I agree that irons aren't as hot as they used to be, probably now considered a fire-hazard on the advice of the company lawyers. I loved my old Rowenta that sizzled. And I have a very sleek Panasonic in my laundry room that is pointy enough to iron complicated shirts and pleats. But since developing arthritic thumbs and CT in the wrists, my new love for quilting is a cordless iron. If you set down into it's heating base, it stays hot enough for all my projects so far, and is pointy at both ends. It is a Panasonic and it was the most expensive at about $99.