Which iron is best -ceramic or stainless steel

I want to buy a good iron for my elderly Mother,it needs to be light in weight but also a good quality to cut down the ironing time.

Has anyone any advice in what I should look for,as there are blooming hundreds available.

I was wondering which is best between a cermanic & stainless plate & what sort of wattage & steam output I should look for.

The big steam generator irons would be no good unfortunately as they would be too heavy.

Any iron experts out there?
thank you
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  • jackieb
    jackieb Posts: 27,605
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    I have a Tefal steam generator. It's a great iron, but it has a ceramic plate, and it gets quite black, and it's hard to get clean. I would have preferred if it had a stainless steel plate.

    Are the steam generator irons heavier than the normal ones? The water is held in a tank, not in the iron itself.
  • jackieb wrote: »
    I have a Tefal steam generator. It's a great iron, but it has a ceramic plate, and it gets quite black, and it's hard to get clean. I would have preferred if it had a stainless steel plate.

    Are the steam generator irons heavier than the normal ones? The water is held in a tank, not in the iron itself.

    Thanks jackieb
    The problem of the steam generator ones for my Mum,would be the weight of lifting it unto the iron board,storing etc,as she has a bad arm.

    Thanks for the info re the stainless steel plate
  • MrsE_2
    MrsE_2 Posts: 24,162
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    jackieb wrote: »
    I have a Tefal steam generator. It's a great iron, but it has a ceramic plate, and it gets quite black, and it's hard to get clean. I would have preferred if it had a stainless steel plate.

    Are the steam generator irons heavier than the normal ones? The water is held in a tank, not in the iron itself.

    Me too after a couple of Tefals I switched to a Phillips one.

    I was going to say that too, to set up is heavier, but once in place the actual iron is lighter.
  • maypole
    maypole Posts: 1,816
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    I read somewhere a while ago that ceramic was the better surface. I don't have one so I couldn't say.
  • alanobrien
    alanobrien Posts: 3,308
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    Ceramic is lighter for sure and correctly finished the surface will be more resistant to picking up muck. It also has lower friction meaning it should move across the surface easier. This is why ceramic is often used in pump seal faces.
  • adandem
    adandem Posts: 3,592
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    I had a few tefals, none of which lasted that long. My latest Philips Azur is about 3/4 years old and is fab.No discolouring, sticking or leaking.
  • adandem wrote: »
    I had a few tefals, none of which lasted that long. My latest Philips Azur is about 3/4 years old and is fab.No discolouring, sticking or leaking.
    Is the philips a stainless steel plate? & is it an easy ironer?
    thanks
  • MrsE_2
    MrsE_2 Posts: 24,162
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    diddlydi wrote: »
    Is the philips a stainless steel plate? & is it an easy ironer?
    thanks

    Phillips do both, but most of them stainless steel.
    I made sure to get a stainless steel one after owning Tefals for years.
  • MrsE wrote: »
    Phillips do both, but most of them stainless steel.
    I made sure to get a stainless steel one after owning Tefals for years.

    Thanks for that MrsE,I think I will definately go for stainless steel plate,is your iron quite lightweight?
  • MrsE_2
    MrsE_2 Posts: 24,162
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    diddlydi wrote: »
    Thanks for that MrsE,I think I will definately go for stainless steel plate,is your iron quite lightweight?

    No mines a big steam generator (I love them).

    But I picked it for the soleplate as till them I'd only ever had Tefal, but once they start sticking they get harder & harder to clean. They seem to be like saucepans, the non-stick seems to wear away with use.

    I'm loving the Philips stainless steel soleplate. Make sure you check though as they do one they call cezera (sp?) & its like the Tefal.

    I think Argos say the weight in their ads.
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