My ironing station is set up kind of like a desk in my living room. It has a wide, formica clad shelf on top of it, which I covered with two large, old bath towels and a piece of striped upholstery fabric that I got at Walmart. That sits on two bedside tables that weren't getting any use in the guest bedroom. It's a great set up for me, as my need to sit while I iron is becoming more obvious to me.
The point of all that nonsense above is that the surface is flat, and, as you said, it makes a big difference.
And when the grands are here, the iron gets put away and it becomes a computer table.