I purchased this iron last weekend to replace a good old-fashioned Sunbeam which gave us just about 20 years of service, taking me through my days as a bachelor to the present. I haven't paid a lot of attention to irons over the years, and when the time came to replace my old soldier, I was shocked at how much irons had change. The irons of a few years ago were heavy and solid. The shelves holding the irons in the Sear store I shopped at reminded me more of athletic shoes than irons, white, with designs and patterns, with black soles and hi-tech designs.

I finally settled on the Black and Decker model after reviewing several different offerings from Kenmore, Rowenta, and Hamiliton Beach. All of the mid-to-high priced irons appeared to have good potential, but the Black and Decker offered features that were just slightly better than the rest, such as a horizontal and vertical shot of steam, which were not offered than the competition. In addition, the Black and Decker had an intangible, sturdy feel to it. A magnified setting dial is a neat idea, especially for the vision-impaired, and is not found on any of the competition's models.

After a week's worth of daily ironing, I am impressed with how this iron goes about it's business, it heats quickly and evenly, and the non-stick surface is first-rate, truly living up to the description of non-stick. Afterwards, the iron cools quickly and is easily stored with little chance of water leaking or spilling.

All in all, I am highly impressed, and have yet to find anything negative to say about this product.



Recommended: Yes