steam generator iron

The standard steam iron has an internal water reservoir – usually around 300ml in capacity – which is boiled by a heating element to produce a modest head of steam. This steam gently moistens the fabric, helping to flatten creases. However, a typical domestic iron may offer only low steam pressure, and the reservoir will need regular refilling.

A steam generator is a type of iron that works on the same principle – except the water tank and heating element are stored in a separate base unit that’s connected to the iron by a length of rubber hose. The average water tank is around 1.8 litres in capacity, so you can do six times as much ironing before needing to visit the tap for a refill.

And that’s not the end of it: a steam generator iron is also capable of punching out a much greater volume of steam than a traditional iron. Many generators can produce a constant steam volume of 120g/min, whereas even a decent traditional iron will struggle to produce more than 55g/min.

Steam boost figures are even more impressive: you might get 230g/min from an iron, while the best steam generators approach 500g/min. They’re also capable of pumping out steam at much higher pressures – on average a whopping 6.5 bars. That’s enough to very quickly defeat even the deepest creases.

While there’s little downside to using a steam generator, even the best models can very occasionally spurt a little dollop of limescale onto your clothes. That’s just one of the foibles of ironing, sadly. It’s far from a frequent occurrence, however: almost all models come with some form of anti-calc system to minimise the buildup of limescale.

If you have a large family and engage in lots of ironing, a steam generator will make your life a lot easier and you’ll get the job done much more quickly.