Water spills too easily The Kärcher SC2.500C is a powerful cylinder-style steam cleaner with twin tanks: one stores cold water, the other boils it to create steam. That means that it offers non-stop cleaning – you can top up the water tank at any time without disrupting the boiler.Design is impressive, but for the price it would have been nice to get more tools included. However it does a great jobs on floors and more with the tools supplied, so it’s worth considering if you have lots of floor to clean – or as an upgrade to an existing machine.The Kärcher has a cylinder, not upright, design. This means it's equally capable of cleaning floors or using tools to tackle curtains, upholstery and more. It comes with a small selection of tools and enough onboard storage space for more – Kärcher offers a long list of optional extra accessories.Build quality is very sturdy, in Kärcher's iconic yellow, and while the machine is heavy, this matters less than it would in an upright cleaner because you're not lifting it all the time – it trails behind you on wheels as you clean.

Also Consider: Bissell Vac & SteamThe 4m long cable is disappointing, though – as you move round the house you'll need to unplug it and move to another socket more often than you would with a longer cable, some steam cleaner cables are twice as long.The steam lance, which you can use with the mop or tools, is modular in two sections, so you can use one or both. The mop head is hard plastic, with no brushes, for carpets and rugs.For hard floors you clip a cloth onto this – two terry cloths are supplied, but you could use any cloth. The cloth is gripped firmly by teeth at each side. Tools include a large brush, small brush and concentration nozzle.Also Consider: Vax Steam Fresh Combi S86-SF-CFilling can either be from a jug or you can pop out the reservoir and take it to the tap. Then switch on and wait: the water is pumped into the second tank and then takes six minutes to come to the boil.After each use, more water is pumped across, which is noisy. But in return, you can top up the water at any time without stopping steam (it beeps to remind you when the tank is running low).

This system delivers consistent steam at pressure and it's far more powerful than most steam cleaners.Chow Chow Pups For Sale In Cape TownThe handle has convenient controls: high steam, low steam or child lock. Pitbull Puppies For Sale South JerseyBut unless you use the latter to prevent use completely, there is no safety catch on the trigger. Pressure Washer Repair HoustonForget to put on the child lock and it's too easy to trigger the steam accidentally while you're disconnecting the lance – we nearly got scalded.As expected given the price, cleaning is impressive. The head is flat enough to fit well under furniture and it makes quick work of floors and more. But for the price it would have been good to get more accessories included.

Also, the open top of the water tank means that if you lug the cleaner around too quickly it can spill.If money's no object, absolutely. It's more powerful and effective than most and can clean non-stop – it’s great choice for large homes and anyone who likes to steam clean often.But if you'd prefer a bargain, the Polti Vaporetto GO does pretty much the same job – with more tools but without twin tanks – for a fraction of the price. Head to our steam cleaner reviews for more options.The Kärcher SC 2.500 C won't disappoint, but its excellent performance comes at a price and we'd like a longer cable. Heats up in just 3 minutes Weight is all in hand The Kärcher SC1 Steam Stick is a lightweight steam cleaner that can be used as a steam mop – by adding the extension tubes – or as a handheld cleaner for detailed jobs.It's affordable and heats up quickly, making it great for smaller jobs. But if you're looking for a workhorse for mopping the whole house there are alternatives that are easier in the hand.

SEE ALSO: Best Steam Cleaners 2015The lightweight handheld – in Kärcher's trademark yellow – has a very practical design. You can add tools directly for close-up cleaning or use one or both extension tubes and the hose for a longer reach or for floor-cleaning.The design gives superb reach and flexibility. The two tubes are each 45cm long and then the hose is 110cm so you can get anywhere.It comes with a handy mesh bag to store tools in, but it doesn't come with many tools. Apart from the floor-cleaning head you just get a hand tool, small plastic brush, power nozzle and detail nozzle. Plus two sizes of terry towelling cloths – one for the floor-cleaning head and one for the hand tool.If you want a brush, scraper or squeegee visit the Kärcher website… where you'll find a very wide range of optional accessories.The Kärcher is very quick to get started. It doesn't come with a jug but it's small enough that it fits under a kitchen tap.A full tank of water is up to steam in 3 minutes.

The 'run-in' time is fast too – that's the amount of time it coughs and splutters the first time you press the trigger, as you wait for the steam to come through.The 1.5kg weight is extremely light for a steam cleaner. But it doesn't exactly feel light because all the weight is in your hand, compared with a stick-style steam cleaner where the weight is lower down.The cleaning head, conversely, is lightweight so it struggles over bumps. A heavier cleaner would take floorboard edges in its stride but the lightweight Kärcher just doesn't have the momentum to cope with them. And on heavy rugs it's sluggish, again because the cleaning head is so light – we found it helped to keep the body of the steam cleaner low, to put some welly into it.That said, it does a good job of cleaning floors. The lightweight floor-cleaning head is flat, so it's great at getting under furniture. It comes with a flat, rectangular terry towelling cloth that clips is held securely in place by clips on both sides, though you could use any cloth that's the right size in its place.

Steam is powerful, but not variable. So if you don't want to leave the floor soaking you press the trigger in bursts rather than squeezing it constantly. The trigger also has a safety lock under your thumb, which is good for safely changing tools.When you're done, the Kärcher packs up nice and quickly. Turn it off and squeeze the trigger for a minute to release enough steam that it's safe to empty. Then simply tip it out. There's obviously no onboard storage, but it comes with a mesh bag for storing the tools – a practical design as you can throw them in there while they're still wet.Yes – if you're looking for a versatile steam cleaner as opposed to a steam mop for floors alone. This design feels simpler and more practical than upright steam cleaners with a Dustbuster-style handheld that pops out of the middle. And it cleans very effectively.If you'd prefer an upright cleaner then look at the Vax Steam Fresh Combi. It's also worth considering cylinder-style cleaners such as the Polti Vaporetto GO, which offers lots of cleaning power at a very reasonable price.