I do not press seams open very often because I think they are easier to 'nest' for joining to the next seam crossing it. I also think it is easier to quilt because of stitching in the ditch. I STID around squares, borders and binding on every quilt. I take of bulk that can happen when nested seams are crossed by taking our stitches in the seam lines and spinning (opening) the seam allowances. It works very nicely. That being said, if I do need to press a seam open, I finger press it open first and then I do not burn by fingers. You could also use the little wood block iron for this purpose.