Rowenta: Pressed for Success
Written: Nov 27 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Incredibly effective on even the most stubborn wrinkles
Cons: Heavy, difficult to fill, expensive
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| taurusmoon's Full Review: Rowenta P2 Professional Iron Iron |
Before I sat down to write this review I asked a friend (who was complaining bitterly about my meager contribution to this site and needed appeasing) to select from a list of possible review candidates and select the topic she would want to read about.
After considering my shortlist of small appliances for a moment or two she asked me the most unlikely question. “Have you ever used any of them as a weapon?”
Odd. A coffeemaker, an espresso machine and an iron. As a weapon? What on earth could ever possess her to inquire about turning these innocent items into implements of destruction? But then I remembered.
“Actually yes. Okay, almost. I was tempted to hit my other half over the head with the Rowenta P2 Professional Iron this morning. Does that count?”
And the rest is… Well, the rest is his story…
“Honey, can you iron me a shirt?”
I can’t begin to tell you how I stiffen up when I hear those seven seemingly innocent words. Starch? Who needs it? I bolt straight upright, my temples throbbing and my eyes popping out of my head whenever that all too familiar tune is sung.
“Honey, can you iron me a shirt?”
That simple, poorly constructed sentence has the power to turn a mild mannered advertising executive into a raging lunatic. No need for steam. There’s enough coming out of my ears.
“Honey, can you iron me a shirt?”
I hear it just about every morning. You would think that after nearly two years I’d be better able to cope. I can’t.
“Honey, can you iron me a shirt?”
“Excuse me, do I look like a maid to you? Do it yourself.”
“I can’t. It just doesn’t come out right when I do it.”
“…expletives deleted…”
“You don’t want me to go to work looking like a slob do you?”
Cue non-verbal communication…
She: Blank stare
He: Raised eyebrows
She: Arms crossed
He: Head angled to one side
She: Loud exhalation
He: Protruding lower lip
“Give me that…bleep… shirt already!”
So easy even a 43-year-old man can use it.
It doesn’t come out right when I do it my arsenic. I’m sorry, I can’t help but spit venom when I ponder that statement. There is no easier iron on the planet with which to achieve consistently admirable results. I use it with little effort. My teenaged son, who is hardly the poster child for domestic achievement uses it (on the mangled clothes he manages to unearth from some archaeological dig he’s conducting in his room) with little effort. Why can’t a 43-year-old sales professional manage to do the same?
Because he’s a lot smarter than we are.
Way back before the old $20 Sunbeam drenched its last ironing board he had a legitimate excuse. That iron was as effective on wrinkles as a jackhammer is on alleviating a migraine headache. But its replacement, the Rowenta, is in a class by itself. A class that Mr. If I Pretend To Be Hopeless She’ll Continue to Iron My Shirts For Me refuses to attend. Oh sure, he’s made a show of attempting to iron his own shirts. But the wrinkled patches that were strategically allowed to remain on his shirts amidst an otherwise pristine palette of crisp cotton were none too convincing. Neither was the whimpering about having to leave his jacket on all day because I made him iron his own shirt.
So, why do I relent when I should be letting him use all that hot air to steam his clothes? For one thing, it’s a lot easier than listening to a grown man whine. But honestly, (and don’t you ever let him know I admitted this) the P2 Professional is truly a pleasure to use. Of course, I could sing its praises to his deaf ears until I’d need to inhale some of its glorious steam to ease my sore throat. But alas, he’d just pull that old “eyes glazed over pretending he doesn’t get it” trick.
I’ll assume that you probably are not looking for a way out of this often tedious household chore, but, more likely, are interested in a way to make it less onerous. I’m giving up on convincing him how wonderful this appliance is. Perhaps I can convince you.
You light up my life.
Sometimes the simplest things are a huge turn on. Sometimes a turn on can be a huge turn on. In this case both are true. Just by plugging this iron in and turning it on, you can spot one of its great features: lights.
As soon as you turn the dial to one of the three temperature settings a light shines to tell you the unit is on. Another light turns on to tell you it’s warming up. The power light flashes to let you know that the auto-off feature is about to be activated (more on that later) then shuts off if you’ve ignored it. The temperature light goes out to tell you that the soleplate has reached the optimal degree of warmth for the fabric you’ve selected. As you iron, the heating action pauses until the unit senses that the temperature may be lacking. Then the light goes back on and the iron kicks it back up a notch. (You never have to worry about the iron getting too hot unless you switch fabrics without adjusting the setting.)
So, what’s the big deal about lights? Have you ever brushed up against a hot iron not knowing that it was plugged in and ready to barbecue your flesh? Have you ever touched the soleplate of an iron to see if it was hot enough only to find out that it indeed was? I have. More than once. Okay, so I’m not quite as bright as Pavlov’s dogs. Maybe that’s why I get suckered into doing all the ironing.
No, I’m not interested in aluminum siding, thank you.
Why is it that the phone can be silent all day, but insists upon ringing the moment you get in the ironing groove? By the time you manage to rid yourself of that unwanted call you might just return to the ironing board to find total disaster staring you in the face. You start wondering how to recover from the aftermath of that inopportune phone call. You can dye the white shirt brown to cover the huge burn mark in the back and attempt to convince your significant other to consider a career as a UPS carrier. But, what can you do about the very noticeable odor of singed schnauzer? And, can anyone ever figure out how to turn those annoying smoke detectors off?
The Rowenta P2 Professional anticipates trouble before it happens. Its 3-way auto-off feature senses when you’ve been distracted and reacts based on the position of the iron at the time of abandonment. Leave your iron face down and it turns itself off in 30 seconds. Likewise with a very dangerous sideways tip-over. It does cut you some slack when you leave it on its heel. It allows you a full 8 minutes to argue with that telemarketer before it gives up on you. If you’re particularly forgetful or share your household with unaware pets and/or children or even adult males who won’t take over when the phone rings, this feature can literally be a lifesaver.
Ooooh, you get me so hot and steamy!
I apologize for that header. I was hoping that maybe I could lure you-know-who into learning a little about the iron. Can’t blame me for trying, can you? But, seeing as how you’re the one reading this and he’s probably avoiding the issue completely by lying on the couch with the remote control in his hand flicking back and forth between Monday Night Football, some formulaic action film and the History Channel (is there any difference between them, really?) I’ll go back to telling you about the marvelous features of this iron.
Where was I? Oh yes, hot and steamy. Never have I used an iron that does a better job of generating and disbursing steam. Unlike many similar appliances, this model (when in the highest temperature setting – which I use often considering the number of 100% cotton shirts with which I am confronted) produces a continuous cloud of steam that allows the larger-than-average soleplate to glide effortlessly across the fabric, leaving an amazingly crisp expanse of fabric in its wake. For areas that require creasing, there’s a powerful burst of steam trigger that does the trick. This does a wonderful job on collars and cuffs. And, although I’ve yet to put it to the test, I’m convinced it would do an outstanding job pressing out seams for home sewing projects (a challenge I’ve faced in the past with lesser irons).
For those of you who steam on the run, the iron can also be used as a vertical steamer on hanging clothes or even window treatments. The owner’s manual cautions users to “never iron clothes while they are being worn.” I’m going to withhold comment on that.
Prefer a shower to a sauna? A second button allows you to spray as you go. Don’t like it wet? Steam can be turned down or off with a flick of a lever. In fact, a feature unique to this model is the anti-drip system that prevents water leakage when the soleplate is set at a temperature too cool to produce steam. If you’ve ever ruined a silk blouse this way, you know how valuable a feature this is.
Don’t feed me, I’m on the Atkins Diet.
Every other iron I’ve ever owned required tons of starch to keep it going. But, like any machine that gets juiced up on carbs, it tends to crash after a short time. The soleplate gets gunked up and, with all that excess baggage, the iron has a hard time getting around.
I’m so pleased to report that I’ve kept the Rowenta on the Atkins Diet: absolutely no starch at all. And, after several months the results are amazing. It keeps gliding along with its steam jets clean and clear never once needing that carbohydrate high. The steam output is enough to press out stubborn wrinkles without the addition of any starch. Unfortunately, the diet hasn’t done much to alleviate the iron’s weight problem.
Pumping Iron
I love this iron. Really I do. And, I’d love to give it a five star rating. But, I can’t. Why? Far be it from me to cast any stones in this direction, but it’s just too heavy.
I suppose they don’t call it an iron for nothing, but I’ve done curls with far less weight. As with any weight-training program you get accustomed to the resistance after a while. In fact, during a recent hotel stay, I used the same old Sunbeam I used to own and nearly took out an eye because it was too easy for me to lift. But, what if your only goal is a nicely pressed wardrobe and a physical fitness program never crossed your mind? What if you never intend to lift anything heavier than a television remote? (Hi, honey.) Then this iron, as fabulously as it may perform its job, may not be right for you.
Fill ‘er up
I’ve tried to convince the Rowenta that the key to successful weight loss is drinking lots of water. After all, how will it have the energy to produce all that lovely steam without it? But, although we both know how important the water is to the iron’s well-being and proper function, it insists on making it difficult for me to administer it. With all the thought that went into the design of this machine, it amazes me how difficult it is to get water to flow from the kitchen tap into the iron’s inlet. Far more water spills out than manages to fill the reservoir. I’ve tried using a funnel to aid in the task but I can’t seem to fit even its diminutive throat into the P2 Professional’s narrow opening. I’ve found that an antique oil flask (with a tiny spout) does the trick, yet I’m sure that not every household is thus equipped.
I assume there’s logic behind this design. I must say that little or no water sloshes or drips out once it’s finally made its way down the iron’s gullet and the protective cover is snapped in place. Plus, the iron does a marvelous job of cleansing itself of any mineral buildup produced by its liquid diet. But, the task of filling the iron does get the chore of ironing off to a somewhat snarling start. I often delegate this task to the owner of the wrinkled shirts. I figure it’s a fair compromise.
Let’s wrap this up.
I’ve been waxing negative about this product for the last few paragraphs. It’s due some praise again.
Ah, the cord. Yes, the cord. Even the lowly power cord is a bit special. It’s built on a swivel base that allows for easy movement along the length of the garment being ironed. While the length may be shorter than ideal for those who don’t necessarily have room to set an ironing board up near an electrical outlet; we all realize the dangers of a too long cord on an appliance that runs on 1440 watts of heat-generating power. Regardless of its shortcomings, the swivel does make it easy to maneuver and a breeze to wrap around the unit for tangle-free storage.
For pressing needs only.
Are you the wash and wear kind of person who irons as often as you buy a new car? Or, is ironing an unavoidable fact of life? If you’re the former, I have to warn you this iron may inflict more sticker shock than your next automobile. Quality like this doesn’t come cheap. In fact, it lists for about $125. (I scored mine for $84.99 at Costco.)
However, if you have a pressing need to look your best, this reliable appliance is well worth the investment. You’ll be amazed at the difference it makes in the way you face this chore.
I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’m not really all that opposed to ironing those shirts. The Rowenta has really changed the nature of this task for me. I just can’t let on or who knows what he’ll expect next.
And, don’t feel too sorry for me. I have him completely convinced that I don’t have the slightest clue how to cook.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
taurusmoon
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Location: New York City
Reviews written: 40
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