Prices in euros from Amazon.de, as of 11 June 2026. Prices and availability may differ on Amazon.co.uk.
Steam cleaners loosen dirt, grease and limescale with hot steam alone: no chemicals, but hygienic, which is particularly useful in households with children, pets or allergies. But not every steam cleaner is the same: we compared six units across all designs, from the Kärcher cylinder unit through the steam mop for floors and the versatile 2-in-1 unit to cheap handheld steamers from 30 euros. Sorted by type, heat-up time, tank size, steam output and accessories. All listed on Amazon.de. The most important question first: do you mainly want to mop floors, clean details such as taps and grout, or both?
Reasoning and all data in the table below
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Editorial rating based on manufacturer specs and Amazon catalogue data. We do not trial products ourselves. How we rate
| Model | Position | Type | Heat-up time | Tank | Steam | Accessories | Price | Rating | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 01 · Kärcher SC 2 Deluxe steam cleaner★ Our pick · 3.2 bar |
Our pick | Cylinder | 6.5 min | 1.0 L | 3.2 bar | Complete set | from €123 | 8,8 |
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 02 · Kärcher SC 3 Deluxe steam cleaner30 s · Non-stop |
Premium | Cylinder | 30 s | 1.0 L (refillable) | 3.5 bar | Complete + descaler | from €178 | 8,5 |
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 03 · Leifheit CleanTenso steam mop★ Steam mop |
Floor pick | Steam mop | < 30 s | XL removable | infinitely variable | 6 nozzles + pad | from €45 | 8,4 |
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 04 · Black+Decker BHSM1615DAM 10-in-1 steam mop2-in-1 |
Most versatile | 2-in-1 | about 18 s | 500 ml | adjustable | 10-piece | from €100 | 8,2 |
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 05 · Eave handheld steam cleaner 10-in-1450 ml · 3 bar |
Handheld, XL tank | Handheld unit | approx. 3 min | 450 ml | 3 bar | 10-in-1 | from €40 | 7,6 |
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 06 · Clatronic DR 3653 handheld steam cleaner9-piece · from €30 |
Budget pick | Handheld unit | about 2 to 3 min | 250 ml | 3.5 bar | 9-piece | from €30 | 7,3 |
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Which steam cleaner suits your use: floors, details or both.
Our pick: a canister unit with 3.2 bar that cleans bathroom, kitchen, grout, tiles and sealed floors without chemicals. Complete accessories (floor, hand and spot nozzles, round brush, steam hose), 1-litre tank for about 75 m². Honestly: 6.5 min heat-up time and no refilling during operation. For a normal flat, the best compromise of power, accessories and price.
The comfort version: ready in 30 seconds (instead of 6.5 min) and with non-stop steam, so the tank can be refilled at any time during operation. More powerful (3.5 bar / 1,900 W) and with an integrated descaling cartridge. Much more expensive than the SC 2, and the cartridge is a running cost. Worth it for anyone who steam-cleans often and on larger areas.
The floor specialist: an upright steam mop that you guide like a broom, ready in under 30 seconds, up to 40 minutes of steam from the XL tank, continuously adjustable. Ideal for quick, chemical-free mopping of sealed floors. Meant only for that (not a handheld unit) and only for sealed surfaces. From €45, the best value for money for floors.
The most versatile solution: a steam mop whose upper part can be detached as a handheld steam cleaner, plus a SteaMitt steam glove and 10-piece accessories. Ready in about 18 s. Floors plus taps, grout, windows and upholstery with one appliance. Honestly: at 3 kg it is top-heavy, and the pads get dirty quickly. If you want everything in one, this is the right one.
The handheld with stamina: a 10-in-1 handheld steam cleaner with an unusually large 450 ml tank (about 10 min of steam, more than the usual 250 ml units), 3 bar and a 5 m cable. For detail work on taps, grout, windows, upholstery and in the car. Not for large floors, and limited on hard crusts, but strong as an enduring detail cleaner.
The cheapest entry: a handheld steam cleaner for around €30 with 9-piece accessories, 3.5 bar and a 5 m cable. Chemical-free for bathroom, kitchen, taps and grout. Honestly: small 250 ml tank (8 to 10 min, then refill and heat up again), budget build quality. Just right for trying out and for occasional detail cleaning.
By use: for mainly floors, an upright steam mop is the quickest and handiest. For detail cleaning (taps, grout, windows, upholstery), a handheld steam cleaner is enough. For the whole house with lots of accessories, a Kärcher canister unit is the most flexible, and anyone who wants to combine floor and handheld takes a 2-in-1 appliance.
Yes. Hot steam (up to 3.5 bar on the Kärcher units) loosens grease, dirt and limescale and removes a large share of common household bacteria, with no cleaning agent at all. That is particularly useful in the kitchen and bathroom and in households with children, pets or allergies. For heavily dried-on crusts, letting it work briefly or a second pass helps.
Only on sealed hard floors: tiles, stone, sealed parquet, laminate and vinyl. Unsealed wood, oiled parquet, cork and delicate coverings can be damaged by heat and moisture. Appliances such as the Leifheit CleanTenso or the Black+Decker are explicitly meant for sealed floors. If in doubt, try it on an inconspicuous spot first.
Both decide the comfort. The heat-up time ranges from 30 seconds (Kärcher SC 3, steam mop) to 6.5 minutes (Kärcher SC 2). The tank size determines how long you can work in one go: 250 ml (about 8 min) for the cheap Clatronic, 450 ml for the Eave, 1 litre for the Kärchers. If you want to mop through without a break, look for a large tank or non-stop refilling.
It depends on the use. A handheld unit from €30 is enough for occasional detail cleaning in the bathroom and kitchen. If you steam-clean regularly and throughout the house (floors, upholstery, taps), a Kärcher SC 2 gives you more steam pressure, better accessories and more stamina. Rule of thumb: occasional and details → handheld unit; frequent and whole house → canister unit or steam mop.
Streak-free for windows, mirrors and shower: the ideal complement to the steam cleaner.
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