Sainsbury's has a great range of irons designed to make light work of even the largest pile of laundry.

Steam irons: more effective in removing creases, as the steam opens up the weave in the fabrics, while the weight and shape of the soleplate flattens and smoothes. The higher the wattage, the more steam produced and the easier ironing is.

Steam irons take water from a built-in water tank, heat it, and jet it out as steam. Transparent tanks are useful for keeping an eye on water levels, while detachable tanks let you refill without turning off the machine.

Steam is expressed in grams per minute, on a domestic steam iron this would typically range from 30-90grms per minute. The more steam, the easier it is to remove creases. Other features include: 

Steam iron generators: these are home versions of professional steam irons. They are similar to ordinary steam irons but have a separate steam generator attached via a hose.

The generator produces huge amounts of steam, usually around 2200w, and can halve ironing time as higher steam pressure means both sides of the fabric are pressed at the same time.

The soleplate is the metal underside of an iron, where heat is distributed. The material and design of a soleplate will affect an iron’s overall performance. There are four soleplate types: 

Anti-drip systems: emit steam at low temperatures without spitting or dripping. Particularly useful for delicate fabrics.  

Anti-scale: most steam irons have this feature and so, can be used with tap rather than distilled water. Cleaning systems and anti-calcium functions are designed to prevent calcium damaging the iron. Some irons feature a changeable anti-calcium cartridge or force calcium out of the vents with a burst of steam.

Auto shut-off: some irons automatically switch themselves off after 8 minutes in the upright position, and after 30 seconds resting on the soleplate.

Dimples and steam holes: the more of these on a soleplate, the better performance.

Narrow tip: this gets the soleplate into tight spaces, like between buttons and pleats.

Vertical steam: for hung clothes or curtains. For many steam irons this simply means repeatedly pressing the shot of steam button.