Tefal Express Power SV8130

Build quality is quite mediocre. A cheap ironing machine of 20 euros is not necessarily less built. If I spend this money on a product, I want to feel it in the construction and actually also the appearance. The way in which the concept has been approached also seems a bit simple. Why is it just a loose cable on the reservoir and no retractor? And since the reservoir is quite a unit, I like to put it on a separate table. It's a bit annoying that I have to put the iron on the reservoir all the time, and can't just put it on its back like most irons can. This means that I have to reach a little further to put the bolt on the reservoir, which comes with ergonomic disadvantages. The physical design of the SV810 is therefore not what it should be in my opinion.

I also find the proposition a bit confusing. Why does Tefal have so many similar models? I finally chose one on the relative gamble. Can't be intended.

Ironing is smooth and the setting options are freely accessible. Steaming was also easy. However, the steam function is only prepared when you switch on the steam function. So you don't have steam right away. This affects your workflow. This appliance has the name of being a steam generator, but it is really just a higher end steam iron with an external reservoir solution.

I think it would have been much better if there had just been a clear manual. You get a document with pictures, but I didn't find it completely clear. The booklet itself has very small letters. In this day and age it should be possible to simply provide a QR code that links people to a series of videos explaining all the functions. You pay enough for it, so Tefal probably also wants the use to be optimal so that they can sell more in the future. I have a technical background, so I always like to see what is possible. It would be nice if this could be made more manageable by the manufacturer. Funnily enough, it is precisely the more nerdy gadgets for which these kinds of instructions can be found, while I really had to go through a learning process for this iron. It would also have been nice if Tefal had a presentation about the technical operation somewhere. Given the price range, a customer group that wants to spend a little more on an iron will often come from a group that has a greater interest in the technology.

As mentioned in the plus points, this steam generator irons quickly with a lot of power and is very handy.

It was not clear to me when ordering that you cannot set the temperature of the iron. So you cannot iron warmer for jeans and less warm for silk/wool. The advice is to hold the iron a little further away with the steam. That works in itself, but I would have preferred a steam iron that can do both, like my previous Tefal model. Steaming works fine and it looks nice.