BLACK+DECKER Allure Professional Steam Iron, Blue, D3030

My Black & Decker iron, a ProFinish 720, died recently after nearly 25 years of perfect service (the power button wouldn't stay on :( ). Given this positive experience, I knew I wanted another Black & Decker with a stainless steel soleplate (they are more heavy duty and easier to keep clean) -- but didn't know which one. I selected the Allure Pro and used it today for the first time. It's an impressive iron and the price point is SPOT ON! The steam is no joke! It has 23 steam ports and they all mean business. It is lightweight and is very smooth. It heats up quickly. I love the pointier tip on the soleplate, which is a first for me -- this allowed me to get into tighter spots on the fabric. The cord swivels perfectly. The setting dial is easy to understand and the base of the iron has the fabric settings by number for quick reference. The ONLY thing that I would mention that is a challenge is not being able to see the water level in the water tank -- you have to angle it just right in the light to see it. Lastly, I recommend dumping out the water in your water tank after every use and pressing the steam blast a few times to clean out any water in the port holes. I did this religiously on my ProFinish 720 and I strongly believe that contributed to its longevity. I hope this Allure model gives me the same length of service as the Profinish -- heck, even it it lasts half as long, I'll be happy!

I just got it today and used it for the first time. The best iron I’ve ever owned, it gets really hot fast but you can turn the temperature down just a bit and it works like magic. I cannot recommend this product enough.

When my 15+yo B&D iron died, I decided that I would splash out for something really good. But after reading so many negative reviews of high-end irons (leaking, longevity, confusing), I decided to buy the next generation of the one I had, with its excellent reviews. It works great and does everything I want it to. The pointed front end for getting behind buttons and into small areas is a GREAT new feature. It heats up quickly, has a big water tank, and produces copious amounts of steam. It has a nice heft to it, which is essential to me since I work with thick fabrics, multiple layers and I exclusively wear linen (however the weight might be a problem for some people). I really wanted the 30 minute shut-off that some of the specialized sewing irons have, but despite this one's 8 min shut-off, it wakes with the slightest movement and heats so quickly it doesn't matter. I like this iron a lot and will keep it despite some irritating design features, some of which are regularly mentioned in other reviews. First, thanks to the unnecessarily enormous steam buttons on the handle, there is not much room for actual hands. My hands are small so I do not suffer the discomfort others have mentioned with the cord rubbing their wrists, but even my hands come in contact with the very poorly placed temperature button and I keep accidentally turning the iron off while I am working. Who's idea was that? What was wrong with leaving it where it used to be - above the steam buttons and below the temperature read-out? The second problem is the size of the iron. It is so big and oddly shaped that it does not fit into a standard sized, wall mounted holder. Most new irons are this size and shape, so I don't really want to look for an old school iron just because it fits my storage apparatus, but finding a new storage solution is not as easy as it should be. Most hangers do not specify the dimensions of the irons they can hold, or they mention only width, when thickness (Baseplate to top of handle) is just as problematic. Third, yes, it is difficult to read the water level. Most of the complaints about this are from people who bought the blue/black model. For this reason I paid the extra couple of dollars for the black/silver model and while it is still more difficult to read the water level than it should be, it can be done. Overall this is an excellent iron, and for the most part, the design flaws do not, for me at least, significantly affect my use of the iron. But the design changes do feel a bit cynical, as though they were suggested by a room full of business school interns who had never ironed a thing in their lives but expected to score points in the corporation by adding price inflating features (Great big steam buttons! Tinted windows on the water gauge! Monster truck silhouette!!!) while shaving a few cents off of production costs.

I have been using Rowenta "pro" irons for 15 or 20 years. During that time I've had four of them. Because the Rowentas have a poorly designed water tank. Every one of them would develop a leak while the thing was standing on the board, on the heel. The tanks split because the adhesive fails. Because I'm an engineer, I fixed them several times - I found replacement tanks, and then found better adhesive for the tank that failed. I paid as much for a tank as I did for this Black and Decker iron. So I tried this iron instead. Those Rowenta were three times the price of this Black and Decker. The features of this iron are very competitive with my recently-failed Rowenta Pro - identical sole plate size, stainless steel, adjustable steam, nice heft (I prefer a heavier iron), good water capacity, well designed cord strain relief. The Rowenta was 1700 watts. This one is 1600 watts. I just got through my first Shirt Ironing Marathon and the B&D did a super job. Smooth glide, good steam (even on the low setting). The Rowenta has hundreds of steam holes and this has relatively few, but even so this did a great job on my shirts. So now we'll have to see how this one lasts. My last Rowenta is now 5 years old, use it about twice a month, for 12 or 15 shirts at a time. So basically one person. Update Aug 2021 This B&D iron is still going strong. No leaks. Works GREAT. Uh Buh Uh Bye Rowenta... I would suggest running through the 'cleaning blast' process occasionally. I have somewhat hard water. I use a filtration / softener gadget to help with that. But still, I have found on two or maybe three occasions over the last 4 years that it would spit white minerals (aka 'scale'). As soon as you see that, it's time to get an old towel, crank the iron to high, and press the button to blast additional water to the sole plate. Iron the towel mercilessly, blasting away with the steam. This will help release the gunk. I was AMAZED at how much gunk came out the last time, and more amazed that more of that gunk didn't end up on my shirts. So Kudos to Black and Decker for a great product at a great price. Update Sept 2022 It died this morning. :( . The sole plate does not heat. There are no replacement parts for these, and they used special screws to keep the curious out. But.... HAH! I took it apart anyway. Confirmed that the heater coil is toast. Oh well... I got five good years out of it. Far longer than any of the Rowentas I'd owned. Just ordered another one.

La he usado tres veces y estoy impresionado con la rapidez que puedo planchar. Me tardo una tercera parte para planchar mis camisas y pantalones para la semana que con la anterior. Antes era un suplicio planchar, con esta es una delicia planchar. Lo único que no sé es si la base por ser de acero inoxidable, me dure mucho tiempo o se vaya rayando con el tiempo. Fantástica!!!

Great iron, only downside is it's from the USA so had to buy a US to UK plug. Other than that quality iron, ready to use very quickly after turning it on.

The wife was happy with the iron. She said it's the best she has ever had !

Great iron, it has a nice long cord. The settings are easy to figure out, it holds well in the hand. Heating up takes no time at all. Very easy to add liquid to. I use it a few times a week, very simple to work with and it does a great job the point makes it easy to get into tight areas.

I like this iron. Works well, and feels solidly built. Big water tank, lots of steam, heats up fast. A bit on the heavy side though