I have been using my beloved Bernette ProGlide Plus for over 20 years. What a great iron. Much better than the Rowenta I had prior to that, which was more expensive but used to spit. (I had bought my Rowenta around 1984. Rowentas weren't made in China back then, so that can't be the excuse for its unsatisfactory performance.)
Today, I was working on my coat, pressing open the seam allowance between the lining and the wool outer shell. I had pressed almost half of the long seam when I set the iron down to readjust the seam on the tailoring board. I set it down on the narrow end of the ironing board. Or so I thought. In fact, I missed the board entirely. Oops. It landed on some plastic bags on the tile floor and I had to act quickly to avoid a real mess.
My reliable iron was broken. The sole plate was hanging away from the handle - the plastic anchoring it had split.
What did I do?
I did what any determined sewist would do. I jammed the sole plate back as best I could. It didn't work too well, but I had to finish pressing that seam! I did finish, but the coat got drenched for my trouble - the iron was leaking everywhere.
Harumph.
I got in the car and headed for the nearest brick and mortar that might have an iron that would suffice. Target. They had only one iron, out of many, that lacked auto-shutoff. I bought the $10 Black and Decker and brought it home, filled the reservoir, and fired it up.
It's awful. I had heard that these irons weren't too bad, but I guess I am spoiled. This one leaks. It doesn't get hot enough, and it's so lightweight that it's barely there. Every sewist knows that a heavy iron is an effective iron.
Eventually I want to get a Digital Velocity iron. It's in my wishlist at Amazon, but it's a pricey little number. Are there cheaper, but good, non-gravity-feed irons available that aren't ruined with an auto-shutoff feature?
Please let me know. :)
I have a Shark iron which I love. It does have auto shut-off, but the time span is quite long. And, unlike the Black & Decker iron I bought and returned before this, you can fuse interfacing (pressing up and down without gliding) without it shutting off.
ReplyDeleteThis iron heats up quite rapidly, puts out a fair bit of steam, and has a blast of steam feature that I really like. It also has a neat little heat gauge that shows how hot the iron is, so even if if it has shut off, it might not have cooled off dramatically.
I am pretty fond of this iron.
I have a Laura star it is amazing. Cost a bit but mine is 9 years old now and going strong.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.laurastar.com.au/
I bought a Black & Decker once and HATED it! UGH! I also have a Shark (w/auto-shut off) and like the way it presses. It shuts off way too early (I must have a different one than neighbourhood.gal) but the steam and pressure are great! good luck in your hunt :)
ReplyDeleteI had that B&D POS from Target. And HATED it, too. So much that I threw it in the trash (luckily not out the window, but it was close). That thing wouldn't press a hanky. I ended up with a Rowenta but it does shut off all the dang time.
ReplyDeleteGuess you get what you pay for? I know I did.
You did what I would have done in the circumstances. I have a gravity feed, so I'm no help. I wonder if the Target iron didn't heat up enough to make steam, that there is something wrong with it. Maybe try another?
ReplyDeleteShams - OT - Did you know that there is now an Au Bonheur...pattern company on Pattern Review? Do we have you to thank? You might consider editing your reviews from Other to Au Bonheur...or then you might not :-)
ReplyDeleteWish we could convince Au Bonheur to offer downloaded patterns to their friends across the sea. I got my order very quickly, that's for sure! But downloading would eliminate a lot of revenue for the postal organizations, that's for sure!
I bought a Black and Decker a few years ago but it was a little more expensive. It has lots of vent holes for steam, auto off that takes quite some time to time out, is heavy, and heats up to temp quickly. It is one of the better irons I have had. It steams a a great deal, is easy to fills, doesn't spit, and doesn't leak. I have been very dissatisfied with Rowentas and others I have bought.
ReplyDeletemy sympathy on the loss of your friend, Rowenta! I have a B&D Classic all shiny chrome and a metal sole plate... have had it for quite a few years... it does not shut off automatically and gets plenty hot for fusing. The amount of steam it generates is adequate. It is my back-up iron for when my Rowenta is waiting for parts ... as when the cat knocks it off the ironing board... good luck!
ReplyDeleteI've heard good things about the Reliable irons but I don't have one myself. I agree about the Rowenta's though, I was seriously disappointed. I have a Naomoto, which I adore, but it is even more expensive than the Reliable Digital Velocity. I bought it years ago when my ancient Sussman fell and broke for the last time, although in my case it was a feline-inflicted injury to the iron.
ReplyDeleteI actually like Rowentas and I can still find models which do not have auto shut-off. Also, since this seems to be a misconception everywhere: my last 4 Rowentas (yes I replace my iron every 3-5 years) have all been made in GERMANY, including the Focus model (DZ5075) I bought a few months ago at Jo*Ann's.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the support, folks! Yes, this B&D is truly awful - I don't think it can handle fusible interfacings and I will need a better solution sooner rather than later.
ReplyDeleteMeredith, yes I was the one who petitioned for Deepika to add Au Bonheur. It took some months, but it finally happened. I still haven't gone back yet to change my reviews, but I will at some point. I'm so glad you've taken the plunge to buy a few!
I recently replaced my old iron with a Sunbeam "Steam master drip free" that I bought with a $5-off coupon at Bed Bath & Beyond. The price before discount was $29.99, and I saw it later for the same price at Joann's, where I might have gotten a better deal if I had just used my head ... So far, I really like this iron! I think it's worth my recommendation.
ReplyDeletethe vermont country store sells an "old time" all metal iron that i want to try, as the weight alone will help to press well, and i assumne it does not an automatic shutoff.worth a try! thank you for your blog!
ReplyDeleteI'm seriously disappointed with how many auto-shutoff irons there are. Why are the MFG's so enamoured with this feature. I had one that I threw away. It doubled my ironing time. I don't remember the brand, but I vowed to buy used irons at garage sales before I'd buy another autoshutoff.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Bev. While auto-shutoff might be ok for one of the 30-minute sewists (bless their hearts for making do with what time increments they have), I often sew *all day or all evening*. An auto shut off iron would make.me.insane.
ReplyDeleteLike a front-seat airbag, it should be disable-able. :)
I have a lovely collection of estate sale irons. No steam, though. Forget the Vermont Store iron-it's cheap Chinese stuff.
ReplyDeleteOh, :(
ReplyDeletesorry you lost your beloved iron... maybe if it's so sturdy (they really built 'em to last, obviously, 20yrs must be a record!!!) you could get it repaired?
I had to laugh at your mercy dash to target, and I understand completely! When you're on a sewing roll, nothing but nothing will stand in the way! A half-ironed seam? Unbearable!
I thought I was the only one who had a spitting Rowenta. I've had good luck with my Shark iron, but they have the auto shut-off, which can be a pain as you know.
ReplyDeleteAwwww, I am so sorry. My Bernette lost a battle with my children about 10 years ago. They poured liquid starch into it thinking they were helping me out. Thanks goodness it was unplugged, but it was ruined. I still think it was the best overall iron I ever had. Bought 2 Rowentas. Both went back for warranty work and I was never happy. Bought a europro steam generator and it was wonderful for about 5 years, when it started to spit. I finally gave in and got a Laura Starr. It's okay, but I liked the Europro better for the $$. DH has since fixed the Europro and I use it occassionally just to make sure it's still working. And I will gladly return to the EP when/if the LS poops out.
ReplyDeleteI recently bought a Bernette Pro Glide Plus at an auction in Fairfield, IA. Couldn't wait to try it. Wish I had an owner's manuel, but the fiddling around with it I did showed me a wonderful steam iron. I love it. I have a Rowenta Effective that is wonderful, but I've had it for three years, and when it doesn't work anymore, I'll use the Bernette.
ReplyDelete