Review of Philips Energycare GC3640 iron

GH Institute

Irons

Features

2400W. Weight: 1.3kg empty, 1.9kg full. Non stick soleplate. 120g steam shot. 0-40g / min variable steam. Water spray. 300ml water tank. 3m cord. Anti calc system. Drip stop. Auto energy save feature.

Comments

Good points: Energy saving feature works by providing more steam when pressure is applied to the handle. Easy to fill water tank. No dripping on low dot settings. Comfortable handle with good non slip finish. Good glide.

Drawbacks: Steam boost is not always responsive when pressed in quick succession. Steam boost control is not easy to reach for right handers. Slow to heat up. Slide control a little flimsy.

Rating: 82/100

Price: £50

Stockist: 0845 6010354 - http://www.philips.co.uk

GHI Test Report - March 2011

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Review of Tefal Express Compact GV7095 steam generator

Features
2200W. Ceramic soleplate. 5 bar pressure. Iron weight: 1.3kg. 120g steam shot. 1.6 litre removable tank. 2m power cord. 1.8m steam cord. Built in anti scale filter. Carry lock
Comments
Good points: Good pointed tip for intricate items. Very smooth glide. Powerful boost of steam. Easy to use controls. Good crease removal. Useful carry lock.
Drawbacks: Cord drags iron backwards easily as it is so slippery

Rating: 80/100

Price: £179.99

Stockist: 0845 602 1454 - http://www.tefal.co.uk

GHI Test Report - March 2011
Review of Philips GC7420 steam generator

Features
2400W. Ceramic soleplate. 4.5 bar pressure. Iron weight: 1kg. 120g steam shot. 1 litre water tank. 2m power cord. 1.65m steam cord. Calc clean system. Steam lock.
Comments
Good points: Reached correct temperature on all dot settings. Quick to reach correct pressure for steaming. Removed creases well and glided smoothly.
Drawbacks: Slow at reaching temperatures on each dot setting. Steam function could not be used on each dot setting. Steam setting is not variable. Slightly too light.

Rating: 77/100

Price: £129.99

Stockist: 0845 601 0354 - http://www.philips.co.uk

GHI Test Report - March 2011
Review of DeLonghi Stirella VVX1870 steam generator

Features
2200W. Stainless steel and ceramic soleplate. Bar pressure n/s. Iron weight: 1.3kg. 180g steam shot. 700ml removable water tank. 2m power cord. 1.6m steam cord. Anti scale filter. Carry lock.
Comments
Good points: Carry lock is useful. Choice of steam triggers for ease of use.
Drawbacks: Small amount of dripping on one dot setting. Average glide. Tank is stiff to remove. Steam boost not always responsive.

Rating: 74/100

Price: £229.99

Stockist: 0845 600 6845 - http://www.delonghi.co.uk

GHI Test Report - March 2011
Review of Morphy Richards Intellidome 42236 steam generator

Features
2200W. Stainless steel soleplate. 4 bar pressure. Iron weight: 1.0kg. 90g steam shot. 1.5 litre fixed tank. 1.8m power cord. 1.6m steam cord. Anti scale filter. Low water cut out.
Comments
Good points: Clear digital display and easy to use touch controls. Smooth glide. Lightweight iron. Good crease removal.
Drawbacks: Continues steaming after the trigger is released. Fixed tank makes it awkward to fill and empty. Bulky design.

Rating: 72/100

Price: £249.99

Stockist: 0844 871 8960 - http://www.morphyrichards.co.uk

GHI Test Report - March 2011
Review of Bosch Power TDS2569 steam generator

Features
2800W. Ceramic soleplate. 5 bar pressure. Iron weight: 1.1kg. 120g steam shot. 800ml removable water tank. 2m power cord. 2m steam cord. Anti scale system.
Comments
Good points: Lightweight iron. Comfortable handle.
Drawbacks: Steams vigorously when heating up. Slow to heat up, taking over four minutes. Steam is slow to stop when trigger is released. Small tank size compared to some models. Lighter iron means more pressure is needed.

Rating: 70/100

Price: £229.99

Stockist: 0844 8929023 - http://www.bosch-home.co.uk

GHI Test Report - March 2011
Review of LauraStar Evolution G4 steam generator

Features
2200W. Stainless steel soleplate. 3.5 bar pressure. Iron weight: 1.5kg. 220g steam shot. 1 litre removable water tank. 2.7m power cord. 2m steam cord. Strap to secure iron.
Comments
Good points: Accurate temperatures on two and three dot settings. Very powerful shot of steam. Good crease removal. Steam control easy to use.
Drawbacks: Awful multi lingual instructions are confusing to follow. Noisy when heating up. Small, dull pilot light. Heavy. Controls rather basic.

Rating: 64/100

Price: £369

Stockist: 08456 049049 - http://www.johnlewis.com

GHI Test Report - March 2011
Review of Russell Hobbs Slipstream 14864 steam generator

Features
2200W. Stainless steel soleplate. Iron weight: 1.1kg. 0-90g / min variable steam. 1.1 litre water tank. 1.8m power cord. 1.5m steam cord. Anti scale system. LCD backlit electronic control.
Comments
Good points: Lightweight iron.
Drawbacks: Did not reach correct temperature across all dot settings. Slow at reaching temperature on all dot settings. Leaked badly on 1 dot setting. Steam function cannot be used on all dot settings. Tank capacity hard to see. Dial quite basic. Steam button not easy to use with the same hand using the iron. Some creases remain after ironing. Steam takes a while to build up again after use.

Rating: 62/100

Price: £149.99

Stockist: 0845 658 9700 - http://www.russellhobbs.co.uk

GHI Test Report - March 2011
Review of Polti Vaporella Forever Star steam generator

Features
1250W. Stainless steel soleplate. 5 bar pressure. Iron weight: 1.1kg. 150g steam shot. 1.1 litre removable water tank. 2m retractable power cord. 1.5m steam cord. Integral water filter.
Comments
Good points: Lightweight iron. Effortless glide. Powerful boost of steam.
Drawbacks: Temperatures run low on all dot settings and thermostat is slow to cycle. Max mark on tank is hard to see. On / off switch is awkwardly positioned and small. Cord is stiff and rubs wrist when ironing.

Rating: 60/100

Price: £289

Stockist: 08456 049049 - http://www.johnlewis.com

GHI Test Report - March 2011
Review of Tefal Ultimate FV9450 iron

Features
2600W. Weight: 1.8kg empty, 2.1kg full. Palladium soleplate. 150g steam shot. 0-50g / min variable steam. Water spray. 350ml water tank. 3m cord. Self clean control. Anti scale cartridge. Drip stop. Self cleaning soleplate. Safety cut out after 30 seconds.
Comments
Good points: Responsive and powerful steam boost. Superb glide makes ironing effortless and offsets the weight. Wide opening makes it easy to fill. Comfortable handle. Easy to see controls.
Drawbacks: No audible warning when auto switch off kicks in. Choice of programmes is confusing. Hard to see maximum mark. Handle quite wide for small hands.

Rating: 92/100

Price: £89.99

Stockist: 0845 6021454 - http://www.tefal.co.uk

GHI Test Report - March 2011