1,490
people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #4,962 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★★★★★
What a Real Steam Iron Should Be
I researched carefully before buying another iron. E-How provided insights, and I read reviews of the best irons. A good steam iron should have at least 300 steam holes, my sources told me, and 1700 watts of power. This Rowenta has 400 steam holes, a smooth gliding sole plate with specially designed tip to get around buttons. This is an update of the Focus DZ 5080, but probably pretty much the same. It seems that irons have gotten more expensive over the years, but cheaper in manufacturing and quality. I was so tired of my Black & Decker spitting brownish liquid onto my clothes, dripping, cooling instead of steaming. I actually like ironing, but need a tool that works. The Rowenta Dw5080 is great -what a real steam iron should be. The first time I filled it it really gave off steam, has a nice feel, good weight, and glides easily. Heavy cotton fabric, which used to take several passes, now takes one and looks perfectly smooth. All of the functions are easy to see and use and it has a large water tank. It does use up water, but so did my old B&D. The difference is, this one really gives off steam. One note on filling it: if you get little white flakes, your water is too hard, so add 50/50 with spring water (not distilled), and be faithful about using the self-clean feature once a month. So far, I just love this iron and look forward to ironing with new delight.
I hope it lasts a long time. I am tired of buying poor quality products that end up in landfills.
March 2011 · Home and Kitchen
the product in question
Rowenta Micro Steam Stainless Steel Soleplate Steam Iron for Clothes 400 Microsteam Holes, Cotton, Wool, Poly, Silk, Linen, Nylon 1700 Watts Portable, Ironing, Fabric Steamer, Garment Steamer DW5080
4.5★ · 15,692 ratings, as of 2023