Verdict

Pros

• Smaller than most rivals
• Smart, automatic temp. setting
• Excellent value for money

Cons

• No manual temp. control
• Steam gets weak after a while
• Water tank can't be removed

What is the Tefal Effectis GV6760?

The Tefal Effectis GV6760 is a compact steam generator iron. It doesn’t offer the most powerful steam in its class. But considering its small size, the performance impresses. It’s a great option if you want a steam generator iron but can’t accommodate some of the larger models.

Tefal Effectis GV6760 – Design and Features

The first thing you notice about the Tefal is its size. The design is compact – its footprint barely bigger than an iron sitting on its soleplate. As a result, it takes up less cupboard space than most and it’s also lighter to lug around. Yet it magically squeezes in a 1.5-litre water tank.

The styling is modern and the design is practical all round. The 1.7m steam hose loops around the machine and then clips in place. While there’s a clever groove around the base for storing the power cord, although there’s no clip to hold the plug in place – we found it easiest to tuck the plug into the hose. Alternatively you can unplug the cord.

On the side you’ll find a calc collector for easy cleaning – when the indicator tells you to, simply unscrew this (while the steam generator is cold) and rinse off the limescale deposits.

The water tank isn’t removable; you pull down a flap to fill it from a jug. But the fact that Tefal squeezed a decent capacity (1.5 litres) into such a compact appliance is impressive.

Tefal Effectis GV6760 – What’s it like to use?

The Tefal water tank can’t be removed to take it to the tap, you’ll need a jug to fill it. But then it’s quick to heat up – on test it took 2:15 minutes to come up to temperature and steam.

The 1.6m power cord is a bit shorter than some, so you’ll need a socket near your ironing board. But the 1.7m steam hose is ample and it hinges well from the back of the iron.

Unusually, it has a smart “any fabric” setting that’s compulsory. You basically can’t decide the iron temperature for yourself. This worked well – we found the Tefal did a fine job on a cotton shirt and could be used on delicate fabrics immediately after cottons. You’ll never have to sort your ironing pile out in advance to iron garments in order of how many dots are on the labels. Or wait for the iron to come up to temperature when you change settings. There’s basically just one setting.

The “one setting to rule them all” is a great idea in theory – anything that makes ironing less arduous can’t be bad. But we’d prefer to have a smart setting and also the option of being in precise control, as offered by the Bosch Ultimate Steam Generator. Why? Because ironing isn’t always about garments and fabric types – if you’ve ever had to iron on name labels (some types require a low temperature, others demand the highest) or used your iron to finish children’s Hama bead picture, you’ll know this.

The Tefal lets you dry iron. Then squeeze the finger trigger for a decent amount of steam – you must keep it squeezed for continuous steam. And press the thumb button on top for a triple burst of more intense steam.

Steam is initially impressive for such a small steam generator, but it trails off after a while. This is most visible when using the vertical steam, which is intense for 3 seconds and then more modest. But the steam is sufficient to do the job and the iron glides well over a variety of fabrics. For such a small appliance, we were impressed with the performance.

The Tefal sits well on its heel if you want to park it for a moment as you adjust your garment without putting it back onto the steam generator base. And the iron turns off automatically if not used for 8 minutes.

Packing away is no problem. The hose loops neatly around the appliance and the power cord clips into a groove around the bottom. Obviously the water tank isn’t easy to empty as it’s not detachable. But you can tip it out over the sink, or just leave the water in it for next time. Unlike bulkier steam generators, the Tefal is light enough that the extra weight of a litre of water is bearable.

The iron locks firmly in place, so you can lift the whole thing safely by the iron handle to put it away.

Should I buy the Tefal Effectis GV6760?

Yes, if size matters to you. One of the downsides of steam generator irons is that they take up so much space. The Tefal is so compact that its footprint isn’t much bigger than an ordinary iron sitting on its soleplate. But if storage space isn’t your prime concern, consider the Bosch Ultimate Steam Generator – it offers considerably more steam, so it gets through your ironing pile even faster. The Polti Vaporella Forever 670 Eco is another good budget buy worth a look.

Verdict

The Tefal is a compact and affordable steam generator iron that punches well above its weight.

Trusted Score