My iron just broke. Any recommendations for a new one?

Rowenta. I just fixed the power cord on mine. I use it five times a week going on 15 years.

Thanks to the recommendations in this thread I was able to spot a german made Rowena in goodwill for 6 bucks. Major improvement over the shark I was using before.

10+ yrs Rowenta

I just checked the iron I bought from a charity shop a while ago for about £5. It's a Rowenta made in Germany! To me the board is just as important as the iron though. I hate these modern boards with the grill type base. So after much searching I got an old school one with a solid metal surface, the kind that has the asbestos board to rest the iron on. It's the best board I ever had. Got it from a charity shop for about £5. It's about my wisest buy ever since I got that Gillette Rocket #58 (check my first few posts) which I got from a charity shop for about £5.

Why get an iron at all?

We got one of these instead - steam generator, a MUCH better solution!

German-made Rowenta DW 8080 - built like a tank and produces copious amounts of steam.

I think these recommendations have gotten away from the OP's request... which was to pay $20 or less for an iron. And the German-made Rowentas are well above that (eg I think the 8080 is $100, though at Bed Bath and Beyond you can always get it for $80 with their 20% off coupon).

But that all said, I think the Rowenta recommendation is spot on. Cheaper irons are not well-made. They don't get as hot, and as consistently hot. They are not as heavy (and heavy irons work better). They don't have as good of an ironing surface. They don't have as many steam holes. They won't avoid spurting out water that is potentially stained (btw, always use distilled water).

If you are going to have to iron... best to spend the necessary $$ to get one that makes the job easier and successful.

Ours is a Hamilton Beach and it is nearly 20 years old and runs like a champ.

I haven't used an iron in years, but for such appliances Consumer's Report is an awesome resource. Their annual membership for online access is quite affordable.

The Rowenta DW2070 is a best buy while the Rowenta DW9280 tops the ratings but is pricey.

Try the thriftshop