jtjackson's Full Review: Black & Decker AS200 Iron with Auto Shut-off
My old B&D iron had finally just about had it. The metal plate on the bottom was getting worn and ragged, so I decided it was time to dump it. Having been happy with the old B&D, I kept B&D on the shortlist.
Target is where I buy stuff like this. I narrowed down to this and one other B&D based on price, features, etc. The AS200 looked like the right choice. It's light enough, and the rated wattage was as high as my old one, so it should be hot enough. I regularly used the button to shoot a blast of steam, and this iron had that. In addition, it has a self-cleaning feature. Of course, in retrospect, I never looked at my old iron and thought, "Gee, I wish you were self-cleaning."
Unfortunately, I'm not happy with this iron for three reasons.
First, the wheel to set the heat settings is positioned very poorly. I find myself moving it by accident quite frequently when I pick up the iron. Perhaps it's because my hands are too big (I'm a 6 foot tall, 200 pound man), but it's very annoying to pick it up, hear that telltale series of rapid clicks, and put it back down to reset the temperature.
Second, the steam that shoots out when I press the steam button frequently includes some drops of water. Yes, I'm pressing the steam button, not the squirt-of-water button. Yes, the iron is set to a setting high enough to make steam. Yes, I've let the iron heat up. It still shoots out some liquid, non-steamy water.
Third, I have to refill the tank to often. It seems large. Actually, it seems larger than my old iron. I don't have my old iron (or the part number or manual) to check the capacity, so maybe I inadvertently bought an iron with a smaller tank. Perhaps I shouldn't complain about this - it could be completely a personal issue.
Outside of that, I get my clothes ironed with this iron. I figure the drops of water will dry without any major negative impact to the overall ironed-ness of my clothes. It's light enough for me, too.
I thought about returning it, but by the time I realized that I wasn't going to get used to the things I didn't like, the return period had run out.
This Black Decker SteamXpress iron pairs clean lines with essential functions including steam and spray options multiple heat settings and a convenien...More at Target
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