Jiffy Personal Clothes Steamer with Plastic Steam Head (J-2)

I bought the Jiffy J-4000 in 2008. So, it lasted 9 years. The heating element broke because I left it on all day, the water dried out, and the heating element snapped. I frequently made the mistake of letting the steamer run dry by the way. So, nine years through rough wear and tear is pretty good. Otherwise I'm sure it would have lasted two or three times as long.I never reviewed the J-4000 because there are plenty of reviews that will convince you that if you want the very best steamer on the consumer market, there is really no other option than Jiffy. And as long as I was going to buy the best, I was going to go with the flagship J-4000.I opened the J-4000 up and was surprised at how well it is crafted--heavy guage stainless steal and brass I believe. So, I ordered a replacement heating element. I ended up stripping a screen and had to cut a wire and thermostat off and realized that I needed silicone to seal the tank again. In other words, I was quickly over my head with the repairs and was not confident I would get it back together soon enough (I steam my close every morning). So, I decided to order the J-2 for my bedroom and keep the J-4000 in the laundry room (if I ever got it back together again).This is what surprised me: ***The J-2 is a much better steamer.*** Here is why:Heat Up TimeJ-4000: The tank holds about a gallon, maybe a gallon and a half of water. It takes at least five minutes to start producing steam. Maybe 10 minutes. It doesn't sound like long. But, in the morning, I go eat breakfast or take a shower while it heats up and forget that the machine is going. Often, I start it up and it is close to being out of water. So, when I get back, the machine has run dry. And there is nothing worse than being in a rush and the last thing that you need to do before heading out the door is run the steamer over a suit jacket that was hanging over the back of a chair and realizing you need to wait five or ten minutes for the steamer to heat up.J-2: The water bottle on the machine stays cool. The water is headed in a very small chamber in the machine. It might be heating 2 cups of water. So, it starts steaming in about 30 seconds, maybe a minute at most. Very fast. So, I never need to walk away and do something else. By the time I get the shirt out of the closet, it's already percolating with a wisp of steam coming out. By the time I get the pants, the thing is blowing steam.Water Level CheckJ-4000: There is a little window on the side of the machine. It's impossible (at least for me) to read while standing. So, I would have to bend over and give the machine a giggle to see where the water line was. Of course, this also contributed to repeatedly running the machine dry. And if you overfill the machine, the water boils up through the hose and sprays boiling water out of the wand, which is inconvenient, and even dangerous. So, there is an incentive to not just top off the machine all of the time.J-2: You can see the water level in the plastic bottle from across the room.Time Between RefillsJ-4000: Large capacity. But because I would leave it on to warm up and forget about it so often, it would run through water maybe every three days.J-2: I think the bottle is less capacity than the J-4000 tank (but not by much--the actual tank inside the aluminum housing is smaller than you might think and you can't fill it to the top without it boiling over). However, because I start steaming immediately and turn it off as soon as I'm done, the bottle is lasting me about two weeks between refills. So, significantly less refills even though it is probably has a bit little less capacity.Ease of RefillJ-4000: Fill up a pitcher and pour it through a funnel while watching the water level in the window on your knees.J-2: Just fill the bottle and carry it back to the machine (the water in the small reservoir is already boiling by the time you get back and the cool water in the bottle does *not* stop the boiling when you turn it over onto the reservoir).SpaceObviously the J-2 is smaller than the J-4000. It doesn't seam all that important. But it makes a difference in the bedroom and is so much easier to move.Cons: Because the reservoir is continually heating cool water, there is a gurgling sound that it makes. And the steam is probably just a tad less forceful. But I can't tell any difference in the effectiveness of the steaming. In other words, it does *not* take an extra pass to remover any wrinkles. The J-4000 does have a satisfyingly quiet hiss of steam coming out rather than the coffee percolator sound. But, let me tell you, if you use this thing daily, hands down, you do want the J-2.I've got the perfect set up now. The big one to do a dozen shirts at a time when they come out of the machine. And a small one to quickly take a few wrinkles out in the morning.By the way, if you are on the fence about whether to buy a steamer (when you have an iron), just think about whether you really need a microwave (when you have a stove) or a cell phone (when you have a land line) or e-mail (when you already have a perfectly good fax machine). It's that big of a difference.

I don’t write reviews often, but this product truly deserves recognition. From the moment I unboxed it, I could tell this was a high-quality item thoughtfully designed to meet real consumer needs. The craftsmanship is impressive, the performance is consistent, and the value far exceeds the price point.As someone who values both form and function, I’m thrilled with how this has integrated into my daily routine. It’s rare to find a product that checks all the boxes — but this one absolutely does. It not only met my expectations, it exceeded them. I’ve already recommended it to friends and colleagues.Kudos to the team behind this — clearly, attention to detail and customer satisfaction were top priorities. I’m always on the lookout for products that deliver on their promises, and this one is now a staple in my home. If you're on the fence, take this as your sign to go for it. You won’t be disappointed.

I had a travel steamer from another brand and it was ok, but it would have never replaced my iron. The Jiffy steamer is excellent! I put a few items in a ball to test. The steamer erased the wrinkles immediately! I have yet to find anything that I will have iron after using the Jiffy! The plastic steam head seams great so far. If you use the steamer as intended, you will not be injured or have any dripping. The steamer is built like a Sebo or old Electrolux vacuum, like a tank! The weight isn’t bad, feels slightly lighter than a Kitchenaid mixer.

I can't tell you how much I love this steamer. We recently moved and we had a ton of garments to adress (about 10 full cardboard wardrobes of clothing) that had come out of storage. Everything had to be cleaned but we couldn't afford to drop off every single dress, skirt, coat, jacket, collared shirt, etc. at the Dry-Cleaners (sooooo expensive in my town) just to have them come back too stiff and chemical laden with broken buttons. So we decided to wash it all ourselves (yes, you can wash a cashmere sweater or a wool coat by hand!) and press or steam the items before putting them away for the first time. So we have literally used this steamer over 100 times in the past 3 months and it is still going strong! Heats up within a minute and lets you steam non-stop for over an hour before having to refill the water tank.It really pumps out the steam, too! Just be careful you don't burn yourself or maybe use one of those mitts. It took my husband and I a few times to learn how to hold the garment and nozzle/head just right, but now it's second nature and we find it much more enjoyable than ironing. Items like dresses, coats, modal shirts (or other synthetics), sweaters, silks, and jackets have all turned out beautifully. If you want a crisp, starched-like dress shirt with creases, though, ironing is still the best way. Steaming softens the fabric fibers to smooth out wrinkles, so you can't expect a stiffening action to take place. This being said, it's much more gentle on clothing than ironing, so is preferable when you don't need that super-starched look.The solid metal rod that you use to hang clothes on while you steam is very sturdy and doesn't rust. The steaming hose is as heavy duty as it gets, too, which makes sense because it has to stand up to an hour of steaming without melting. The wheels roll smoothly and the water bottle is easy to refill. Just goes to show that the USA still makes the absolute best products when we continue to manufacture them here. Thanks for not outsourcing, Jiffy! Glad I was able to buy an American-made steamer!This steamer is worth every penny and I couldn't be happier. Fantastic quality.PS. I recently learned that steaming garments can be an effective way to kill moth eggs because they can't take the intense heat. Definitely treat first using a proven fumigant (something like No-Moth) and wash thoroughly, but finishing off by steaming helps seal the deal, just in case there was anything buried amongst those fibers. An added benfefit to using a high-quality steamer, in my view.