Once you learn how to use it, a regular iron can't compare

Years ago, I did my laundry at a self-service laundry that had a steam table similar to the ones used by professional dry cleaners. I think they disappeared about the time lawyers started suing anybody for virtually anything because you could burn yourself pretty bad on one of these machines. However, I always missed the incredible job they did on my clothes.

Zip forward to today, and I began to see machines like the SF-680 being advertised. Remembering the great job they did, I decided to try one.

Wow; what a great machine!

FEATURES

This machine features multiple settings for everything from silk to heavy denim (linen) with or without steam. You don't have to worry about what temperature to use; just press the button for the type of fabric you are ironing. It also features a water tank that is larger than many other machines (10 ounces vs. 6-8 on other models).

It also has a fairly long cord, isn't too heavy to handle, can be locked shut and stored in a closet when the machine is cool. The steamer also comes with a small pad for doing curved items such as the shoulders on shirts. It comes with a useful water bottle for refilling the tank, and a very flimsy (cheap) spray bottle.

Finally, it has a very loud alarm that goes off when you have kept it closed long enough to prevent burning. The alarm also goes off if you forget to turn it off, and if it is left on, it will turn itself off.

USING THE MACHINE

Using this machine is a trade-off. Basically, the ironing surface is about seven times larger than the typical hand-held steam iron. So, using it at first may seem awkward, but once you do some trial and error, you'll NEVER want to go back to a hand-held iron.

There is NO labor-intensive pressing with this machine; just close the lid and it exerts all the pressure you'll need on the fabric. All of the steam comes from the lid, and you can control how long or how much steam you use on an item, or you can press something with no steam at all.

Most of the time, I use ordinary spray starch on dress shirts and slacks.

BOTTOM LINE

NOTHING on the market makes a sharp crease or almost instantly removes the heaviest wrinkles out of the thickest fabrics. Here's what I have used it for so far with near-perfect results:
a. Dress shirts, both all-cotton and cotton-poly blend
b. Military Battle Dress Uniforms; all cotton, verrrry heavy fabric
c. Business suits, mostly 100% wool and wool blends
d. Silk ties, basically to remove the wrinkles from tying the ties multiple times
e. Casual and dress slacks; Dockers and similar brands

There is a special table offered for $70-100. I didn't buy one, and if you have a sturdy table, I don't see why you would need a special table.

Learning how to position the fabric before closing the lid takes a little practice; if you do it wrong (wrinkle the fabric) it will press a wrinkle into the fabric. However, once you learn how to position the item, it is easy to use. You can do a LOT of ironing and not feel as if you have been lifting weights after you are done, and do it much quicker than with a hand-held steam iron.