First Look: Philips Compact Steam Station GC7920/20

The statements in question were that Philips’ Compact Steam Station GC7920/20 would a) provide of 90 minutes’ steam and b) “never burn any ironable fabric”.

Indeed, an hour-and-a-half later there was still water in the tank, so score one for Philips. But what about the “no burns” guarantee? I popped down to the op-shop and picked up a couple of $2 skirts, then swung by a hardware store for a fire extinguisher.

The denim skirt was 100 percent cotton – a hardy textile that can withstand high temperatures for prolonged periods, so I subjected it to 10 minutes of high-intensity ironing. I then grabbed the second skirt – a shiny, synthetic monstrosity that looked like it’d melt in the sunshine – and plonked the iron down. With many other irons, the soleplate would’ve been sizzling and the fabric scorched, but the skirt was unscathed. Score two for Philips!

Tips to make ironing a breeze:

• Keep your iron’s soleplate clean and descale the tank periodically – the user manual will explain what to do.
• If your ironing board is on its last legs, a new cover might smooth things over until you can invest in a quality set-up.
• Check your clothing’s care tags. It takes longer for an iron to cool down than it does to heat up, so start by ironing delicate or lightly creased fabrics first, or those that require a cool iron. Then move on to sturdier items or those that can handle a hotter iron.