Rowenta DW9080 Steamium 1800-Watt Steam Iron Non-Stick Platinum Soleplate, 400-Hole, Brown

I bought this iron to replace one that started to leak and overall was not working well. I have never had any experience with the Rowenta brand but after doing some research I found out that they are one of the top brands when it comes to irons. A key thing to note about this model is that it is made in Germany instead of China and I would also suggest reading the instructions in its entirety. This will save you some headaches as well as make the unit last longer. The first thing I noticed when unboxing it is that it is a lot heavier than my current iron. It isn't big enough to make me not want to use it but it is important to note that if you need a light iron, you may want to look elsewhere. The unit has a large reservoir which is nice because you do not have to keep refilling it while ironing. The first thing I had to iron was a shirt and suit. I was amazed at how well it ironed the shirt. It is quite a bit larger so it doesn't take as many passes to finish the process. Turning on the unit was a piece of cake with the digital display. You just turn the nob until the digital display lights up to what you are ironing. As the instructions state, you want to start out with the material that takes the lease amount of temperature since it is faster to heat up the iron versus cooling it down. I moved on to my suit and used the steaming feature to take any wrinkles out of my jacket. This works with curtains or anything else that you need to just take the wrinkles out of but you can't iron. With a press of the button it shoots out a good amount of steam in the vertical position and did a fantastic job of taking out the wrinkles. If you do not mind the iron being a little heavier, I would strongly recommend this iron.

BORING HISTORY OF PREVIOUS IRONS: This is my third Rowenta iron. My first was 1800 watts, might have been a DZ9080(?) and I loved the amount of steam it would generate. Alas, it began to leak water after less than two years. I purchased another Rowenta - the large plate and amount of steam really make ironing much easier and I iron A LOT. My next was the DW8080. This model is 1700 watts and I could tell a difference in the amount of steam, sadly. But it was still a good iron. Right up until about a year and a half later when it also began to leak water. This time I realized the leaking was tied to the iron turning off. When these babies go lukewarm, they leak. I disassembled the bottom and saw where the power cord was shorting out in a spot where it is crimped inside before it is separated into connections. I was able to stabilize the short with electrical tape and moved the cord further into the bottom of the iron and crimped a new section. That bought me another year. This time I was unable to fix the short. I've considered cutting the cord and completely re-wiring so I can hand off to my daughter. Yeah. It's on "the list". THE DW9080: So far the iron is operating well. It does not generate as much steam as my first 1800 watt model, which is a bummer. But, the soleplate works well on different fabrics and it does generate a fair amount of steam. Whereas previous models allowed me to set pretty much constant steam via a button on top of the handle, this model requires depressing a large button on the bottom of the handle. You have to grasp it continually to get the amount of steam a button used to generate. I have had to learn how to relax my hand in a closed position too get ironing done without my hand cramping. I do not know why they added this un-improvement. It would seem that none of them do much ironing? I will use this iron until it dies the death I have come to expect. Then, I think I will try something new.

I like this iron for the simple reason that it does a fantastic job at getting the wrinkles out. I can't imagine an iron working any better than this one. Nonetheless, this iron isn't perfect. For starters, I don't like that it requires a PhD in water chemistry to figure out the precise type of water this thing wants. Not too hard, not too soft, not filtered, use tap but not if it's treated, can't be distilled. I mean come on, it is a bit absurd to be so picky on the type of water. My untreated water is likely too hard. I have a water softener but according to the instructions I can't use that water either. I'd feel stupid buying bottled water because who knows if that's exactly what it wants. Crazy. I will just use my softened water and hope for the best. So far, it works fine. Rowenta's don't last that long anyway, so I'll just plan on buying another in a couple years. My other gripe with this particular model is that it is too easy too accidentally rotate the fabric type dial. At least there's a very visible indicator on top to see what you have it set at, but I wish the dial had more resistance so it wouldn't be so prone to accidental changes. Other than that, the ironing performance is legendary. All those steam holes must make a difference and the easily accessible button to "inject" the steam makes ironing with this thing a joy.

Best steam iron ever. Nice and large and heavy. The steam is very powerful, so keep your fingers away. The weight of the iron makes for crisp creases on your pants, and the large size makes quick work of ironing shirts. Make sure you empty the water reservoir after each use to prevent scale buildup.

The closest to an industrial iron you can get. Has a great deal of steam, perfect for flattening those seams and giving a beautiful finish to your home sewn garments!

The only hansel is you have you empty the water reservoir after use to avoid sediments in the water reservoir

Good iron, strong steamer... but breaks easily. The rotary section button broke after less than a year of normal, gentle use. This is not what I expect from one of the most expensive home iron on the market. Every one knows how troublesome it is to have a small appliance repaired, even if on guarantee. My next Rowenta will be bought from a local store that will assure me that they will take it back for repair.

I did alot of research before I made this purchase 8) ! And I must say I do not regret it yet ! It has not been long since I have had it..............I have owned GE-TFals-And the last was a Shark..(the price was also) 2007 I purchased a Shark at 100.$ well the extended steam button has gotten very hard to push in..Using 2 thumbs(not an exageration)..never again....The new Rowenta..Wow...it is true it takes abit of getting use to the trigger though....LOVE-LOVE-LOVE the burst of STEAM..much more easier to fill up ..NO water running over the sides because of an air bubble......This is my 6th iron.._ MY First Rowenta....I sew alot-perfect for putting in creases and does not burn fingers...and also iron shirts alot of shirts...The 400 steam holes PERFECT... do not have to continually go over a patch to get it flat..Takes less time now. & the price is perfect much less expensive than other stores on internet & retail...........JUST LOVE IT-LOVE IT-LOVE IT SO FAR 8) Thanks to other reviewers for being honest in their comments...It helps us so much to make a decision......8)..... UPDATE september 2013...JUST LOVE IT - Best iron I ever bought to date :) !!!