Panasonic NI-S300TR 1200-Watt Steam Iron with Curved Titanium-Coated Soleplate, White/Green

Good Iron (2010-09-01) : 4/5
so far is working very good. It is light weight and one of the best features is the retractable cord, it makes it much more easy to storage.
Fantastic iron (2010-08-24) : 5/5
Watch out Rowenta ... the $23 Panasonic is a VERY capable adversary!
If you actually enjoy ironing, and find it therapeutic, as I do ... then you know what your high standards demand. A smooth glide along both axes, reliable steam bursts that do not create a puddle, a misting jet spray, and above all, a truly non-sticking soleplate. Well, used to be that you had to spend $50+ for an entry level Rowenta to get all that.
The Panasonic NI-S300TR makes it all possible, and under $25. It has just the right weight and the glide is effortless. I was skeptical of two things about the soleplate: curving and its titanium construction (I thought they were useless gimmicks). I stand corrected. The curved soleplate means that no matter which direction you glide the iron in, it will not bunch up material underneath it. I also thought that nothing could surpass stainless steel in its non-stickiness. Again, wrong. This iron delivers the same crisp finish of a stainless steel plate.
I highly recommend this iron. I may even buy one more as a backup in case Panasonic discontinues this model.
Worth the spend (2010-08-16) : 4/5
I had initially used 2 of the 15~25$ black n decker's and both gave out in about an year. I wanted to buy something that will last and give a quality finish.This certainly does the job, good build, nice quality and good ergonomic design. Minimal but most required functions, clean layout, durable material and a dependable brand name. Steam is impressive and this does what it claims.
Disappointed (2010-08-15) : 1/5
I leave the iron plugged in 24/7 because the outlet is hard to reach. Dial is hard to read. Also, hard to tell when iron is on or off unless you feel it. It does not turn on when you turn the dial on. You have to lay it down like your going to iron for it to start heating up. And the handle stays warm even though the dial is turned off...
Solid Iron, Weak Cord (2010-08-05) : 4/5
** Disclaimer: I've owned this iron for about 2 weeks and have used it ~5 times. **

PRO - The iron itself works very well, haven't had any issues with water leaking, it heats quickly and is not overly heavy/awkward.

CON - One of the reasons I purchased this particular iron was the auto cord retractor. This has been disappointing as it is drastically "underpowered". I have to unplug the iron, lay out the cord in a straight line on the table and press the recoil button. Even then it usually takes some pulling and pushing to get the cord to fully retract into the iron.

I got hooked on automatic recoil from my vacuum and the iron's makes it more of a hassle than a feature, but other than that it is a solid, easy to handle iron.