Ode to an Iron...

Our family seems to have problems with irons. Apparently we are very hard on them. My husband and I have only been married for 2 years, and we're already working on number 3! However, despite our iron-abusive past, I have high hopes for this one.

You see, our main problem with irons has always been the cord. The iron tends to get left up on the dresser, with the cord running from way up there to down at the outlet by the door. Then people, mostly my 3-year old and my husband (although I did it once too!) tend to swing open the door, and trip on the cord, sending the iron careening off of the dresser only to make a very hard landing on the floor, usually costing the iron some piece of plastic here or there. Even when I would get really industrious and put the iron up high in the closet, there never seemed to be any good way to keep the cord from coming unwound and falling all over the place causing some kind of disaster. This iron quite effectively prevents such tragedies.

Here's some basic information:
1. Looking Good- This is a very modern-looking iron. It is gray and black and sleek. Put quite simply, it's pretty! To get a good look at it and read more about what Sunbeam has to say on this product, you can direct your browser to...
http://www.sunbeam.com/productdetail.asp?id=4214&brand=Irons

2. Things are Heating Up- This iron offers a round dial that makes little clicky noises as you turn it to different temperatures, from off to cooler for synthetics, warming up to silk, wool, cotton, and linen. On the hottest setting it only takes about 30-45 seconds to reach a temperature high enough to iron effectively and create steam.

3. Speaking of Steam- Somewhat uniquely, this iron offers four different settings for the amount of steam production, ranging from none at all to full steam ahead. This switch is located immediately below the temperature control. On the temperature dial, there are tiny graphics in the middle which suggest how much steam to use at each heat setting.
Following the suggestions, I have never had it leak water onto my clothes.

Below the temperature dial and normal steam controls, there are two large buttons. The one on the left allows you to send forth bursts of extra steam while you iron, and the one on the right produces a spray mist for wetting the garment directly. The iron also claims to offer a vertical steam spray, which is theoretically for steaming hanging garments, but to be honest, I've never used it.

4. Fill 'er up!- This iron has a comparatively large water reservoir located in a translucent compartment in the normal spot, behind the handle. The fact that you can see through the entire thing makes it easy to fill it up to the boldly indicated "Max Fill" line, in addition to making it easy to tell at a glance when it is time to refill it. To do so you simply pop open the little flap at the top and pour water into the hole, which is round and approximately the size of my index finger. It is large enough to fill without much spilling as long as you take your time.

5. Safety First- This iron offers a clever "Patented Motion Start Auto-Off" that senses time, motion, and position. It shuts itself off after 15 minutes in an upright position, 30 seconds in a laying down position or on its side, and it will not reheat unless it is moved. Very fancy, and convenient considering how absent-minded both my husband and I can be. The light will blink when it is plugged in and has shut off due to this feature. When in normal use, the light stays on constantly.

6. Splish Splash- This iron claims to offer a self-cleaning feature. I am very suspicious since I can't seem to find any button on it that tells it to self-clean. I have also never seen it do anything strange to indicate that it is cleaning itself, but both the instruction manual and the website claim that it prevents minerals from building up and clogging up the works. I have my doubts.

7. Feels Good- In addition to its many convenient features, this iron just feels nice in your hand. It is heavier than any of the cheaper models I have owned in the past, and the weight of the iron is distributed evenly. This, coupled with its nonstick surface allows it to glide smoothly over the clothes.

8. BEST OF ALL!- The cord keeper feature on this iron is soooo convenient. Before I was always terrified that the cord would get left hanging down and that one of my kids would pull it down on their precious little heads. In addition, it was just a pain in the backside to store an iron with the cord hanging out all over the place. This is a very tidy solution to the problem.

You simply press a button down at the base, and the iron sucks the cord up back inside it. Be warned, though, that it does this very quickly and if you're not careful, you're liable to get smacked in the wrist every now and then by the plug as it sucks itself back in. It also sometimes gets stuck only partway in and you have to pull it back out and try again, occasionally several times in a row before it gets it right. But it is worth it to have the fool thing out of the way and be able to easily store it on the shelf in my closet.

In a Nutshell...
When I went iron shopping, I was appalled at some of the prices I saw. Some were as expensive as 110 dollars! This one was relatively inexpensive, but has a lot more features and lasting power than the little cheapies I had bought before. I say if you're looking for a dependable, functional iron with loads of features for the price, then this is the one for you... and it's pretty too! ; )