First thing you notice when opening the box is the size of this iron,it's large,it looks weird,ugly or a thing of beauty will be down to the individual,but it does a great job of gliding thro' the ironing.With a constant shot of steam and a 3metre lead,it just allows you to get the job done as quickly as possible.We have tried both ceramic and aluminium sole plates and don't believe you can better stainless steel as found on this iron.If anything ever shows you get what you pay for,it's this iron.Don't worry if you've got an iron tidy,the iron,though large, will still fit in.If anything it fits better than our previous iron.Yes,this iron is a little pricey but definitely worth every single penny.Highly recommended.