An electric steam iron includes a water tank, a bottom plate, a heating device which is used to heat the bottom plate, a steam generator having a boiling chamber, a heating device to heat the boiling chamber and a temperature controller, with the inlet of the boiling chamber being in fluid communication with the water tank and the outlet of the boiling chamber being in fluid communication with the outlet opening of the bottom plate. The heating devices of the bottom plate and the steam generator are connected in series with their respective heating circuit, so that there is sole control of the steam generator, such that when using the iron again, it can spray steam directly without warming up the steam generator, thereby eliminating the warming up time of the steam generator and greatly speeding up boiling of the water.