The Knowhow
Steam causes heat and moisture to penetrate deeply into fabric fibres making it more flexible so easier to remove wrinkles. A steam generator iron is simply one which sits on a separate water boiler. Steam from the boiler is pushed through a pipe into the iron with more pressure than a standard iron so it penetrates the fabric fibres more effectively and easily.
The extra steam is enough to reduce ironing by half the time it takes with a conventional model. Steam output is indicated in grams per minute (g/min), different models can vary from 70 to 140g/min. The pressure is measured in bar - the higher the pressure, the deeper the steam penetrates into the fabric, leading to a better ironing result.
What pressure:
There are two different types of steam generator iron; pressurised and non pressurised. While both options generally deliver similar steam outputs, a pressurised system gives the steam an extra ’push’ as it leaves the soleplate - so pushing the steam deeper into the garments fibres letting you remove the creases more easily.
The non pressurised system offers similar steam rates but at a gentler rate. Because of this, non pressurised products tend to be at a lower price and could be the perfect choice if you are buying your first steam generator iron.
What to look for:
- Steam generators have a big water reservoir but if you do a lot of ironing look for one with a larger capacity
- The amount of holes and the position on the soleplate will make a difference to steam output
- Look for a product that has anti-scale to keep limescale under control especially if you live in a hard water area
- Choose one with an auto-off function if you are prone to leaving the iron
Now you no a bit more about what a steam generator does there’s no reason to delay and you can get on with de-creasing your ironing in super quick time.
