Amazon Basics Steam Iron for Clothes with Safety Auto Shut-Off, Handheld Steamer, Steel Soleplate, 1700-Watt, 1.62ft, Gray

Amazon Basics Stainless Steel Soleplate Steam Iron, 1700-WattModel EC3001B-UL, ASIN B08CHJ9LFRORIGINAL REVIEW 8/14/22Rating - 1 starCotton is just warm; only puts out steam at Linen-Max; leaks at Fast steam release settingWhen I buy steam irons, I prefer those with high wattage, at least 1500 watts, because I like how hot they get and how much steam they put out so wrinkles disappear in one pass.I thought this Amazon Basics steam iron was great based on the posted specifications. It's not. It's a wimp of an iron. I can't help but compare it to my Sunbeam GCSBCS-200 (ASIN B00JPCWDS6) that this Amazon Basics steam iron replaced.-------A brief recap of my Sunbeam GCSBCS-200. It was great until it died. I bought it in 09/2016.In 06/2019, the steam shot button stopped working. The spring inside probably broke. The button was loose (no resistance) when pressed and would not spring back up. There was no steam coming out when pressed. I had an older Sunbeam 3965 (1200 watts) that I used for 15 years (It was still working when I gave it away.) and the steam shot button never broke.In 06/2022, the iron died. It's barely six years old. It would still light up green and red when plugged in (meaning electric current was getting through) but there was no heat. Possible causes - either the thermal fuse or thermostat needs to be replaced. If I have the time, I'd open up the iron to check those two parts but buying a new iron is quicker and easier.-------COMPARING AMAZON BASICS EC3001B-UL (ASIN B08CHJ9LFR) WITH SUNBEAM GCSBCS-200 (ASIN B00JPCWDS6)WEIGHT• SUNBEAM GCSBCS-200 - 3.27 lbs• AMAZON BASICS EC3001B-UL - 2.68 lbsWATER RESERVOIR (ACTUAL VOLUME)• SUNBEAM GCSBCS-200 - 10.42 oz• AMAZON BASICS EC3001B-UL - 10.26 ozThe Sunbeam water reservoir tank was a darker-colored plastic that made it a bit hard to see the water level. The Amazon Basics water reservoir tank is a very light gray plastic that makes it easy to see the water level. The max line is slanted which makes sense since you're filling up the tank while the iron is slanted (45 °).CORD• SUNBEAM GCSBCS-200 - 10 ft• AMAZON BASICS EC3001B-UL - 6.7 ftI do my ironing in the kitchen. The outlet is on the wall above the kitchen counter that's 25.5" deep. My ironing board is 44.25" long (board+iron rest). The 6.7-ft cord almost didn't read the narrow end of my ironing board (necessary when ironing shoulders of clothing.The ideal length of cord for me is 10 feet. I don't know why manufacturers cheap out on cord length.LIGHT INDICATORS• SUNBEAM GCSBCS-200 - Red when heating up. Green and stays green when selected temperature is reached.• AMAZON BASICS EC3001B-UL - Red when heating up. No light when selected temperature is reached. I don't like it. If there's no light, unless you place your hand close to the soleplate or the ironing board, you can't tell if NO LIGHT means the temp has been reached or if the iron is just dead.HEATING, STEAMING, LEAKS• SUNBEAM GCSBCS-200 - 1500 W• AMAZON BASICS EC3001B-UL - 1700 WI thought the Amazon Basics iron would be as great or greater than my Sunbeam iron. It's not.The Sunbeam iron was hot at the cotton setting. It puts out steam even below (wool) the cotton setting.The Amazon Basics iron - At the cotton setting, the fabric/ironing board pad is just warm. It doesn't put out steam at the cotton setting. For it to put out steam, the dial must be set to Linen (3rd circle) up to Max. Imagine that. I have to select Linen when ironing cotton, even when ironing a 50:50 cotton:polyester blend.I like ironing with a lot of steam so I've always used the max steam release setting in all steam irons I've used. Also, I'd stand the iron on its heel in between ironing and adjusting/moving the clothing I'm ironing. This doesn't work at all with the Amazon Basics steam iron.The Amazon Basics steam iron has two steam release settings - slow and fast. When at the Linen-Max setting (necessary because I want steam) and the fast steam release setting (2nd steam release icon), it leaks streams of water out when I stand it on its heel. It doesn't do this (leak streams of water when placed on its heel) when at the Linen-Max and slow steam release setting (1st steam release icon).When at the fast steam release setting and Linen-Max heat setting, the Amazon Basics iron also leaks out water when at the horizontal position.The Steam Shot button puts out a puny amount of steam at the first press and no steam at all on the second press. My Sunbeam blasted out a strong steam on the first press and subsequent presses of the steam shot button.The fact that the Amazon Basics iron leaks out water at the Linen-Max and fast steam release setting and the steam shot button puts out a very small amount of steam (and only during the first press) are further indications that this steam iron doesn't put out enough heat. It is no better than a compact 1200 watt steam iron which can be purchased for $15-$20. It's way overpriced even at just $29 and also not correctly advertised (since advertising that it's 1700 W would make logical people think that it's going to put out a lot of heat).I thought of returning this because I thought that perhaps I just got a lemon. However, other reviews describe the same problems and dislike I have with this Amazon Basics steam iron.Should I return and just buy another Sunbeam GCSBCS-200 or keep it and adapt to its low-heat limitation (i.e., I do all my ironing at Linen-Max and slow steam release settings and ignore the quite useless Steam Shot button)?Maybe I'll try one return just to see if I'll get a better version when I reorder.Photos:• Amazon Basics EC3001B-UL (white) and Sunbeam GCSBCS-200 (blue)• Amazon Basics EC3001B-UL heat temperature dial options————-UPDATE 8/28/22Since other reviewers are saying this iron is great, I thought it’s possible I just got a defective iron. So, I ordered another one to compare the two.The second iron performed great:• Wool - when iron was first plugged in, red light initially stayed on for 12 secs. I turned on slow steam and it steamed. Same for fast steam. No leaks when iron was put upright.• Cotton - when iron was first plugged in, red light initially stayed on for 33 secs. Slow and fast steam release worked. No leaks when iron was put upright.• Lot number of second iron purchased - 2022112It looks like the first iron I ordered was just a dud. I tested it again. When first plugged in and the dial moved to cotton. It only lights up for 5 secs. It’s just warm so it can’t put out steam either at slow or fast steam release setting.Lot number of first purchase (defective unit) - 2022078Lesson - When you order this and the iron doesn’t perform as it should (based on descriptions in the instruction manual), return it and just re-order.New rating - 5 stars

Loved the iron at a cheap price just like the Chi iron but better

Steam button on wrong side.

This iron is everything I was looking for. Nice solid weight, but not too heavy. All the bells and whistles I was looking for. Honestly, the clothes almost iron themselves. Very little work to it. Note the "ready" indicator light. It is backwards to my old iron.

With iron, we don't need all these fancy updates; we just want to iron our clothes properly and go. Well, that's what this iron can do: it does warm up quickly, and it doesn't burn things if you are not using it. And the water can last up to a week if you don't iron often. The best thing is I did not have to spend much to purchase this product. In order for it to get the job done you have to make sure you fill it up with water. This iron is Amazon basic, it's look very professional.

I just bought this iron in October 2024 and have not had a chance to use it until today. It does not heat well at all. No steam even though I eventually took it to the max setting. You can see in the picture that the hottest setting was not even hot enough to steam the water out of the collar and the armpit area. The iron is also too large in my hand making it hard to control. I would return it if I was still within the time to return. I would not recommend this iron. This Iron should be $15.00 instead of $30. I will have to donate it and buy a new one. So far, anything I have purchased that is branded Amazon has been cheaply made. I will not buy Amazon brand any longer.

Heats fast, the cord is long enough to position the iron well, steams well and the vents are positioned so steam doesn't pour over my hand as my last iron did. My hand touches the cord where it's attached to the iron so a person with a large hand might wish the handle was a bit longer. The dial for temperature and steam settings seems a little off so I choose a higher setting usually. I like the medium weight of the iron, light enough to glide with ease but enough heft to press well. Overall, this is a decent solid iron for the price. Used for a few weeks before writing this review.

Great iron. Exactly what I wanted.