Ironing apparatus (10) comprising an iron (11) with an ironing plate (16) heated by means of heating members (17) and provided with a steam delivery zone (27), and a container unit (12) which holds a determinate quantity of water and selectively feeds it to the ironing plate (16) through an inlet zone (26). The ironing plate (16) has a shape such as to define an obligatory path (23) that extends between the water inlet zone (26) and the steam delivery zone (27). The obligatory path (23) is configured so as to make the water pass repeatedly in correspondence with and/or in proximity to the heating members (17) as far as the delivery zone (27), in order to cause its progressive and complete evaporation from the inlet zone (26) to the delivery zone (27). The apparatus (10) also comprises a valve (18) disposed in cooperation with the obligatory path (23) downstream of the inlet zone (26), and can be selectively configured between a first closed condition, in which it defines, in correspondence with the heating members (17), a loading chamber (20) in which the water is maintained still in order to reach determinate conditions of temperature and pressure, and a second open condition, in which it allows the heated and pressurized water to access the obligatory path (23), so as to undergo a rapid and effective progressive evaporation.