AmazingTech: AmazingTech: Philips PerfectCare 8000 PSG8130/80 review: Say goodbye to scorching and stiffness

If you’ve ever scorched your favourite garment or left it with that slightly shiny, crispy look, the Philips PerfectCare 8000 PSG8130/80 steam generator iron could be the just the thing to ensure that never happens again. Thanks to its temperature control technology and steam adaption feature, which adjusts the level of steam based on how fast you’re ironing, this model helps you avoid burns and other upsets while also taking away much of the usual guesswork.

There are other features of note too: an easily accessed de-calc port when many are tricky to empty, automatic steam for vertical use that means you don’t need to depress the trigger and a max steam button for easing out heavy creases. All this comes in a stylish package that doesn’t look half-bad if it’s out on display rather than stashed away in a cupboard. As well as being pleased with the steam generator iron’s features, I was also generally satisfied with its performance, ease of use and generously-sized, easy-to-fill water tank.

Philips PerfectCare 8000 PSG8130/80 review: What do you get for the money? 

The Philips PerfectCare 8000 PSG8130/80 steam generator iron has many features, but the most readily apparent is its capacity. Its elegant smoked-effect plastic water tank accommodates 1.8l – perfect for creating plenty of steam (up to 170g/min with a 700g boost and up to 8.5 bar of pressure) to power through your ironing pile. The tank is removable and simple to fill with a wide spout and handle to hold it with. Its ‘max fill’ is a little more confusing though. As the tank curves backwards, it’s easy to slosh some water out when fitting it back into the base if it is topped up to the line.

The PerfectCare 8000 is lighter than its sister product the PerfectCare Elite GC9650/80 at just 4.9kg, with the iron itself weighing a dainty 850g. The PerfectCare 8000 PSG8130/80 is bigger than some models at 47.5 x 22.9 x 28.8cm (WDH), but its design is far from being visually or physically obtrusive. This is aided by adequate storage for the water cord around the base and a Velcro wrap to keep the power cable neat when not in use. 

The iron locks into its base by way of a push button at the nose, with the heel slotting into the base at the rear for extra security. The whole thing can be carried as one by the iron’s handle. In terms of controls, there are only two buttons to get to grips with. One button, on the base, lets you turn the iron on and off, as well as select max power, while the other, on the iron itself, controls the steam adaptation and vertical mode features. The iron’s face is made up of a stainless-steel base with multiple coatings, including titanium, for good durability and glide.

One thing you may especially appreciate is how easy this model is to keep scale-free. Rather than making the drain difficult to get to, like some irons do, the plug here sits low down on the base and is easy to access. Once the de-calc light has lit, all you need to do is remove the plug and empty out the limescale particles. 

What’s it like to use?

While there are no temperature selection options, when on the base, the iron’s heat-up time was as quick as similar models at just 2mins 2secs. During this, the iron registered a top power consumption of 2,662W from cold according to my meter. I liked that the iron beeped audibly to let me know it was ready, without me needing to watch it.

To get a sense of the heat the PerfectCare 8000 could output, I used a thermocouple thermometer to check the minimum and maximum temperatures it reached while the water tank was empty and the iron was on the base. The maximum heat reached was 148°C, dropping down to 141°C before the iron began heating up again. On fabric, rather than the base, presumably it would vary more. Not having temperature settings, it does feel like you need to put a certain amount of trust in the product, so you may want to start off cautiously at first.

In use, the iron was easy to hold, although the handle could feel slightly slippy when manoeuvring it around. I found myself holding onto it more tightly compared to my usual steam generator. The water cord connection is far away from your wrist as it’s not connected at the handle, making it comfy to use over long periods. Another plus was that the max control button is on the tank, so there’s no chance of hitting it by accident while you’re ironing.

The main thing I felt was missing was a removable heat pad for the ironing board, as the heel of the iron is curved and can’t sit on its end. When filled with 1.8l of water, the base is too weighty for the average ironing board.

How well does it iron?

Steam generator irons use a mixture of heat and steam to ease out creases, but I got the sense with the PerfectCare 8000 PSG8130/80 that it relies more heavily on steam. I reached this conclusion because its soleplate didn’t appear to reach temperatures over 150°C in heat testing, yet during use, there was an almighty amount of steam, should you wish for it. 

While lots of steam sounds scary, in practice, it isn’t. The steam is directional rather than scattershot and is distributed in equal, compact bursts. As someone who has scalded their hand before when quickly adjusting fabric on the board while ironing, I felt more confident doing so. 

The steam speed setting is especially clever: if you like to whizz through the ironing pile fast, or are ironing large items of bed linen, the amount of steam will keep up with your pace. Equally, if you’re pressing smaller pieces or working around zips or buttons, it will slow things down. The steam trigger is slim and doesn’t need too much pressure to hold it down either. Vertical mode, meanwhile, delivered an immediate, consistent stream of steam, ideal for curtains or hanging clothes, while Max Power mode was much as it sounds, delivering clouds of steam for tackling tough creases. 

The iron is light and glides over fabric very easily, however, I found this took some getting used to. Often, I would accidentally iron in small creases while aiming to press out larger ones. I felt that the crease removal was good overall though. When ironing a shirt, one pass pressed both sides perfectly, halving the workload, while cuffs and collar only needed a quick sweep on either side. 

Should you buy the Philips PerfectCare 8000 PSG8130/80? 

There’s a lot that’s good about the Philips PerfectCare 8000 PSG8130/80 steam generator iron: it takes the guesswork out of choosing the right temperature for your garments, meaning you can power through a mixed pile without skipping a beat and you take on larger items as easily as more delicate jobs. It also has some clever steam settings, like its steam adaption mode and its auto-steaming vertical mode.

However, its grip and movement do take some getting used to, so don’t be surprised if you spend the first few weeks ironing in creases as well as taking them out. There’s also the matter of it being at the upper end of affordability for this type of product: for the price tag, I’d like to see a heat pad for the board and a handle with a comfier grip.