I just asked Siri,* "How do most people relax?" She rattled off a list of activities, including "nosh on chocolate," "rub your feet over a golf ball," "count backward," "meditate," and "drip cold water on your wrists."

Siri completely missed my favorite way to relax. When I want to relax, I iron (not to be confused with "I pump iron," which I do not). No, really. There's something soothing and instantly gratifying about gliding a good iron with a heft of heat and steam back and forth over wrinkled fabric.

That's why I was excited to get this message from Martha: "I find myself in need of a new iron. I've perused the internet trying to find the best steam iron for the best price, and all I got was terribly confused! Any suggestions?"

I jumped for joy because yes, I do have suggestions — three to be exact, based on the criteria of steaming rate, ironing quality, features and price.

SUNBEAM STEAM MASTER. In my opinion, this is hands down the Best Value steam iron on the market today. This 1400-watt iron has an anti-drip feature, a nonstick soleplate and an 8-foot retractable cord. While it takes about 8 minutes to fully heat up due to the lower wattage, it produces a constant flow of steam, has a good-size reservoir, uses tap water and has an auto-off feature. It costs about $38.

ROWENTA DW5080 FOCUS. This beautiful 1700-watt steam iron is my choice for Best of the Best. It heats up fast, and has 400 micro steam holes and a high-capacity reservoir. It uses tap water, has three-way auto-off, and the centered cord makes it ideal for either right- or left-handed operation. I just can't say enough good things about this iron. It's a beautiful thing. It costs about $88.

ROWENTA DG8520 PERFECT STEAM STATION. This 1800-watt steam iron station is more than a steam iron, so it gets my Best Semi-Pro rating. It produces amazing amounts of consistent heat and steam, thanks to 400 well-distributed micro steam holes. For the average home ironer this is overkill. But for the serious ironer who needs a quality piece of machinery that will get the work done fast, this may be a wise investment, and the last iron you'll ever buy. I've owned both Rowenta and Reliable Maven steam stations but have come back to this Rowenta, which has greatly improved over much earlier models. Using this steam station is the closest I've come to experiencing ironing perfection. It uses tap water, and has a simple-to-use anti-calc feature and an eco setting to save energy. Bonus: It's purple! It costs about $265.

There you go, Martha. I hope that clears away the confusion, and helps you make a confident decision. And if you want to see more information and links to these irons, please visit http://www.everydaycheapskate.com/3beststeam.

*the voice-activated software for iPhone

Mary invites questions, comments and tips at [email protected], or c/o Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Suite B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website and the author of "Debt-Proof Living," released in 2014. To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.