"The introduction of the first home steam-electric iron a few years ago was greeted with considerable fanfare, and the fervent hope, among iron-tired housewives that here, at last, was a good answer to their ironing problems."—Consumer Reports, October 1951

Those first-generation steam irons didn't impress. Manufacturers made bold claims, but the irons ran out of steam and clothes still had to be dampened before ironing, according to our 1951 test results. Even worse, for the October 1951 report, nine of 11 steam irons were judged Not Acceptable, eight presented burn or scald hazards, and the soleplate melted and the thermostat failed on the Silex (shown). Talk about ironing problems.

In our latest tests of 26 steam irons, cordless irons, and steam generators, which will appear in the January 2010 issue of Consumer Reports, things got heated when we ironed 482 shirts, 54 linen tablecloths, and 81 napkins, but no meltdowns occurred. We tested and found some terrific irons that delivered a crisp look, had plenty of steam, and handled easily.

Safety is always a concern when ironing, and most of the newly tested models have a safety feature that shuts off the iron within minutes if you leave it upright and usually less than a minute if you leave it facedown.

One thing has remained the same since 1951: the price of a couple of models in the ratings. That Silex that melted cost $20 in 1951, as does the recession-busting Black & Decker Steam Advantage F1060, one of the highest-rated models in our new tests. (According to the federal government's inflation calculator, $20 in 1951 is worth more than $166 today.)—Kimberly Janeway | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential reading: Check our free buyer's guide to irons and look for our newly updated ratings later this week. If you're in a nostalgic mood, read our other Vintage Consumer Reports items.