I've had my Continental for almost 5 yrs, and no problems with it. I unplug it when it's not being used.

I have never found the steam holes in the bottom plate of my iron have any effect on the ability of the iron to work. So every iron is a dry iron. I never put water in mine, steaming stretches fabric.
As for leaving it plugged in, do you at least turn it off? You cannot trust the auto off functions of an iron, just takes one earth quake, cat jumping on the ironing board, clumsy person walking past to knock that iron off (hence turning it on again). Turn it OFF! Unplugging has nothing to do with the life of an iron.
tim in san jose

I too have an iron with the holes but don't use water in it either. It does like to spit sometimes and it always seemed to happen on white/light fabric so I stopped putting water in it and like others use a spay bottle. When I am doing fusible applique, I use an old iron I picked up at a "junque" shop that does not have the steam holes. Much better for fusing. I too always turn my iron off if I am not going to use it for a while and always, always unplug it when I leave my studio (not attached to the house) for any reason. I know I would forget it sometime otherwise. It's a habit I want to keep going.

If your iron spits water make sure the water us hit. The only time mine spits is when the water is not hot enough to make steam.

My third Continental just quit, too. I guess I'll give up on that brand, but I really like it a lot when it works.

At Amazon, the Continental is almost $9 cheaper there and they have Black and Decker and some other brands of dry irons.

Susan

That works just fine for me. Or, try an old iron without water, one that no longer steams. That works too.

I've used an older Sunbeam without steam for quite a while now. It has an automatic shut off feature which can be a nuisance at times, but the dry pressing is perfect. I've never had problems with the steam holes making an impression on the fabric.
Blessings,
Angela

If you're concerned about fabric getting caught in the steam holes, are you doing applique? If so, the Clover Wedge Iron might be good for you. It's too small to use for ironing yardage, but has a solid sole plate, and is a good size for pressing individual blocks. I've seen it for sale on Craftsy, Amazon, and Nancy's Notions, and I assume it's available elsewhere as well.

I have an GE dry iron that I have been using for 50 years, check thrift stores for one of those. I have never had any problem with it. If I need steam I just use a spray bottle. I do have steam irons, but hardly ever use them.