NJ Quilter

I'm a Rowenta fan as well. I think the trick with most steam irons is to make sure you are also putting in the correct water. Some are designed for use with tap water; some for use with distilled. I have both. It seems to make a difference in how long they last. I've had my Rowenta (tap water) for about 10 years and my EuroPro (distilled) for almost as long. Both still perform admirably.

Marsha333

I love my Reliable Velocity because you can keep it at steam ready feature. So many irons now have the safety feature where they automatically shut off unless you shake them every so often. When I am in the groove I want it ready all day.

Marsha333

Speaking of irons--I am not always careful when using fusibles and the bottom of my iron was a mess. Someone had posted a tip I will share again if you have not heard it, but the Mr. Clean magic eraser will clean the bottom plate like nothing else.

ManiacQuilter2

I bought a new Rowenta at Costco. No spiting and really great steam. I think it is a Pro Master too.

Annie Pearl

Jus the Black and Decker Digital Advantage iron. It makes lots of steam and gets very hot. I have been very satisfied. I bought it from Amazon.com for about $50.

AliKat

Whatever is about $19 is my favorite. My Black & Decker lasted almost forever and I just had to replace it. Got a Tfal on sale. both are good. I do have one iron that doesn't ever get any water in it so it is never incontinent.

Onebyone

Lowe's in my town has the Black and Decker Classic with no auto shut off. Tuesday Mornings will sometimes have the Rowenta's made in Germany. Rowenta is now made in China. The company was sold a few years ago so the quality has gone down drastically.

athomenow

I have the Black and Decker classic and it works great. No shut off and it's the best for all day sewing. I have another Black and Decker that does have a shut off and some times I use it for ironing big quilts or pieces of material. I have a Rowenta that I also like for regular ironing but it takes too long to reheat so isn't good for sewing. I also have another Rowenta that leaks so maybe I'll try the spray bottle technique and use it more often.

citruscountyquilter

I rarely use steam and never do for quilting. I have a Black and Decker iron that was around $25. It has a shiny metal sole plate that is easily cleaned with a Mr Clean eraser. Use it wet on a cold iron. I accidentally got plastic from a bag all over the sole plate of my hot iron. I found a tip to put the iron in the freezer to harden the plastic and chip it off. I didn't have room in my freezer so instead set my iron on a bed of ice cubes. It took some effort but the plastic did chip off and I was able to use my iron again.

SittingPretty

I bought a T-fal, too, at Sears, and I love it. Great steam, but it does have that dog gone shutoff feature, too. It does seem to heat up really fast after it shuts off, tho.