Choose between ceramic or stainless iron soleplate

Iron, of course, is one of the most necessary items of household appliances, so its purchase must be taken with all responsibility. With the right choice, ironing out hard labor is a rather pleasant process. The sole of this device can be made of different materials, and each has its own characteristics. So, let's see which iron is better: made of ceramic or stainless steel?

Features of the choice of iron

The first thing you need to pay attention to its sole, it is a key element of the device. The sole must meet the following requirements:

1. Provide careful contact with a cloth. This is achieved due to the easy sliding of the iron.The easier the iron slides on the fabric, the easier the process of ironing and less likely to damage the product.
2. Do not leave marks on linen after ironing.
3. To be durable. The quality of ironing and the life of the iron as a whole largely depend on this.
4. Heat up evenly. With an iron, the sole of which heats up more strongly in the central part, it is not possible to smooth the clothes well the first time.

Please note that in contact with such items of clothing as zippers, buttons and rivets, chips, cracks or any other damage should not appear on the outside of the sole.

Sole materials

Another important criterion for choosing an iron is the material for manufacturing its sole. It is made from different materials, but the most common and popular are:

• stainless steel;
• aluminum;
• ceramics;
• metal ceramics.

Each of the materials has its own pros and cons. After studying each in detail, you can decide which sole is best suited for your purposes.

Stainless steel

This material is not without reason one of the most popular, because it has a high thermal conductivity and durability. Stainless steel is not subject to the formation of various chips and cracks during operation. It slides quite easily over the fabric.

Certain models of irons are equipped with special grooves that facilitate not only sliding, but also increasing its speed.

Some manufacturers use stainless steel as a base, which is then sprayed with other materials, such as chrome, titanium, enamel and sapphire. Of all the materials listed, the best is certainly sapphire plating. With it the iron does not threaten any damage. In an effort to prove this, consultants in some stores are defiantly trying to scratch the sole with a nail. At the same time, there are no scratches on it. The disadvantages of such models include only the price, which is often far from affordable for everyone.

Aluminum

This material can be classified as good and inexpensive. Its advantages are:

• high thermal conductivity (it quickly heats up and cools down);
• easy glide;
• low price.

The disadvantages include:

• lightness of the material;
• susceptibility to the appearance of minor scratches and chips.

Even if the scratches are not visible on close inspection, this does not mean that they are not there. As a rule, they appear within six months after the acquisition of iron. Such scratches can cause a lot of problems, because when ironing, they cling to the fabric, thereby slowing down the slip.

The cheapest models of irons do not have a coating, so when in contact with wool, they can leave shiny traces on it. But most products of average cost with aluminum soles are attached special nozzles from the same material. They are needed to reduce the temperature effects on the fabric. When using nozzles made of aluminum on the fabric does not appear shiny areas.

Ceramics and metal ceramics

A material such as ceramics, has been used for the manufacture of the sole of irons relatively recently. Ceramics are commonly used in combination with other materials, such as aluminum or steel, which form the basis of the sole. Ceramics in this case is her top coating. It conducts warm and perfectly slides on the surface of the fabric. Another advantage of such an iron is its low weight.

The iron with a metal-ceramic sole weighs no more than 1.5 kg.

But despite all its advantages, there are also enough shortcomings. First of all, it is high brittleness. During the operation of such an iron, it is necessary to prevent by all means the receipt of any chips and cracks, because they can eventually lead to detachment of the ceramic sputtering from the base.

Additional selection criteria

It is impossible to say which iron is better to buy. After all, each customer has his own priorities. What else should I look for when choosing a device? Sole shape Significantly affects the convenience of ironing. You need to choose the shape depending on what you iron more often. If these are items of clothing such as men's shirts, children's clothes, dresses with ruffles, then it is better to give preference to the sole with a narrow nose and an elongated sole. In that case, if you spend a lot of time ironing bed linen, then choose a device with a wide and rounded nose.

Having decided on the material of the sole of the iron, as well as choosing its shape, you can safely go to the store for a purchase.