Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

We've owned many irons over the years, and the only brand that gives an excellent iron, strong steam, great reliability is the German-made Rowenta lines. Our existing DW5080 has been a workhorse, and a great value considering it is made in Germany, not China like the less-expensive Rowenta models. Enter the DW9081 "Steamium" line, offering an additional 100watts of heat (1800 vs 1700 in the DW5080), a smart steam level (no need to set the steam (it's produced automatically), up to "30% more" steam, and clear temperature / fabric indicator lights. Don't get me wrong - this is an outstanding iron. Its stainless steel soleplate glides over any fabric without damage, there are plenty of holes for steam to evenly distribute, and it is heavy for consistent pressing. The issue for me is that the ironing performance was no better, despite the claims, than our $70 (Amazon price) Rowenta DW5080. In fact, the "Steamium" intelligent steam feature seemed to be just a bit too smart sometimes, not producing the level of steam we would have liked. Perhaps it takes some adjusting after manually setting steam levels for years. Both the Rowenta DW9081 and DW5080 irons: - are made in Germany - have the same stainless steel soleplate - include pivoting and long power cords - are notably heavy for even pressing - produce strong volumes of steam both horizontally and vertically - have large and easy-to-fill water reservoirs - include a self-clean feature For our take, the only real notable benefit of the DW9081 is a clear indicator area at the top of the handle that lights up in green showing the actual fabric setting based on the temperature dial. Is that worth twice the price?