A steam generator is a device that turns water into hot steam. Many people think that it is used instead of an iron because it steams fabrics wonderfully, but it turns out that this device also has other useful functions that help housewives. How to choose the best steam generator for your home?
Kinds
Steam generators can perform the following functions:
- Remove stain from clothing;
- Remove stains from carpets;
- Fight mold;
- Clean the car interior;
- Cope with stuck chewing gum;
- Wash chrome products;
- Wash the glass on the windows without streaks.
There are several types of steam generators:
- For clothes. This product is designed for ironing things. In a vertical position, it is easy to smooth out curtains, and use hot steam to clean windows without streaks, without using chemicals.
- For cleaning. The device looks like a vacuum cleaner that has a built-in steam generator. The advantages of this type are: cleaning carpets without damaging the pile; removing stains, even the oldest ones. These models are used in offices of companies and enterprises, or companies involved in cleaning premises. The cost of such steam generators is too high to purchase and use in the household.
- Professional. Devices of this type are sold immediately as a set, which consists of: an iron, a coated ironing board.
Advice: Before you buy a steam generator, you need to think about everything, for what tasks, and what amount of work it will perform. Only after this, purchase a device that matches the parameters.
The essence of the work
Depending on the steam generation, steam generators are divided into the following models:
- A device with a boiler in which water boils in full and evaporates steam. This device has a large boiler.
- A device with instant steam generation, a small amount of water falling on the steam generator heater immediately creates steam. The boiler in it is of small volume.
- A device with two water reservoirs, gradually, from one container, water is pumped in small quantities, passes through the heater and quickly forms steam.
Advice: If you have a large family at home and clothes are constantly ironed in large quantities, you need to choose a steam generator with a large boiler size.
Steam generator selection
When choosing a steam generator for your home, you should not count on the help of a sales consultant; his task is to sell you the product in any way.
In order to make the right choice, you need to pay attention to the following details.
Device power.
The price of the steam generator depends on it; the more powerful, the more expensive. If you buy a device just to iron your things, why pay more? A device with low power can cope with this task. On store shelves, depending on the power, there are:
- Low power steam generators: 800 to 1000 W
- Devices with average power: from 1000 to 2500 W
- Powerful steam generators: from 2500 to 3100 W
Tip: A steam generator with a power higher than 1800 W will be able to steam items of any type of fabric and perform other cleaning functions without any breakdown.
Steam pressure.
Experts divide it into three components:
- Constant steam supply is generated during ironing without stopping.The higher the flow, the stronger the steam jet; for good devices it varies from 80-140 degrees per minute.
- Steam pressure is measured in bars, and it can be in the range of 2-6 bar, the higher the pressure, the stronger the steam supply. For curtains or clothes on a hanger, devices with a strong steam supply have vertical steaming.
- Steam boost, this function is used to smooth out wrinkles on dry things. With this function, steam is supplied in a volume of up to 360 grams per minute.
Tank volume.
It comes from 0.5 l to 2 l. The larger the water tank, the more powerful the device, and there is no need to frequently add water during operation. A steam generator with a transparent water tank is convenient; it is always under control and is immediately noticeable when it needs to be refilled.
Iron sole.
A very important element of the steam generator that you need to pay special attention to. There are soles made of the following materials:
- Stainless steel. Durable coating, durable, quickly heats up and cools down after switching off.
- Aluminum. The price of the device is significantly less, but the material is easily scratched and damaged when ironing a shirt with an ordinary button.
- Ceramics. It has a lot of advantages from easy cleansing to excellent glide over fabric. There is a downside due to the fragility of the material; if it falls, it will simply break.
- Titanium. Irons well, heats up and cools down quickly, and has a long service life due to its strength. The device with it is much heavier than the others, due to the weight of the material.
- Teflon. It is characterized by craftsmen as an ideal material, easy to use, and glides easily when ironing. But it is too expensive for the price.
Additional attachments.
If you buy a device with a large number of functions, it needs attachments, which can be included in the kit. Usually, the device comes with an iron attachment for ironing. There may also be:
- Carpet brush;
- An elongated pipe-shaped attachment for hard-to-reach places;
- A hard textured attachment for removing stains.
The number of attachments included with the device is the manufacturer's personal decision. There are only requirements for the hose, it must be long and wear-resistant for quick, comfortable cleaning.
Popular models
Among the variety of models from different manufacturers, the most popular on the market of electrical appliances of this type are representatives of the Philips company. The cost of devices of this brand is quite high, but the price matches the quality:
- Long service life;
- High power;
- Good intensity of hot steam.
Devices from the MIE company are also popular, budget models and several of them are of high quality:
- MIE Stiro 1100;
- MIE Stiro Pro 100;
- MIE Stiro Pro 300 Inox.
Tefal steam generators have proven themselves to be excellent, their pricing policy fully corresponds to the quality of the goods. Tefal GV series devices received excellent reviews.
Among the sales leaders and with good customer reviews in the top 10 are the German companies Bosch and Braun. Manufacturers release very high-quality steam generators to the market, they have a powerful processor, with various functions, and have a warranty period. The price of such devices is high, not available to a large mass of people.
There are other models of devices, they are less well-known brands, but the main thing when buying is to pay attention to the above components.
The choice of a steam generator should be thoughtful, meet your requirements.
When purchasing a device, you should inquire about the availability of a warranty for the product, and the location of a service center nearby for the purpose of future maintenance of the device. It is necessary to take into account the reviews of customers who have already purchased and used this model; they can be found on shopping sites on the Internet.
Only after finding out all the smallest details regarding the selected steam generator should you make a purchasing decision, because this is an indispensable device in the household that costs a decent amount of money.
