Tefal Protect Plus GV9460G0 5.5 Bar Steam Generator, Anti-Calc, 1.8 Litre Water Tank

If you are looking at an iron that costs this much money, you must be someone who does a fair amount of ironing. And you want some serious features for your money. I hope this review gives you the facts to decide if this iron is for you.

First impressions are good. The box seems huge when it arrives from Amazon, but when unpacked the unit itself is surprisingly compact. It also looks fantastic - like something from an alien spaceship! I looked for a massive instruction manual - and there was none. Just a small leaflet. This is NOT a criticism, it is testament to how easy this iron is to use.

To get started, you have the handle in the vertical position (as shown on the main picture). In this setting you can carry the iron around (not too heavy when empty of water) and the cover is locked over the iron itself, keeping it secure. You can also pull out the water tank, which is the large purple wedge you can see at the opposite end to the iron. A big opening makes it easy to fill, and then just slide back into place.

The power cord is retracted into the unit and you pull it out like a vacuum cleaner (it retracts at the push of a button) - the photos show a euro plug, but don't worry, it's a UK one. Turn on the on/off switch and a green light starts flashing - after 2 minutes it glows steadily and the steam is ready.

Press a release button at the base of the handle and fold it forwards over the water tank, opening the cover over the iron. The temperature controls are on the iron itself, whist the steam control is a simple dial on the silver panel at the end. Here is the first advantage over a normal iron: since the steam is generated in the unit, it does not depend on the temperature of the iron to produce it. So, whilst my normal iron stops producing steam below a "2 dot" setting, this can produce steam at any temperature.

The iron itself is a nice easy weight - not having to carry the water tank inside it (this is the second advantage over a normal iron). I did not get tired or sore in the wrist even after using this solidly for 90 minutes. Tefal claim that the coating on the base is "catalytic" to eliminate impurities in the water - I have no idea how this might work! However, the soleplate is certainly smooth and runs easily over the fabric.

The steam pipe from the unit to the iron is nice and long (about 2 metres) so I was able to put the unit on the kitchen workbench and easily reach the length of my board. I would suggest that you need somewhere solid like this to put the unit - unless you buy one of those special boards with an extra large end plate. The pipe is attached to the iron using Tefal's patented connection, which means the cord emerges at an upward angle - this keeps it from trailing over the clothes and works very well.

To produce steam, you just pull up the 'trigger' which sits underneath the handle - you do this naturally as you grip the handle. This is another advantage over my traditional iron. Normally, when using full steam (e.g., for quilt covers) I either have to keep switching the steam on and off, or put up with the iron steaming away on its stand each time I put it down. Not with this iron. As you release the handle, the steam cuts off, and you start it again as you pick it up.

A final advantage is how long it lasts. I ironed pretty much solidly for 90 minutes, steaming all the time, and I did not refill once. I reckon you would get almost 2 hours from one tank full. There is a warning light to tell you when it is empty and needs refilling.

When I stopped ironing, I tested the auto-cutoff, just for interest. After 8 minutes, the generator went into standby (a simple button press to revive it); after a further 8 minutes the unit shut down completely. Perfect.

Being a new iron, I have not proven the anti-calcium technology, so cannot vouch for its effectiveness. But it is certainly easy to use. There is a warning light which will flash when it is time to clean it. All you do is turn and pull a knob on the side, to release the 'calcium catcher'. You run this under the tap to clean off the build-up and put back into the unit. Done!

To be honest, there is nothing I can really find fault with on this unit. My only cautions would be:

- It's a lot of money, and unless you do at least 3-4 hours ironing a week, you are probably not getting the real benefit.
- It works best where you iron a big load at once. For quickly ironing a single shirt in the morning, this would be too much of a faff. I intend to keep this aside, for big ironing sessions on laundry, etc., and continue to use my normal iron for the one-off quick job.
- You need somewhere to put the unit whilst you iron. If you don't have a convenient arrangement of kitchen unit/table and ironing board, you will need a specialist (strong) board to hold this
- Make sure your iron is designed for steam. This means it needs to be "vented" (i.e., a mesh construction to let steam through - otherwise your board will be sopping in no time, and clothes will just get damp as you iron!
- Finally, and this might be a bit harsh, I have had a normal Tefal steam iron before, and it went wrong after only a year. I hope that was the exception, because this unit is so nice, but if anything goes wrong I will update this review to let you all know....

All in all a superb product. The design is smart and well thought-out. All the functions are easy to understand and simple to operate. The flex and steam pipe are a good length. It is simple to fill with water and neat and tidy to put away (there is even a holder for the steam pipe). The closest ironing has ever got to being a pleasure!

I keep referring to this as an iron, but it's not, it's a steam generator so apologies before you read on!

This is a huge unit (compared to a normal iron), and although it's made mostly of plastic it feels very sturdy. It is really two units - the iron itself and the main base/steam generator. The iron is connected via a hose (for the steam obviously!) the main base has a handy carry handle on it which is useful when it's full of water as it's moderately heavy.

Due to the size, it can store a lot of water - certainly enough for over an hour - I got fed up ironing at that point, but there was at least half a tank left. However it also means that you need somewhere to store the base while ironing - ideally a table/work surface

It warms up pretty quickly so you are ready to go straight away and there is a standby feature although I didn't use it but I imagine this just lets you take a break while keeping it ready to go.

Actually using the iron I didn't really notice much difference with a conventional iron while doing shirts, although it seems a bit more fluid to use. On doing trousers or jeans though it really came into its own. The creases on pants looked really sharp and I find that jeans can normally be a bit fiddly but this just did them with ease and they looked really good once done. I also think it reduced the time I spent ironing but this is more of a subjective feeling as I didn't time anything! It was very impressive and I liked the results. While it isn't going to make me like ironing, it's certainly not the chore it once was and the Tefal makes it a quicker, almost production line process.

One thing to be aware of is the noise though. I normally have the TV on when ironing, and I had to turn it up significantly due to the noise that the steam generation makes. Not a big issues but one to be aware of.

The other thing I'm struggling with is where to keep it when not in use - not only is it a big piece of kit, it's also a strange shape to store. I currently have it out of sight in the spare bedroom!

Overall, this is expensive (certainly compared to a normal iron) but I really do think it's worth the extra as it's a well designed, well thought out and impressive "iron" that makes it so much easier and seems to cut down the time spent ironing. Recommended.

I have owned a top of the range tefal steam generator for many years, replacing as and when needed. There has always been one little thing or another that I have not been totally happy with........ however this model has blown me away completely. Excellent ironing, I have just completed an over flowing basket of ironing and I still have a 1/4 tank of water left!!!

Now, all they need to do to improve on this model is to show the iron the ironing and it will do it for you :)