Steamfast SF-680 Digital Steam Press with Multiple Fabric Settings and Steam Burst Function,Stainless/Black, Stand

We use it all the time. We were spending so much money on dry cleaning that I thought to buy this and starch press our clothes on my own. Ended up working out perfectly. The only thing I could wish for is a larger one. This one is great since both myself and my husband are small sized people. But if your clothing size is larger, you want to go for a bigger base.

This is without question my most favorite and useful purchase this year! It’s amazing. After starching I am able to press my jeans with a cowboy crease just like the dry cleaners. Shirts are incredibly easy to press and make crisp and nice. The cost may seem high but I can already tell you that I have saved lots of money not using the dry cleaners. I 10/10 recommend. It is large and a bit awkward to move around so you might look at getting a stand for it. I do not have the stand and have to use the kitchen table.

OK so I'm gonna really really love this *for what I need it for* (knit shells, sweaters, T's, shelf-stuff, some heavier cotton pants perhaps (untested pants).First, as reviews get switched between different versions of an item, I will share I purchased: Steam Fast SF-680 Digital Fabric Steam Press, April 2015.I need to shave off some a.m. gettin out the door time, so I first got this press, and next I may get the 30-45 minutes pants creasing press still thinking on that one.I opened this box (wide, but not too heavy or awkward in case you were wondering), and I had this item working in five minutes. It's not too heavy really it isn't (I was a little concerned about that initially). Only two pages of a small manual really applied to "use" and they were very well written. Skimmed the manual and in only minutes I was confident enough to steam blast my way through a sleeveless cream sweater.I wear very simple clothes to work, and alot of knits - thin sweaters etc. I don't often wear woven shirts with collars, so I won't be using it for those. I like my knits folded like on the store shelves -- so today I folded half and flattened (steam-shot lower, count to 8 and lift), folded half again and flattened (steam shot two lower, count to 8 and lift) - bam-bam-bam top done and just like new off the shelf! How awesome! Used wool setting for all, no issues no scorching, no wierd creasing, no burns. Steam puffs out fine.Some reviewers noticed loud popping noise, and yes I heard a total of "three" mid-range pops but that may very well be something metal underneath just reacting to a very fast heating up/cooling down. My little handheld steam iron does that but tiny-tiny pings only so it may make sense - bigger metal plate makes bigger popping noise. In my case, I had press on a total of 15 minutes, heard three pops total. Not unsettling, and likely wouldn't have noticed them had I not read the reviews before buying it.Actually, it says 8-10 seconds down, but counting to three did just as well with my knits. Started with "wool" but turned it down to "silk" The three lowest choices including "silk" allow no steam shot, but one wouldn't want that anyway on those. Tried a shirt, used a little Bounce starch, they came out ok but gonna need a little flattening practice on them, and I don't wear them often so I may just twist around and use the regular iron 5 times a year smiles. But the knits? Oh baby, am I gonna love this thing.Some reviews have mentioned you really really need the stand due to instability lifting/lowering the handle. Stand is sold separately here for like $50. Happy I didn't get it, because for me its just not necessary. For me, this press fits totally great on the top of my front-load dryer, extra room all around it, I can even pull out the top-side lint trap filter with no issues, and even with the steam press open. In fact, I have two shelves sticking out over my dryer and there's still plenty of room for this press sittin there totally open. Weight on the dryer top is fine, balance is fine, and press is seemingly built tight as a drum no issues with instability using it/opening/closing.So in my case, I needed this for morning "speed", "fit" in a convenient room, "safety" (steam, burns) as I'm gonna be using it quickly, "durability", a few years of no-drama working as advertised, and of course not burning my clothes or me unpredictably. So long as it keeps working like it did today, I'm thrilled with my purchase.Final thought: I took 2 suit jackets/matching trousers to the dry cleaners three weeks ago - the best dry cleaner in town they say. I paid and retrieved my plastic-draped goods and happily headed home. Hung em up at the house, and the morning of an awards ceremony three days later I pulled the plastic off to find it seemed like they cleaned them but did not press them - the collars were not flattened, the pants had no seams. Really? My response for my time, money, and initiation of "Plan B"? First time shame on you, second time its on me, so to avoid future drama I came to Amazon and done done and done. And this is also why I am a card-carrying Prime/2-day shipping included member as well.Hope that helps someone, and wishing all well!

This is my second stream press in 7 years and I love it. I’m done ironing in half the time. Time is everything and with a large family I can’t imagine a whole day ironing. I love the auto shut off. The reason for 4 stars is once you get steam it only last for a short period and there’s a waiting time for it to build back up.

Great

Try taking your clothes out of the dryer while they are still damp so you don't have to bother w/ the iron's steam function.When the cleaner who had been taking care of my dress shirts for over a decade moved away I bought this to make ironing the shirts myself a faster task. I've had it for one to two years now and it is holding up well.

With the right techniques, you can knock off a long sleeve dress shirt in a couple of minutes.First unbutton the two buttons on the button down collar.Lay the collar flat on the board and press. Easy burst of steam helps.Stretch the tail of the shirt evenly across the board. (Done correctly, the collar of the shirt will be closest to the floor.) Press, using steam device.Work your way up the back of the shirt, repeating the press. Soon, the entire back of the shirt will be pressed. With three or four repetitions, you’ll arrive at the yoke.The yoke is always tricky because the material on the back of the shirt is “gathered” neatly at the center. Flatten the yoke, respecting the pleat at the center. With the collar already flattened and pressed, you’ll make quick work of the yoke.With the back finished, one steam pressing of each side in front (pressing right over the buttons!) will finish the body of the shirt, front and back.Sleeves require your ingenuity. Drop the sleeve and release it so you’ll run a crease along the stitched part of the sleeve, located at the bottom. Eyeball for a correct seam. One steam and press usually suffices; there is usually no need to flip the sleeve to iron the other side.Repeat on the other sleeve.I tried to improve the efficiency of pressing the sleeve by cutting a piece of cardboard 36” inches long and dropping it into the sleeve hole before pressing. (I rounded one end of the cardboard to make the drop easier.) It was easy enough to correctly align the cardboard for an accurate seam, but the technique also confirmed the rumor that wet corrugated cardboard smells like — yes, yes — poo. I’m searching for other kinds of cardboard.Anyway, shirts turn out great. Almost all time is spent on waiting for the steam/press time. I listen to an Audibe book as I iron and have pleasant memories of my grandmother sitting at her Iron-Rite listening to Ma Perkins Boarding House.The Steamfast itself seems to be of high quality. The steam reservoir is large and easily refillable. I’m at the point where I’m ready to firm up some of the creases with small amounts of spray starch, but even without starch, the shirts hold up well. Remnants of the creases in the sleeves seem to hold up through a machine wash. And at no time have I detected a transfer of the smell of — you know — from the corrugated cardboard.

The product is not large enough to do mens clothes easily and it's too short for a man to use the iron on the stand.