Panasonic NI-E300TR U-Shape Iron Review

The Panasonic NI-E300TR steam iron looks striking with its white and green color combination. Quite a popular model, it ranks among the top 20 under the Irons category on Amazon when we wrote up this review. Although popular, we do think there could be a better recommendation though and so, let’s take a further look at the NI-E300TR below.

Panasonic NI-E300TR Review

The main features of this steam iron are:

• 1200-watt
• U-shaped titanium soleplate (nonstick)
• Adjustable steam
• Spray mist
• Combined burst of steam and self-cleaning feature
• Automatic shut-off
• Retractable cord
• Size: 5⁵⁄₁₆ (Height) x 4⁷⁄₁₆ (Width) x 10¹¹⁄₁₆ (Depth) in inches

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Panasonic has a few of these U-shaped titanium coated soleplate irons and the NI-E300TR is one of them. The U-shaped is supposed to enhance steam coverage with more pressure concentrated at the center for a smoother ironing experience. With more steam coverage of up 25% extra compared to older Panasonic irons, the curved design also helps to minimize snagging and wasted motions of going through the same area numerous times. Large steam holes dot the sides of the soleplate which has a titanium coating with nonstick properties.

The rest of the features of pretty standard for a steam iron. A spray mist and burst of steam is available with a push of a button at the top of the handle. The burst of steam also works as a self-cleaning option for cleaning the vents and to prevent clogging. The variable steam feature allows for 3 settings – high, low and dry.

The temperature dial allows for 5 fabric settings – acrylic, silk, wool, cotton and linen. Simply rotate the dial to get to your desired setting and there is a temperature-ready indicator light to let you know when the iron is ready for use.

The Panasonic NI-E300TR has a 8-foot long cord length and is retractable which makes this one of its main selling points. The water tank can take in 7.1 ounces of water and the iron weighs 3.3 lbs when empty. As for the safety feature, it has a 3-way automatic shut-off. The unit will disconnect when left idle standing upright in its normal position and lying sideways or horizontally on its soleplate. The time window for shutting down is 10 minutes and 1 minute respectively.

Should You Buy The Panasonic NI-E300TR Titanium Iron?

Pros

1. Quick heat up – You can be up and running with this iron in less than a minute. Plug it in and it will heat up quickly, saving you time if you are always in a rush for those last minute ironing in the morning.
2. Retractable cord – Not many irons have this feature and for some people, this is one of the must-haves in their list. Apart from Panasonic irons, other brands that have this feature is the Rowenta DW2090 Effective and Sunbeam Steam Master iron.
3. Irons well – The titanium soleplate is not superb when it comes to smoothness and may not be able to beat the T Fal Ultraglide, but it still glides well across fabrics. Most buyers are happy with its performance and satisfied with the smoothness of the soleplate.
4. Steam is adequate – There are no surprises here. For the price, the steam output is sufficient to get basic jobs done although it cannot be compared to the higher end units like the Rowenta DW9081 Steamium.

Cons

1. Lacks a few features – This unit does not have the anti-calcium feature that is available in many other models. This feature helps to minimize sediment build-ups in the vaporizing chamber which can clogged up the iron’s steam vents. The other drawback is the NI-E300TR does not have a vertical steaming option.
2. Water drips – Looks like we can’t run away from the problem of leakages, spits and drips in any steam iron these days. Although only a minority have this complaint, the durability of the iron and the inconvenience of leakages do exist for at least a few buyers. On the upside, there are also some users who have had the iron for over 2 years with no problems whatsoever.
3. Soleplate drags – Not all buyers are happy with the smoothness of the soleplate. While most think it irons well enough, a few feel that the soleplate has more friction than other irons that they have used.

While the generally positive reviews should make us recommend the Panasonic NI-E300TR, we are more inclined towards a similar iron by the same company and that is the Panasonic NI-E650TR. In terms of the Panasonic NI-E300TR vs NI-E650TR, the differences are limited to:

• Color – green vs violet
• Vertical steaming – not available for the NI-E300TR
• Anti-calcium – not available for the NI-E300TR

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As we don’t see a big difference in the price of the two models for the lack of certain features in the NI-E300TR, it only makes sense to get the NI-E650TR instead. In fact, the former is being sold at a higher price than the latter at the time of this posting on Amazon. So, unless you have a preference for a green iron or have used this model before, we are more comfortable in recommending the Panasonic NI-650TR steam iron, which we think is one of the best steam irons under $50, than this unit here.