Review: Black & Decker Corded Professional Electronic Control Iron

My trusty iron of 10 years went up in a fiery blaze a little just before Christmas. OK, so it was more like a very small electrical fire that didn’t do much damage. But the result was the same, it spent the night outside in the snow to cool off and I had to get a new iron.

The iron I had was a high school graduation gift, so it was the first time I had ever had to shop for an iron. While the professional quilting irons were definitely tempting, I didn’t want to blow a ton of money on an iron.

So I found myself at Wal-Mart, surveying the options when the local fabric shop didn’t have anything that fit my budget and desires. My last iron that lasted more than a decade was a Black & Decker, so I wanted to stick with the brand that had severed me so well.

I ended up settling on the Black & Decker Corded Professional Electronic Control Iron for $31. It has easy to read and set temperature controls based on the type of fabric you’re working with and a steam option that is easy to disengage.

There’s an automatic shutoff that kicks in when you haven’t used the iron for a while, or it is lying flat for a certain length of time. The automatic shut off is a helpful feature when it is in the upright position. The second you turn the iron flat to use it, it heats up right away to the previous setting.

But the automatic shut off when it is lying flat is a pain in the rear. It keeps shutting itself off when I’m pressing binding, attaching fusible web or just ironing yardage. The iron was clearly not designed with a quilter in mind when it comes to the automatic shut off timer.

The other negative is the water compartment is very difficult to open. I have to use the handle end of a spoon to pry it open every time it runs out of water, which is often when you’re using the steam setting.

Now, like most quilters who loathe ironing anything but fabric, I haven’t used the iron to any clothes so I can’t speak to how it works shirts, pants and all the other normal items an iron is used for.

Am I completely in love with the Black & Decker Corded Professional Electronic Control Iron? No. Am I happy with it for the price I paid? Yes.