauty!
Let’s just say that it has now replaced all and any irons I have had, as it is truly fab! Highly recommended!
Steam generator iron filled with handy features! Excellent product!
This is beautiful looking iron. It’s Philips so my expectations were high.
I have to say first that this is absolutely a great iron! I have tried few other steam irons and this is probably bthe best of them for several reasons I mention below:
1) this iron is light weight and thus easy to use it for extended time.
2) the steam generator works great and can removes creases quite easy and with no extra effort.
3) the iron locks into the water tank so you can carry them both together by picking up the iron.
4) probably the best feature is one temperature setting for all types of fabric! This is such a piece of mind! Using my previous irons I have previously ruined a couple of shirts by not changing the temperature and not giving it the iron to cool down before ironing my sensitive expensive shirts! This Philips iron solves this by it’s safe to use one setting for all fabrics!
5) another great feature is that it is equipped with a built-in descaling and cleaning system so you can use tab water in the tank.
6) tank capacity is large anough to last for big pile of clothes (10-15 pieces of clothing).
In conclusion, it’s definitely worth the money! I should mention that at the time of writing this review the blue/black colour (model #GC7846/86) is on sale for 174.99.
Sophisticated and a steam beast!
A very sophisticated iron that’s really easy to use, lightweight and very easy to manoeuvre. It makes quick work of heaps of laundry and doesn’t make my arms sore when using it for a long time. The tank capacity is also huge and gets me through a mound of clothes before I have to refill. The self-cleaning and descaling system saves me so much effort and time in maintenance.
One of my least favourite aspects of ironing is having to repeatedly change the temperature when I come to iron different fabrics, and this iron solves this issue flawlessly. Not only does the soleplate glide smoothly over the clothes, it also irons any type of fabric, which saves me from worrying that I’d put the wrong temperature and will burn my shirts. The generated steam is also very powerful and does an excellent job at removing stubborn creases with little to no effort.
I love the safety lock. The iron turns off when not in use, so I don’t have to worry about forgetting to turn it off, and the blueish colour is absolutely gorgeous. It looks stylish and feels very well-made.
The only potential issue with the iron is that it’s a bit noisy, though this was not a problem for me. Perfect for day-to-day ironing as well as iron those special fabrics for special occasions. Would highly recommend.
If this review helped, please click on the ‘helpful’ button to let others know! Thanks
A breakdown of my experience with this iron:
Operation – Easy one button trigger operation. You will need to hold the trigger while you are ironing to emit steam. There are three modes: Normal, Turbo and Eco. I am a little confused about the Eco mode. According to the instruction Eco mode will reduce power usage but not compromise on performance, I am a little confused if that is the case then why dont they just have this mode as default.
OptimalTEMP technology means that you dont need to choose the temperature anymore, which is extremely user friendly. I tried ironing silk and linen, no issues at all.
Performance – Great performance! Significantly better than my 60 iron. Creases are removed within seconds with little effort when it is on Turbo mode. The soleplate glides smoothly on any garments.
Weight – Since the water tank is stationary with a water hose connecting to the iron, the iron itself is just slightly heavier than a normal travel iron that doesnt have a water tank.
Quality – There are some shiny plastic used on the docking station and the iron itself which I think it looks cheap and not a fan of, but it is quite well built generally.
Filling up – Great capacity and very easy to fill with the ‘letter box’ flap. The amount of steam produces by this iron means that the tank does not really last much longer than irons with built in water tank.
Maintenance – Tap water can be used as stated in the instructions. The iron comes with a descaling mode and there is a tray included for descaling purposes. It only takes 5mins or so for the whole process, so that’s something you can do often to ensure the iron is in its best shape.
Safety – There is a lock on the tank to secure the iron. Once locked, you may just pick up the two together in one action.
This is the first time I used an iron at this price range, I am impressed by the technology, it makes life so much easier, for this reason I give it a 5 star rating!
Great for steaming
Does a brilliant job as an iron however only really worth buying this if like me you are sick of having to refill the tiny water tanks that come with most irons this has a 1.5l tank that can last through a heavy load of ironing without having to hold back on how much steam I use is powerful too and heats up fast is not very lightweight as claimed though also do make sure you have enough space at the end of your ironing board to accommodate this hefty unit.
Another level
This steam generator iron is another level compared to my old steam iron.
I was a bit worried that the base was making it awkward to use, but it’s actually so much better.
It’s surprisingly easy to get used to it and I don’t think I will ever want to use anything else.
I have to say it’s rather expensive, but in my opinion, it’s worth it.
Very effective and easy to use iro
This arrived in a solid branded top opening box, everything being well packed and protected; it comes with a plastic calc-clean container in the top and the main iron along with the base is all wrapped together in one unit making it very easy and quick to unpack, it comes with a multitude of multilingual paperwork detailing the warrantee, important information, conformity along with the manual.
First impressions: it all looks very high quality with the finishing and attention to detail looking very good, I had a read through the manual and although adequate it wasn’t the best and I thought it could have had a glossy more detailed manual rather than a black and white multilingual manual to match the product quality, I did go to the product homepage but it only gives a repeat of the supplied manual in PDF form although it does have a good troubleshooting and questions support section. The filling system for the tank is a clip on the front which opens, this works fine for filling but I did find the water level indicator line being below this made it awkward to see if you had filled it to the correct level and would have preferred a removable tank for filling or at least a better located indicator.
After setting it up and filling the tank I gave it a good try out first testing it on one of my daughters dresses, after letting it reach temperature (indicated when the blue LED stops flashing on the handle) I held down the trigger system for 30 seconds as indicated in the manual to get the steam flowing for the first time. I found it performed great, ironing with ease and was pleased with the end result; I tried it out ironing a multitude of different items and found not having to adjust the temperature made the job a lot easier and quicker. My wife has since used it several times and she was equally impressed with the results and also to quote her “did the ironing properly”
Overall a very powerful and effective iron, it makes ironing a far less arduous task, the tank holds enough for 1.5 hours of ironing which saves the constant refilling, not having to keep adjusting the temperature I found worked great and certainly speeded up the process, I tested out the cleaning system with the supplied tray and this seemed to work as it should although it did not need cleaning. I thought the manual could have been better and the tank level indicator could have been moved to a better place but these are minor points and overall this is a very effective and easy to use iron.
Best iron I've used.
Great upgrade to my previous regular iron, it’s easy to use, it works wonders for getting even the toughest of creases out and it’s lightweight.
People might find this hard to get used to because it’s different to a regular iron but you get used to it pretty quickly.
No temperature setting needed - Incredible steam production - Perfect finish
his is a truly premium steam generator iron and completely outshines the previous steam generator iron we had. First thing that you notice is the fact that there is no need to use a temperature control dial I was extremely wary of this and had to try it out on some old clothes first, I had no need as it was perfect going from cotton to some hundred percent nylon trousers without causing any burning or damage! The automatic steam is more than adequate but if you decide that you need more then you can simply press for a shot or press and hold to put it on auto high-volume production. When it is delivering its full capacity of steam it’s really impressive and will take wrinkles out of almost anything. The main water reservoir has a high-capacity, and will run for literally hours without requiring a refill making it a lot easier to just get through your ironing quicker. I didn’t think they could be that much difference between steam generator irons but the automatic temperature and the quality of the soleplate on this really seems to make a thankless task a lot easier.
If you want to make your life as easy as possible, this, and a wide ironing board is the solution! 10/10!
This steam generator is very easy to set up. You fill the base unit with 1.5 litres of water. It has a really nice spout at the top of the base unit and it is very easy to fill. At the top of the base unit there is also a locking device which holds the steam hand unit locked onto the base for when you want to move it around. The power cable is connected to the base unit and the hand unit is connected to the base unit by a steam tube which is covered in woven fabric so it doesn’t get hot.
The base unit has three buttons on the back, ‘eco’ ‘on/off’ and ‘clean’. When you press the ‘eco’ button you receive a reduced amount of steam and uses less energy without compromising on the ironing result. The ‘calc-clean’ button is for when you want to descale your appliance. The kit comes with a tray which you stand your hand held steam unit on it, push the button and it does everything it needs to do. You should descale your unit regularly, it will remind you when it needs a clean by this button flashing, usually every 1 – 3 months of use. If you don’t perform a descale it will disable the steam function until you perform the clean.
I love this steam generator, you don’t have to change the heat setting like you do with a steam iron, I don’t know how it does it but you can iron a pair of jeans and then a polyester dress without any trouble whatsoever. Under the handle of the hand held unit it has a button which you press and you get a steady release of very powerful steam, you do need to keep this button pressed for the continuous steam, this isn’t an issue as it’s how you would usually hold an iron and your hand doesn’t ache holding it, not like having to press down on a button on the top of the handle. If you think you need to use the turbo steam mode you can press and hold the on/off button for 2 seconds until the light turns white, to deactivate press and hold the on/off button for the same amount of time. You can also steam boost by clicking the button on the handle quickly twice. You can iron vertically as well as horizontally. When you press the button you do get a gurgling sound from the base unit as it’s producing the steam. I have learnt that you need to let go of the steam button on the handle for a few seconds before you lift it up so that you don’t get a big boost of steam after lifting it.
It is the best experience I have had ironing/steaming clothes and it took a lot less time than normal when using a steam iron. I would recommend giving this a try if you hate ironing, this makes it so much easier.
Suited for All?
It is true that the newer 420g steam version is more suited for right handlers rather than left.
Not a huge problem for us, as even the left hander in the family, tends to lean towards ambidexterity and is able to do some tasks with either hand to an extent.
The Steam Hose Limitations:
The main tank body of the iron has the steam hose protruding from the left rear portion of the tank – rather like the rear passenger side of a car. Instead of our last steam generator iron which had the hose directly in the centre of the rear.
So just like you would have to bring the petrol hose around your car if you were to park on the opposite side of your fuel filler, you would need to do the same here.
It might not seem like a huge difference, but it amounts to about 12 inches of wasted hose as you bring it around to iron as a left hander. This does shorten your overall length, and it may not extend the entire length of your board. It doesn’t for our larger board.
The Steam Function:
The 420g of steam boost is powerful and makes short work of even a heavily creased shirt.
The compact design, yet still with a very acceptable 1.5 litre tank, is ideal even for a smaller spot on a generator-worthy ironing board. Our current rather large Polti iron, required a very specific and very large ironing board.
A Note on Functionality:
Like many generator irons, this one too is not suited for standing upright whilst you adjust the garment. No big deal, as the iron is self-heating and our board cover is able to withstand a minute, here and there, of the iron left left on it whilst I iron.
The Portability of the Water Tank:
What makes this generator more convoluted to use, is that the tank is not removable, which means I either lift the whole unit to the sink; or I bring a litre bottle/beaker to fill the base unit where it sits.
Needlessly to say, though I would like to, I am not always able to empty the tank after each use, especially as the kids iron too quite often. Emptying is recommended to maintain freshness of the tank.
Hard Water Suitability:
If you live in a hard water area, you need to be aware that this model does not come with a limescale filter.
There is a benefit to this: There is no need to replace filters every 6 months or so, or clean internal components; but conversely, you have to remove limescale the old fashioned way: by running a special limescale removal program and using the included water collection tray.
A rather messy business for hard water areas.
The Tip:
On the plus side, I have discovered and have used successfully over many years a very good anti-limescale solution by Polti, that simply needs to be dripped into the water tank, this allows me to go longer without having to de-scale the unit.
The Bottom Line:
So if you’re exclusively left handed, you may want to consider whether you’re able to make do with a shorter length of steam hose.
Apart from this is, the extra 20g boost on the updated model offers enough steam to work very effectively, even with ironed-in creases.
4 stars
Does the job in half the time
I hate ironing and I have been plodding on years with a cheap iron but have reluctantly resisting spending money on a good one simply because I don’t like doing it. Getting one of these to review has totally convinced me how wrong I have been all these years. It has not made me love ironing, trust me I still hate it however it has made the chore a lot easier to do and this iron gets me through a pile of ironing in half the time. Let me explain, it’s the steam power on this thing that is so great, it irons both sides at once because it is so powerful. So my old iron with isn’t a steam generator iron boasted 45g/min steam I had no idea what this meant but then I read that this iron has 420g steam boost so you can see with the numbers how much more effective it is. It is so good I have just been refreshing clothes vertically and boosting them with the steam and the creases have dropped out of them without getting the ironing board and wrestling with it to stand up properly.
I also love the optimal temp feature. No more dials to change and waiting for irons to cool or heat up for different fabrics. I can iron jeans then go straight to a shirt, no shining or burning, it’s been great. The tank of water holds loads, I don’t fill it all the way however it lasts over an hour of ironing and it was simple to fill up under the tap. I use filtered water but it does remind you when it needs descaling and it does it for you. The ironing plate is excellent, non-stick, smooth and it glides across garments. I found it light weight to use. Look I am a man and if I can get excited over an iron then it must be good. Just wished I had one years ago now.
Simple steam function with powe
My second iron of this type.. an updated version , good for family use. Straightforward, powerful steaming with vertical function, makes ironing much easier.
Easy to use,warms up quickly auto temperature setting depending on what you are ioning, it’s a mystery how the iron dose of but it works as stated.
Effective and efficient but not lightweigh
The steam function is very effective if a little aggressive. It does the job well. Just one caveat: the later model has a removable limescale filter which this one does not-it has to be cleaned manually which some might not appreciate
Effective and efficient but not lightweigh
The steam function is very effective if a little aggressive. It does the job well. Just one caveat: the later model has a removable limescale filter which this one does not-it has to be cleaned manually which some might not appreciate
I had Philips generators for some years now, different models but same concept – steam generator.
This one great, very powerful, makes the cloths perfectly iron and leaves no stain no wrinkles even if the cloths is over dried. Perfect for every day use, so easy, design and colour combination very nice too. Highly recommended.
This is my first time using a steam generator as opposed to a regular steam iron. There are several things that make this better:
1. You have to refill it way less often. With the 1.5L water tank, I can cover around 20 shirts.
2. When you do refill it, it is much easier. There is a large water inlet which allows a fast stream of water to be poured in, as opposed to a small inlet on a regular iron where you have to be careful not to splash or spill.
3. It is much lighter than a regular iron during use. Obviously it is heavier than an iron when you account for the base with water tank, but the actual head that you use on garments is much lighter and easier to control.
4. The steam does a far superior job of getting creases out, and if you accidentally add a crease, it is easier to get out than if it had been pressed in with a hot iron.
Coming from a regular iron it does take a bit of getting used to, especially with regards to learning when to press and when to release the steam generation button. The other thing is that you don’t stand it up on it’s end like an iron, you just leave it hot side down on the ironing board. Neither of these things is a problem, it just takes getting used to.
This is my first time using a steam generator as opposed to a regular steam iron. There are several things that make this better:
1. You have to refill it way less often. With the 1.5L water tank, I can cover around 20 shirts.
2. When you do refill it, it is much easier. There is a large water inlet which allows a fast stream of water to be poured in, as opposed to a small inlet on a regular iron where you have to be careful not to splash or spill.
3. It is much lighter than a regular iron during use. Obviously it is heavier than an iron when you account for the base with water tank, but the actual head that you use on garments is much lighter and easier to control.
4. The steam does a far superior job of getting creases out, and if you accidentally add a crease, it is easier to get out than if it had been pressed in with a hot iron.
Coming from a regular iron it does take a bit of getting used to, especially with regards to learning when to press and when to release the steam generation button. The other thing is that you don’t stand it up on it’s end like an iron, you just leave it hot side down on the ironing board. Neither of these things is a problem, it just takes getting used to.