Black & Decker D5500 Digital Evolution 1500-Watt Steam Iron with Ceramic Soleplate
|
List Price: Our Price: $45.75 You Save: $34.24 (43%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Home See more product details |
|---|
Tools and Hardware Reviews of Black & Decker D5500 Digital Evolution 1500-Watt Steam Iron with Ceramic Soleplate
Customer Review: Electric Iron
Summary: 5 Stars
The iron was placed on back order so we had to wait about two weeks. The wait was worth the inconvenience. The iron is absolutely a "thrill" to use. The features and heated plate are great to use.Customer Review: Excellent iron with a few flaws.
Summary: 4 Stars
Pros:
- Flattens clothes in one pass.
- Excellent temperature control
- Sturdy construction.
- Smooth gliding ceramic sole plate.
- Nice rubber grip.
Cons:
- Awkward water filling.
- Must reset temp after unplugging.
- Not as stable in the upright position as the old T-Fal.
- No built in A/C unit to cool the user.
After a week of use my wife and I are very impressed with this iron as it seems to press clothing in just one pass compared to our 2 year old T-Fal.
As this is the first review I will explain a little about how this almost totally electronic iron works. After you plug it in you press the rubberized button to the left of the head until you reach your desired temperature. The temperature number, 1- 7, along with the type of fabric it is for appears in the window at the top of the head. Pressing the button to the right of the head lowers the temperature. The iron heats quickly and gives a soft beep when it is at the correct temperature. The steam feature is activated by pressing the rubberized button just below the window and an indicator flashes in the window. The steam works very well and of course there is a burst of steam button and a spray button on the top. The burst of steam button is on the right and the spray on the left which is backwards to me but I got used to it pretty quickly. The ceramic sole plate glides over clothing but if you have your temperature set too high for the material it will begin to stick, unlike the Teflon sole plate on the T-Fal which glided over everything at any temperature. This is probably a good thing as it keeps you from scorching your clothes. The rubberized grip is very positive and you have good control over the iron.
The only thing that keeps me from giving it 5 stars is the water fill system. The iron must be filled in the horizontal position which means that you can't set it down to fill it without burning something. Also, the gray color of the water tank is very aesthetically pleasing but it makes it hard to see the water level in the tank and the full mark is meant to be read with the iron in the horizontal position instead of sitting on its tail. Unplugging it and taking it to the sink is the easiest way to fill it but when you plug it back in you must reset your temperature and steam settings again which is another annoyance that makes me knock it a bit.
Overall it is a good and sturdy iron which has already taken a fall to the floor and is no worse for the wear. Perhaps the 2030 with its mechanical settings and digital readout, as well as a vertical fill water tank, might have been a less annoying alternative but I think that we will be happy with this for years to come.
Customer Review: FINE, LIGHTWEIGHT, EASY TO USE IRON
Summary: 4 Stars
This iron is digital, with easily understandable controls and icon.
It heats quickly, and beeps to advise you when it is at the proper temperature for the current setting.
The water reservoir appears at first to be small, but it seems to use steam efficiently, so the water does last through a few bouts of ironing.
The ceramic sole plate does not appear to be as slick as teflon sole plate, but it runs smoothly over fabrics, and after two months has yet to scorch or pick up residue.
If you like a lot of steam, this may not be the iron for you. Steam is not available on the lower settings
The iron is lightweight and easy to maneuver.
The slight difference in price between this and an "entry level" iron makes this a good choice for casual ironers as well as for many crafters and occasional seamstresses.
Customer Review: Good at first
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought this iron less than a year ago, and it did okay at first. But now it's beginning to leak/drip water, and doesn't seem to get as hot as it should. Most everything I iron I have to do on the highest setting(except knits), but anything cotton/mix does better on highest heat setting. Just got through using it, and it almost seems like I had it on medium heat. I've had the expensive ones and the cheap ones and just can't seem to get alot of mileage out of any of them these last few years...this is probably my 3rd one in as many years...Customer Review: Good iron with some annoyances
Summary: 4 Stars
This iron performs well; however, there are some minor annoyances. The ceramic surface drags much more than the polished stainless steel surface of our former Rowenta iron. More annoyingly, the soft rubber buttons that control heat and steam are extremely difficult to operate. The tiny steam on/off button, for example, requires a hard push with a fingernail. Nailbiters would be out of luck!