Ironing may be the Marmite of household chores. But, love it or loathe it, unless you want to look like you’ve slept on a park bench, you can’t avoid it. British company Swan, which sold its first iron in 1933, has just released a top-of-the-range steam generator iron, for £279.99. But does it really make things easier? Tessa Cunningham finds out. SUPER STEAMER . Swan SI9031N Steam Generator Iron, £279.99, swan-brand.co.uk . If you loathe ironing enough to splash out almost £300, then Swan’s luxury model could be the one for you. It cut my ironing time by half. It’s usually my least favouite chore, but when testing this one, I got to work in front of Poldark and was done within 20 minutes. Because all the water is in the separate 1,000ml generator tank, the iron itself is lightweight. The steam is forced out of the generator through a hose into the iron, shooting out at 90g per minute — twice as fast as conventional steam irons (think of the difference in power between jet-washing and using a hosepipe) — cutting through creases quicker. As well as being more powerful, it also produces twice as much steam, making shorter work of wrinkles. On the downside, despite the investment, you get only a two-year guarantee. 3/5 . PRECISION PERFECT . Philips Easy Speed Plus, £29.50, amazon.co.uk . The big selling point of this pretty aqua blue iron is the precision tip, which means you can get really sharp creases flat with minimum elbow grease, making it perfect for shirts and trousers. I also love the vertical steam option, which means you can smooth creases from hanging fabrics, such as curtains, by holding the iron vertically 2 in away and pressing the steam button. Steam output is 35g per minute — with a boost function of up to 120g to blast at stubborn creases. Impressive for the price. 4/5 . BARGAIN BUY . Swan Steam Iron SI1001ON, £19.99, argos.co.uk . This does an adequate job and you get a lot for your money — including a generous 350ml water tank and variable steam control, which means you can opt for continuous steam at 40g per min or a 140g per minute shot of steam. But it’s so heavy, at 1.3kg, that I’m in danger of developing muscles like Popeye if I keep using it. And while the dolphin-shaped nose helps me reach tricky areas, such as around shirt buttons, it makes the iron look downright ugly. I also found the soleplate scaled up quickly. 2/5 . POWER HOUSE . Braun TexStyle 7 TS755, £49.99, johnlewis.com . This looks like a fighter jet, and is so heavy (1.3kg empty and 1.65kg when the water tank is full) it makes ironing even more of an effort. On the plus side, the ergonomic handle is easy to hold. I also like the way the cable is 2.5m long — useful if you can’t get near a plug. It’s impressively powerful. Steam shoots out at 50g per minute and the precision shot also releases steam at 170g per minute. 3/5 . LIGHTWEIGHT PRO . Russell Hobbs Autosteam Pro Iron, £19.99, argos.co.uk . One of the cheapest irons I tried, this is beautifully lightweight at 1.14kg despite having a large 320ml water tank. There are lots of functions such as a non-stick soleplate and a vertical steam option. You also get a generous two-metre cord. But it falls down on the one job I’m paying for — ironing. Although it is supposed to be non-drip, it leaked at low temperatures and left unsightly marks on my silk shirt. 2/5 . VALUE FOR MONEY . Philips PerfectCare Pure Steam Generator, £119.99, robertdyas.co.uk . The nearest rival to the Swan iron and less than half the price, this is fantastic value for a top-range model bursting with extras. I normally dread ironing my grandmother’s thick linen table cloth, but I removed every crease in seconds with no effort. It’s all thanks to the impressive 1.5-litre water reservoir which pumps out high-pressure steam at 110g per minute. And the soleplate is designed so steam is distributed evenly — meaning fewer strokes and speedy ironing. The manufacturer boasts that you never need to change the settings as it creates the perfect temperature level whether you are ironing silk PJs or kids’ jeans. I tried it — and it was true. You also get a five-year guarantee. 5/5 . CORDLESS POWER . Tefal Freemove FV9970, £79.99, johnlewis.com . Tefal is hugely proud of its cordless iron. And with good reason. The base recharges the iron during each rest period, which means there is no cord getting in your way, and the control panel lets you know when you need to recharge. It’s powerful, too — delivering an impressive 180g per minute shot of steam. The handy steam on-demand trigger got rid of stubborn creases in my partner’s shirts. It also has a vertical steam option. I used it to blast away creases in a dress that had been hanging in my wardrobe for too long — much easier than dragging out the ironing board. If you’re happy to pay over the odds to dispense with a cord, this is a great option. 3/5 . TURBO STEAM . Tefal Ultimate Anti-Calc FV9603, £69.99, argos.co.uk . Lots of impressive features here — such as a unit which collects all the limescale from your iron. A turbo steam function delivers a mighty 200g per minute jet of steam and an anti-drip mechanism cuts down on the chances of water leaking. But this iron is too darn heavy: a stonking 1.5kg when empty; once the 350ml tank is full, it’s like lifting a brick. On the plus side, it provides the perfect excuse to hand over the ironing to my partner. 3/5 .
British company Swan has unveiled a new £279.99 super steam iron . But can it really speed up the household chore everyone dreads? Tessa Cunningham puts the best steam irons to the test .