Danger, Man Ironing
In my house, I'm the one who irons. It only makes sense, since 90% or more of what needs pressing here is comprised of my shirts. Fortunately (or unfortunately), shirts are among the easiest things to iron, so I can't justify the cost of professional cleaning and choose to do it myself.

Biting the Bullet
When my wife and I married 10 years ago, we both came equipped with an iron. Between an overabundance of shirts (I've been wearing the same size for over 20 years and accumulate shirts at a slightly slower rate than I lose hair), an engineering job (system software engineers with pressed shirts lose credibility quickly), and my preference for virtually any activity but ironing, these have lasted until recently. Finally, after several years in sales, the Black and Decker model I'd had since college got too hot to hold during use and needed replacing.

Rowenta P2 Professional Iron
Knowing nothing about irons, I picked up the Rowenta as a heavy-duty replacement at a local discount warehouse. I liked the spray, steam, burst of steam, anti-drip, and auto-off features described on the package. The fact that it was made in a land of engineers like Germany appealed to the gear-head in me. I also liked the clear reservoir, since running out of water during long sessions is a frequent problem for me. I always use tap water anyway, but at least this iron likes it. Finally I liked that the steam and temperature settings can be adjusted independently.

Marathon Ironing Sessions
Through a judicious use of sweaters (yes, I sometimes only iron the collars), t-shirts (carefully managed, I can get more than one use out of a shirt between washings), and the general abundance of fabric in my closet, I can go many weeks between ironing sessions. By the time I finally get around to it, I can blow a whole weekend ironing. The Rowenta is great for these long sessions. The weight isn't a problem for me and the large sole-plate makes quick work of acres of cotton. Since I have smaller (but highly mobile) kids in the house I'm a fan of the auto-off features. I'm often called away suddenly for some emergency and who knows how long it will take before I get back to the iron.

That Darn Water Tank Opening
Given the way I iron (long periods of glaciation followed by sudden global warming), the difficulty presented by the opening for the water reservoir causes me one of the few problems I have with this device. As many other reviewers have noted, the unit is hard to fill. The reservoir is small enough that I'm having to refill it frequently during my ironing weekends. I use a sport water bottle to minimize the problem, but either it takes longer than I like or I spill.

The other consequence of a small opening is that the unit is hard to drain. Between marathon sessions if I want to add a bit of water to make steam so I can iron a few collars, I then have to drain it again or risk rust. Of course, given the tedium of this task I don't always get to it, and of course given Murphy's Law, my wife invariably chooses to use the iron during the few times I've made this mistake. Hell hath no fury...

Big Foot
The other limitation that I only run into when ironing little people's pleats is that the tip of the iron is rounded. My previous iron, though smaller, had a sharp point at the end that made ironing neatly up under pleats a snap. My large shirts aren't much of an issue, but for little items this iron is a bit too large.

Reliable So Far
Unlike some other unfortunate reviewers I've not had any reliability issues. This iron keeps on going like some bunnies we know. I've been using spray starch to help with the nasty wrinkles that develop and set during the weeks between ironing sessions and haven't had any trouble cleaning up the sole-plate when necessary. Of course, I tolerate a slightly messier sole-plate than my wife, so though she only uses it occasionally, she cleans it about as often as I do. Gotta love it.

Worth It?
Given the life-span of our earlier irons, I'm expecting this unit to last long enough that my investment will work out to pennies (if that) per shirt over its lifetime. Compared to a buck-and-a-half per shirt at a cleaners, it paid for itself in two to three months. Other than the hydration issues and size challenge with small items, it's a pleasure to use.

Recommended: Yes