Product Description

The Philips GC8261 is a compact powerful pressurized ironing system that produces non-stop steam to make ironing easier and faster. Thanks to the large 1.4L water tank you can iron without interruption. When the water tank is empty you can easily detach it and refill it immediately. The footprint of the base is not bigger than an A4 paper! The steam pressure up to 5 bar penetrates deep into the fibres giving an exceptionally fast and professional result. A constant steam rate up to 120g/min and Careeza soleplate with steam tip boost of up to 150g/min delivers excellent ironing results even in the most difficult to reach places. Great results, minimum effort, endless, powerful steam. Powerful yet surprisingly compact, this ironing system produces non-stop, high pressure steam, making ironing fast and easy. Thanks to the 1.4 litre detachable water tank, you can iron for hours without interruption.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26229 in Kitchen & Housewares
• Brand: Philips
• Model: GC8261
• Released on: 2006-03-01

Features

• Ready to use in 2 minutes and iron up to 3 hours without refilling with the extra-large detachable 1.4 litre water tank
• Up to 5 bars of steam pressure for fast ironing with continuous steam up to 120 g/min for fast crease removal and Steam boost up to 150 g/min helps to remove stubborn creases
• The steam tip lets you iron in hard-to-reach areas: The unique steam tip combines a pointed front soleplate with special steam slots in the tip to reach right into the smallest and most difficult areas, for the best ironing results
• Lightweight and comfortable iron for effortless ironing: The iron is only 1.2 kg making ironing easy and effortless.
• SteamGlide soleplate for powerful steam and superb gliding: This specially designed soleplate combines superior ceramic coating for superior gliding on all fabrics and carefully designed vents for powerful crease removal.

Manufacturer's Description

Great results, minimum effort Endless, powerful steam with 1.4 litre water tank To make ironing effortless you need a lot of steam. High steam output means a lot of refilling. Powerful yet surprisingly compact, this ironing system produces non-stop, high pressure steam, making ironing fast and easy. Thanks to the 1.4 litre detachable water tank, you can iron for up to three hours without refilling Comfortable ironing Lightweight iron for effortless ironing Easy set-up and storage Lead and hose storage: For neat storage of lead and hose

Full control Steam-ready light: Indicator shows when right steam level is reached Iron temperature ready light Water tank empty light: Indicator shows when water tank needs refilling Variable steam settings to suit every garment: Variable steam settings to suit every garment Fast ironing Philips GC8261 is ready to use in two minutes. It gives you up to 5 bars of steam pressure for fast ironing Powerful ironing Continuous steam up to 120 g/min for fast crease removal. You can also use the shots of steam with steam boost with  up to 150 g/min to remove stubborn creases Easily remove creases Enjoy powerful, continuous vertical steam for hanging fabrics. With less effort and fast ironing experience Philips GC8261 allows you to  remove creases easily on hanging clothes. Optimal vent pattern Philips GC8261 has a optimal vent pattern designed on the soleplate that gives  the best results of even steam distribution Reaches into tricky areas Philips GC8261 is buttons and seams friendly iron. you can experience speeds up ironing along buttons and seams with its steam tip that lets you iron right into hard-to-reach areas Smooth gliding Philips GC8261 has SteamGlide soleplate that gives ultimate gliding experience. SteamGlide soleplate also gives guaranteed results with  powerful steam and superb gliding. Easier crease removal Using steam is easier to remove creases. Mostly you have to activate the steam trigger for steam. When the trigger is released, steaming stops. Do you really like using steam and therefore use it continuously? Philips has iron systems with a steam lock, providing continuous steaming without having to press & hold onto the steam trigger. Do release the steam lock once in a while to stop steaming during resting intervals. This prevents steam condensation on the resting area and also conserve energy.

Cal-Clean:  Take care of your iron to guarantee results Regular calc-cleaning is important to keep the iron going with good amount of steam, especially if the iron is using hard water from the tap. It is a good practice to do calc-clean before heating up the appliance. Do NOT open the calc-clean cap when the appliance is hot; If the appliance is hot, unplug the power cord from the mains and let the steam tank cool down for 2 hours. Pour away the water from the water tank. Remove the calc-clean cap by turning it anticlockwise. Pour away water from the steam tank into the sink. Rinse the steam tank with tap water until all impurities are flushed out. Screw the calc clean-cap tightly by turning it clockwise. Calc-clean should be done once a month. Inox boiler with external heating element- Anti-corrosion steam chamber

Customer Reviews

First Impressions
Having hesitated for the longest time over whether or not to get a steam generator iron (as I had a perfectly good steam iron in full working order) I finally decided, after much research, to purchace this model.

Now I have used it for the first time, I am impressed. At first I put the steam output on medium (3 options of low, medium and max) and yes it did get the creases out, but I had to put in the same effort that I would have had to of put in with a normal steam iron (not the effortless time saving ironing promised by using a steam generator iron). The only time saving feature that I could see at that point was the fact I only had to iron one side of the garment and the creases fell out of the opposite side also. Then I turned the steam output to maximum and I could finally see why everyone raves about these irons. It melted through the creases in my jeans with the lightest of touch and minimum effort, and again it only required me to iron one side. I would say it knocked an hour to an hour and a half off my usual three to four hour ironing marathon. Another point was that I did not feel like I had done a two hour ironing session at all, it was not tiring in the least.

However, this is only my first use of the product so as yet I have not had it long enough to see if it develops the same problems that the previous reviewer has found. We were recommended, impartially, to get the extended cover on it as apparently steam generators are known to be prone to developing problems, no matter which brand. So even if you decide not to purchace this particular iron I would pass on the recomendation of purchasing extended cover just in case. Also I was advised to get a mesh ironing board, as with the constant steam output, water would be accumulated on a traditional wooden ironing board.

Worth every single one of its five stars twice over!
We bought this iron as a replacement for our "Which? Best Buy" Tefal steam generator. That lasted just a couple of years before its cord covering frayed badly, a fault we put up with for a further two years. At £50.00 to repair we thought it wasn't worthwhile even though it had been an excellent iron in other ways.

Yet, as good as the Tefal was, this Philips surpasses it in every detail but one - the Tefal had a better cord storage system that worked well (a small detail). The Philips is light (so much lighter than a standard steam iron), it's powerful (much better than the excellent Tefal even) and it's very compact for such a powerful device.

It does everything it says it will and does it very well indeed. Ironing is a pleasure with this product - done and dusted quickly and well. If you haven't used a steam generator iron, really, you don't know what you are missing. This one is, I think, the current "Which? Best Buy" and is also Good Housekeeping Approved and recommended - and when you own it, it soon becomes utterly obvious why. Buy one with confidence and own it with pleasure. It's good.

You get what you pay for.....worth every penny!!!!
After much research and having previously owned and been happy with the Philips Azur iron, which had an excellent non stick ceramic sole plate similar to this iron, I decided to buy the GC8261

Philips have an excellent product here, I can see why the model below this, the GC8220 is a Which Best Buy. It is well built and very ergonomic, making ironing much less of a chore.

I was not sure if I would like a Steam Generator iron, so bought from Argos, as easier to return if it was not for me, but it makes ironing so much quicker (You only have to iron one side) and the iron weighs a lot less than a standard iron, so less tiring to use. I'm definitely keeping it!! It even irons well without steam.

Philips also give a 2 year guarantee for a bit of extra piece of mind.

I iron for a family of five and this product is a godsend, highly recommended.