Quickly stroke a lace blouse, give an impeccable look to a silk skirt, iron the perfect arrows on trousers and perfectly straighten creases on dry jeans. Manufacturers of household appliances have long invented a great helper for this hard work, which will allow you to spend a minimum of time and effort on ironing - an iron with a steamer. It remains only to choose the option suitable for your clothes.
What can a steamer iron do? When in contact with the fabric, he sprinkles the item with hot steam, which is more effective than just ironing the hot sole of the household appliance, copes with any, even the most difficult folds. As a result, you get perfectly ironed things, the absence of any odors, a neat appearance, a soft cloth and steam disinfection.
What to look for when choosing an iron?
Steam jet activity
Its intensity is usually measured in grams per minute. Obviously, the higher the steam supply rate, the thicker and denser the fabric can be ironed with an iron with a steamer, and the more coarse creases are subject to it. If the consumer properties of the device in intensity are below 30 g / min., It is considered that the power of the iron is weak.
The most budgetary options for a number of well-known brands have modest indicators of this parameter, for example, a constant supply of steam - up to 10 g / min. and steam boost - only 60 g / min. And if both numbers are higher, then the price usually rises.
An excellent option would be an iron with a steamer of the MIE A1 model for 8990 rubles, a new product in 2018 with a steam productivity of 50 g / min. The steam boost of this iron breaks all records - 210 g / min. In addition, it is equipped with a customizable regulator, which allows you to independently select the intensity of steam exposure to a particular product.
And his younger, more economical brother - an iron with a steamer of the MIE B2 model for 5990 rubles - demonstrates steam productivity above 40 g / min. and steam boost - 200 g / min. The directional feed provides a perfect ironing result for both delicate and thick, very dense fabrics. Such a powerful steam jet straightens the material from the inside, from the base.
With the same parameters you can find irons of other brands, but their cost starts from 10 000 rubles.
Power
This is an important characteristic of the device, which determines how quickly it heats up to the desired temperature and how successfully it will cope with strong creases. A compromise for infrequent use are irons with a capacity of up to 1.5 kW. These are the ones presented in the lines of most well-known manufacturers. But if you do not want to compromise and vote for functionality and quality, then you should take a closer look at models with power from 2.2-2.4 kW. The power of irons with a steamer of models MIE A1 and MIE B2 is 2.5 kW.
Sole
The coating of the heating element directly affects the quality of ironing. Modern irons are equipped with a coating that provides easy friction with the fabric. Their surface is not susceptible to damage and insensitive to contamination.
Previously, the sole was most often made of stainless steel and aluminum. Its plus is that it practically does not get dirty, but if it burns, then it will be impossible to clean the surface. It is heavy and easily scratched, or even deformed. This cannot be said for the innovative ceramic coating, which provides excellent glide, high wear resistance and lightness.
The irons of the MIE A1 and MIE B2 models are equipped with a modern ceramic sole, which protects the fabric from burning. This property boasts a rare model, because often brands, indicating ceramics in the characteristics, in fact mean either covering only part of the sole, or applying it in one thin layer, without additional protection against scratches and damage. The sole of the MIE A1 and MIE B2 irons, on the contrary, is made of high-class durable ceramics, on which steam holes are ergonomically located.
Vertical steaming
Only selected major brands produce irons equipped with a vertical steam function. But this is very convenient! If you are in a hurry, there is no time to install an ironing board, in just a minute you can refresh the clothes hanging on a hanger.
For this, the iron must, firstly, have a comfortable mass - up to 1.8 kg, and secondly, a long cord - from 2.5 m. For low-cost models worth up to 2.5-4 thousand rubles, these figures are far from standards and often do not meet them, which means that it will not work to fully use this functionality.
The modern MIE B2 iron, which allows steaming vertically, weighs only 1.3 kg, while the MIE A1 iron model is 1.6 kg. The long electric cord of both options makes it easy to move around the room and steam clothes directly on hangers.
Auto power off
This is not a basic, but very convenient feature that guarantees security. To reduce the cost of products, manufacturers can ignore this option. But such savings can result in serious consequences.
Auto power off eliminates unnecessary worries, and in a critical situation it really will save. Some brands program the automatic shutdown interval for a standard 15 minutes in the vertical and 1 minute in the horizontal position. The MIE A1 and MIE B2 irons are designed for smart, safe use, so they are deactivated earlier: after 8 minutes in the upright position and after 30 seconds in the horizontal position. But if you just move the iron, it will turn on again.
