Rowenta DW9081 Steamium 1800-Watt Professional Steam Iron with LCD screen Stainless Steel Soleplate with Auto-Off, 400-Hole, Brown

This is replacing my 15 year old Rowenta Ultra Professional DM 990E. I iron my work clothes weekly (cotton blouses and cotton pants), and am an avid quilter and fiber artist.Pros:* This iron does a fabulous and speedy job on my work clothes and fabric yardage. I generally take a zen approach to ironing (it's going to take as long as it's going to take), but the speed difference was noticeable. I'm going to love this iron on Sunday nights when I've forgotten to do my ironing and have to do the clothes before I can go to bed. Ironing quilt blocks isn't any faster (Probably because most of the time is due to fidgeting with the block), but the finished results are great. I do a lot of constructed fabric work, so I'm fussy about my blocks looking like they are one flat piece -- this iron makes that easy.* This iron heats up much faster than my old iron, and can keep up with me. My old iron could get through about 10 quilt blocks before it couldn't keep up and stopped producing steam, forcing me to stop and let it reheat. I've put the new iron through its paces, and it keeps up the pace.* The indicators are clearer than my old iron. The old one also had auto-off, but there was no indication of when the iron had shut itself off or reached temperature again. This one clearly indicates when auto-off is active and when it has warmed back up. (For those who complain about auto-off, Rowenta does make irons for professional work rooms that don't have that feature. Get one of those if auto-off bothers you that much.)Things that may bother you (but aren't necessarily cons):* You need to pull the trigger if you want steam. This bothered me the first half day I used it, but now I'm fine with it. Because this iron puts out SO much steam, it's nice to have control over when it comes out. You also need to teach yourself how to use the trigger. Rowenta wants you to use steam on the first pass, and come back over the fabric without steam, to dry out the fabric. This really does make a difference in the finished piece, and also keeps the iron from spitting when you're done. I wonder how many people who returned their iron for spitting were just keeping the trigger pulled all the time they were ironing.* This iron is heavy. A large part of the weight is all the water it holds. Not much you can do about that, except only fill it part way -- if light weight is a priority, look at getting a steam generator instead of an iron.* The first day, the iron seemed unbalanced. Now it doesn't. My assumption is that it's just differently balanced than what I'm used to, and now I've gotten used to this.* 1800 watts means you need a 15 amp circuit. Most homes in the US should have this, but you won't be plugging other power hungry things into the same circuit (vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, other irons) into the same circuit without blowing a breaker. Your sewing machine pulls almost no amps, so that's fine on the same circuit (unless you have a really dodgy electrical system).

I used to think all irons were pretty much the same and looked for a "name brand" inexpensive minimal featured iron whenever I needed to replace one - which was fairly regular. Ironing was never easy and I avoided it when ever I could get away with it. My new wife challenged my thinking and kept telling me that we should get a Rowenta but I resisted because of the price. When the last cheapo iron gave out I realized it was really a tool... and when I buy tools, I go for quality first and price second and so I ordered this one. (Ladies, take a look at the price of the quality cordless impact drill your husband wants - this iron costs less. You can also show him the photo I attached of the plate from my old iron next to the Rowenta plate. That's what finally convinced me to give it a try.)I have been amazed at the difference the Rowenta iron makes! The continuous steam makes ironing a shirt or pair of slacks, easy and quick and I don't avoid it any more. I even iron my wife's items without complaint. There is an under handle grip that, when squeezed, increases the amount of steam. (Contrary to another reviewer's complaint you don't have to hold this in when ironing.) If that doesn't get a stubborn wrinkle out, there is a button on top for a substantial burst of steam. The point of the iron makes it much easier to get those corners and tight spots. The lighted display clearly shows the fabric temperature the iron is set at and is one of my favorite features. (I could never read the little dial on the old iron and just guessed.) The opening for adding and draining water is the easiest to use of any iron I have owned. I keep a plastic container on the iron board to pour the left over water into when I finish along with a tap water filled plastic bottle for quick start ups when I need to iron again.Purchased in August 2014 and use it almost every day to touch up or iron clothes. The safety turnoff does come on fairly quick if the iron is sitting without use. However,it also quickly heats back to temperature when placed in a horizontal position and one begins ironing again."Titanium" iron plate is a marketing term. It just means it's their best - they don't claim it's 100% or even plated titanium. Whatever the coating is made from, it works and the iron moves smooth and fast. This iron does not leak or spit water - my old one did from day one - I thought all irons did that. Follow the instructions that come with the iron and empty the water when you finish your batch of ironing. Then turn it off and unplug it. Proper care of any tool will extend its life and keep it functioning at its peak.