2.11.2018

Tefal GV9580 Pro Express Ultimate High Pressure Steam Generator, 2600 W, BlueYou have heard the saying. “All bells, whistles and flashing lights” well that is the level that the development of the steam iron has now reached...all to make life easy for the user. Tefal are now introducing the new high pressure, steam generating iron (more a work station) as the Pro Express Ultimate. I have to admit that I never realised just how many variants of steam irons are out there from basic irons to steam generators. It must be into four figures ! In this category of steam generators, Tefal alone have over 90 models so it is naturally going to be a bit confusing when it comes to selecting a new model tobuy.Clearly price has an influence and today you tend to get what you pay for if you go upmarket and buy one of the top brands that now offer so many refinements. Generally these do make life much easier for the person doing the ironing which is always to be desired. If by adding a few such features, it significantly reduces the time taken to do the job, so much the better.With the GV9580, Tefal have done that. So much in fact that it is difficult to imagine where the next development is going to come...unless they are working on the ironing robot to do the job for you ???? That's probably a few years away so until they are on the market, it is worth considering what this model will do for you.The whole unit, including the tank is quite large and tips the scales at about 5kilo but the actual iron is light and easy to use. The iron is held in place on top of the tank – it clips in at the back and there is a V shaped “wishbone” at the front that holds the tip of the iron. Once in place, the whole unit can be carried securely by the iron handle.There is a 1.90 litre tank which, depending on how much ironing there is to do, will last a considerable time and save constant refilling. If you need to top up the tank, it is easily done without any dramas during ironing without the need to unplug and cool. The power cord is a reasonable 1.7 metres and is housed inside a section under the tank. The substantial steam carrying cable which runs from the tank base to the iron is also housed around the bottom edge, again under the tank.The controls are located in two areas – on the rear of the tank base and on the top of the iron's handle. On the base there is the main On/Off button and an “OK” which flashes until the desired temperature is reached and once attained remains constant. In addition there is a steam boost button and two warning lights (for descaling and low water). On the top of the iron handle are the four main settings ECO, DELICATE, NORMAL and MAX with a MODE button to change from one to the other. Underneath the handle is the red steam boost trigger – all handy and ergonomically positioned. From a cold start it takes just 2 mins. to be ready to go.Continuous steam is available at a rate of (quoted) 180 g/min with a boost of 580 g/min which in numerical terms does not mean much but is well in excess of it's competitors and gives you considerable added power to get the job done quickly and efficiently. The powerful steam boost is well over 3 times the continuous flow which will more than handle even the stubborn jobs.The soleplate on the iron is a particular asset being easyglide and it's coating keeps it stain free. The tip of the iron is shaped to give effective access to all those hard to reach places making even the most awkward garments easy. On the side of the tank is a red cap for the calc/scale collector which is unscrewed and simply washed under the tap. This should only be done when the unit is unplugged and cold. This can be done regularly (say every third time used) or waiting until the warning light on the rear of the base flashes however regular attention will always keep the iron at it's most efficient.The unit is designed to operate with standard tap water and does not need any special arrangements unless you are in an area of very hard water then a 50/50 mixture of tap and distilled water will be fine.The iron can be used vertically on hanging garments by setting to MAX and using the steam boost. On such occasions, care is needed where the steam is pointed.These are the feature and what it will do. I have not done the ironing myself and therefore cannot claim that it works well with this fabric or that but my wife says it works like a “dream”, that she did not need to vary the setting by much and reduced the ironing time by a good third. It is nice to handle and easy to use and really that says enough but the potential purchaser needs a bit more.This is a very smart and versatile unit and is made in an attractive blue base and tank with a white top and iron. It carries a 2 year warranty as standard and since this is a substantial investment, carries a “10 year repairable” logo so it is not intended to join the rather large ranks of disposable/throw away items that we seem to have produced in recent years. Tefal clearly intend to fully support it's long term use and that should help the necessary justification to spend a large amount by spreading the cost.The unit comes with a small “User Guide” which unfortunately follows the current trend of lots of drawings without script. To add to the level of confusion which this sometime creates, the user guide covers more than one model so has to be read in conjunction with the unit close by. Having said that, anyone who has handled a steam generator will find their way around quite quickly.It is also useful to visit Tefal's website were there are lots of useful tips relative to maintaining your unit at maximum efficiency.Currently listed at £449.00, this is likely to be a major item of expenditure perhaps costing more than a washing machine and justification will be necessary however ask the person who will be using it and you might not get much choice when they see what it can do and how easy it makes ironing. I have seen the same unit on sale on another site at £570 so that might put it into perspective.

23.1.2020

We've owned a series of different steam generator irons, with the last one being a very expensive gold-coloured Philips one that we've been very happy with. But this Tefal GV9611GO Pro Express Ultimate is quite definitely in a different league price-wise. With a list price of five hundred quid you have every right to expect the best.So I was a little bit disappointed when the first thing I did was to experimentally remove the calcium deposit device from the side by unscrewing it and then found it very tricky to screw back in again. A bit of careful staring at it, figuring out where the screw thread was within the grey plastic knob and I was back in action again,but when you look at the way this particular metal scoop device is screwed together I do wonder whether it will be the first bit of this iron to need replacing. Fortunately Tefal are a company with a long history and I'm sure they'll be around if this day ever comes.One of the issues with our Philips steam generator is that it's hard to refil the reservoir with water - you certainly don't want to keep picking the whole device up and running the tap into it, so you end up having to use a jug. Not exactly a hardship, but Tefal have got around this by having a big removable reservoir for your tap water - 1.9 Litres. After a bit of jiggling it was fairly easy to remove this and refil it. I guess they make it a bit hard so it doesn't come flying out when you're carrying the whole device around.Another helpful feature of this Tefal is the iron lock - unlike on our Philips unit where there's a tiny flip-up clip to hold the iron in place during transport this Tefal has a great big locking lever that gives you more confidence when you pick the whole thing up by the iron handle.There are more controls on this iron than I'm used to, with a mode switch that clicks between five different intensity levels - our Philips iron prides itself on doing all this stuff automatically - which I'm tempted to think is a bit of emperor's new clothes - is it actually doing anything at all aside from being turned on or off? Well the Tefal gives you the ability to select modes, one of which is eco mode. It also says "Smart" which I'm guessing is the same thing my Philips iron does. Who knows. All I do know is that it irons immaculately.The actual iron bit of this device - the thing you hold in your hand and iron with - is nice and lightweight, so much so that you wonder if it will be durable in use. It has a big curved plastic assembly so you can stand it up with the soleplate up in the air, which I find to be more comforting than on my Philips iron which either rests with the soleplate on the ironing board, or back in the docking station.Our ironing board setup and the shelf next to it are conveniently close so I don't have any issues with the length of the steam hose between the base unit and the iron, but if you're making your first investment in a steam generator iron here then you do need to consider how you will site the weighty base unit.Really, few things beat the luxury of an iron like this - if you're obligated to do ironing then this is definitely the method I choose - whether it's worth paying quite this much when you can get more or less all the features for a good hundred quid less, even at discounted prices, is something only your wallet knows.One last thing - in the box I'm pretty sure a black folding plastic thing dropped out as I was unpacking - try as I might, the instructions don't tell me what it is, and Google doesn't seem to be any help. If you know what it does I'm keen to know.

2.2.2020

So we all have an iron of some sort, quite often one of a steam variety, but although they all generally do what they are meant to do how often do you find that the more capable they get the more complex they get along with all the dangers that entails to your favourite garments? Well here we have an excellent example of technology that has been thought about and implemented perfectly to actually give you more, but without the hassle of having to learn how to fly a space shuttle.Starting at the beginning with some of the practical issues of steam irons. Firstly limescale, some irons get round this by requiring ionised or distilled water to avoid an internal build up of limescale. Not this Tefal model,instead this has a removeable/cleanable limescale filter built into the water reservoir that prevents the problem occuring and therefore wants just straightforward tap water. This is combined with a 1.9 litre of water capacity meaning you can if you want have a mamoth ironing session without worrying about having to stop and refil the iron so often.The next thing that has been thought about is the ability to set the iron for different types of material such as 'delicates', 'general' etc... This is achieved simply by pressing the 'mode' button on the top of the iron handle. But here's the best part this Tefal steam iron also has a 'SMART' mode. Using this you don't need to know what category your piece of clothing falls into as the iron is able to work this out for itself. Another function that is integral to the design are sensors that allow the iron to estimate when and how much steam to use. Don't worry about pressing a button or trigger and trying to work it out for yourself instead you can simply trust the iron to figure it out for itself. Of course there is a 'trigger' on the handle that you can use to over-ride the iron if you feel you know better, but in our experience we've found the iron simply works great if you leave it to work it out for you.As for the ergonomics of the iron itself it is beautifully light and easy to handle, true it is tethered to the base by a 'steam tube' but this is not a real issue and the iron works beautifully gliding over your garments with ease. Controls are very simple. To get up and running you fill the water reservoir from your tap, then press the 'Power' button on the base unit, this will start up the steam generator which takes a minute or so to get up to working temperature which is indicated by a light flashing on the handle of the iron itself while heating. Once this stops flashing it indicates the iron is ready to go and you simply select your mode from the manual settings such as 'delicate' or do the clever thing and select 'SMART' mode. Then off you go...Steam generation is no problem for this Tefal steam iron, it is available in copious quantities if required and generated at high pressure when needed, thus providing exactly what is required for the material you are working with. The iron itself simply glides over the material leaving behind a perfect finish time after time. If you want to see it in operation please refer to the attached video...So in conclusion if you have a lot of ironing to get through and regardless of whether you enjoy it or not get this iron and make your life easier and simpler for that perfect and reliable outcome. Sure it may be a bit pricey, but anything that makes ironing easier and more reliable is worth it in my opinion :)

5.2.2020

Some steam generators involve faffing around refilling the iron every now and then. Often this involves letting the iron cool down before it's safe to add water. This Tefal GV9611G0 Pro tries to put a stop to that by having a fairly giant water tank. At nearly 2 litres, that's a lot of water. As a result, it's also pretty heavy when full. I weighed it at 4.9kg empty but 6.8kg full (so it really *does* take 1.9l of water). Construction is good, with quality materials and not a whiff of cheapness about this at all.Heating up is rapid, from cold it's ready in around 2 minutes. There's a very long steam tube, 64", and a quite short mains cable, also about 64".We noticed the steam cable got surprisingly (but not painfully hot in use), which is not something we've experienced with other steam generator irons. There's a neat locking feature on the top of the iron, which secures the iron in place for storage and transport, and the steam pipe and power lead are stowed around the base of the water tank. There was also a random piece of plastic in the box which looked like it might be some sort of clamp attachment, but it was not mentioned in the instructions and so it remained unused.There are several settings: Smart, Delicate Normal & Max Boost. Normal works just fine, with Max Boost being useful for very crumpled jeans. We found the Smart setting, which makes the steam generator respond to movement rather than require a trigger pull, did not work as well as it might have done, failing to respond to small movements and being a little laggy in use.Steam ironing was good, with a very smooth glide by the iron, which is light and easy to manoeuvre. My wife said it doesn't iron as well as her Philips steam generator, put couldn't clarify as to what the Philips does any better than this Tefal, so it might be just a matter of personal preference. I noticed a few imperfections on the non-stick finish of the base, but as this was a review sample, that may be down to our sample being a "2nd" as it were. The imperfections didn't seem to effect the performance of the iron at all, and as I said, it moved very smoothly.There's a beautifully simple calcium/scale removal tray, which there's an automated warning for, though the instructions say to clean twice a year. You just twist and pull to remove, and it's great. No purging your iron in tray, or using those filters. Tefal has got descaling sorted!My wife doesn't much care for it as she's used to her beloved Philips, but in truth, we're actually on our 3rd Philips steam generator now. They're not the most reliable. However Tefal steam generators *are* pretty reliable, and perhaps more importantly, have an excellent steam output which is better than our Philips.All in all, this is a pretty high-end steam generator, and if you have a lot of ironing to do, this will power through it with ease. However it *is* big, (and a lot of money) so bear that in mind.

15.2.2020

The Tefal GV9611 GO Pro Express Ultimate Steam Generator Iron is perfect for large families producing large loads of washing. My husband and I are foster carers and including our children we as a family number eight at present. On average I wash three full loads every day (we have an 13kg washing machine) so this amounts to a lot of washing, drying, ironing and putting away.This Tefal Steam Generator Iron makes the chore of ironing so much easier and quicker ... I have fast become a huge fan of this Steam Generator on many levels.The automatic smart steam function delivers the most effective amount of steam automatically and it's safe for all types of fabric. Previously to produce steam on my old iron I had to heat the iron on the maximum setting,

28.9.2018

Tefal GV9580 Pro Express Ultimate High-Pressure Steam Generator, 2600 W, Blue is one of the best irons I have had the pleasure of using for the one main reason, it glides through my laundry in super quick time. I love the fact it has a large canister for water, therefore, I do not have to interrupt my ironing to refill it with water every fifteen minutes which for me is a major bonus.The actual iron is very comfortable to hold and the fact it glides over my laundry, and I mean all my laundry does not matter what the material is that I am ironing and that includes the heaviest of denim and heavy curtains.I love how the base is designed as when I place it on the base between strokes of the iron

25.2.2020

I have never used this type of iron before, just a regular steam iron, so was fascinated to see how this performed. To be honest, I do not do a lot of ironing, just a few things before going away on holiday, and sheets/duvet covers for guests who stay, plus the ocassional table cloth. We prefer to generally put up with a few creases in the bedding and change it often, or wear easy jersey no iron fabrics. However, what I did want to try it for was making patchwork, where you have to press every small seam and I am normally running to and from the bathroom to the study every few minutes refilling the steam iron with water. I had not realised that the actual tank gets hot,

25.1.2020

At the price of this iron I half expected it do my ironing for me! But this was not to be, and I still was the designated ironer. My experience with this iron was positive and it was a breeze getting thru the laundry basket .. but the question would be is it worth it at this cost? This is my first time using this type of iron so I can’t compare it to any previous similar models, but besides the size of it and not having any storage space for it, because it's bulky and rather heavy, my overall ironing experience was great.It is certainly a high pressure and powerful iron, it removes creases easily and within seconds as you can see by my video. I didn’t think it was particularly quiet but that wasn’t a big deal for me.

13.8.2018

Tefal has a well respected name in electrical devices and this latest (August 2018) addition to their line up is quite impressive. To say it’s rather large plus heavy when filled with water - our ironing board is just about up to it! - would be an understatement of sorts but then it’s designed to do a job and it does it very well. It comes with a decent length of cable between the unit and the plug itself and quite handy for those with a ‘out of reach’ or close by wall socket – a minor point but worth a note. The instructions are not too clever with assorted picture illustrations but you get there eventually but could be better, more so for something of this nature. This model is rated at 2600 watts and once filled up,

3.10.2018

Getting the Tefal PV9580 out of the box is a simple task; and I love that the water tank is removable - something my Philips steam generator doesn't have - and something I have always questioned as I decant water into it. The Tefal reservoir is also huge; you could likely take care of a navy ship's laundry on a single tank.Before you start to use it you need to beware; there was a warning in a number of languages on a slip of paper in the box of my Tefal GV9580 that it will smell when you first start to use it. They weren't kidding. For at least the first 10 minutes (including two restarts from cold) of use there was a strong plastic odour coming from the iron.

30.1.2020

As a unit, this is rather hefty in size so make sure you have somewhere suitable to store it; whilst it looks decent I wouldn't want a bulky iron lying around, especially if guests were coming, luckily we had a cabinet where it just about fit inside (phew).The water tank is removable and is shaped in a way that made it simple to fill up and empty the remaining contents once done; it holds up to 1.9L of water which is A LOT of capacity and only really needed if you have loads of clothes to iron, otherwise just fill as much as you require (the more you use, the easier it is to judge).Setting the iron up is as easy as plugging it in and pressing the power button, the iron then sorts itself out and does so quite quickly.

27.1.2020

For the price, this should be the Rolls Royce of steam generating irons. I’ve used other less expensive irons of this type and I wasn’t sure how this one could justify the price tag. I’ve tried it on a range of different fabrics in the last couple of weeks, including heavily creased cotton velour, linen, cotton and heavy denim. It tackled each and every job with ease and despite my reservations, that bit of extra pressure, slightly larger tank and slightly higher power all add up to improved performance.I’m a recent convert to this type of iron; I’ve spent a lifetime with the standard type and I hate ironing. Although there’s a bit of novelty factor, this certainly makes ironing a more pleasurable experience.

3.8.2018

So let's get the price out the way. Yes, £400 is a lot of money to spend, however, I can share that since our last Phillips steam generator bought the dust (which was excellent news and we have after 3 months only just found the right replacement), we have tried models in price from £300 and lower and have not found a comparable model. Enter the expensive Tefal. It works in exactly the same way as many other steam Generators. Fill the (Tefal is removable) reservoir, turn it on and go. The Tefal has a couple of extra modes to consider - Normal (for reg use), Boost (a 15min extra nitro charged Steam fest) and max, the mode we tend to use. To say this steam generator generates significant amounts of steam,

28.9.2018

I considered giving this four stars - not because it isn’t excellent, but more because at this price you’d expect it to be perfect. So, the non-perfections are:- the soleplate doesn’t glide as easily as some other irons I have owned. It’s fine, just not number 1.- the cable from the handset to the main unit is kinked (I assume all are like this), which made it a little awkward to use for the first couple of hours. It seems to have resolved over time- initially, it was a little stinky. That resolved after about the first hoir’s Use, and I guess was related to residuals fromthe manufacturing process that needed to be driven off.All of that said, it is still excellent - probably the best I have ever tried /

1.10.2018

This is the sort of purchase that has to be really considered based on the price. The main criteria would be doing a lot of ironing, if you are the person that spends half your Sunday afternoon watching Emmerdale and EastEnders reruns, while working your way through the families ironing for the week ahead, then you may consider the time saving of using this steam generator iron worth it. In fairness the thing that frustrates me most about ironing is the constant refilling with water so you can continue to use a decent amount of steam.I’ve now been using this iron for a few weeks and it has made me change my ironing habits. We were always a house hold that did ironing as we needed it,

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