There are some spots that are still tough for me a year later. On either side of my chin there are recessed areas that take a downward scything stroke to get at decently, and my best results have been with a razor that has a smile to it. You might have to play around with your angle of attack and find something that works on the hard to reach spots, but it sounds like you're headed in the right direction. As you get better at it I'm sure the time it takes will drop dramatically as well. My average shave is around 20 minutes these days, 10-15 if I'm just doing a single pass to get "clean enough." Which is still a closer shave than I ever got with a disposable razor.

Of course I also skip the hot lather steps days. My shave routine is: Strop razor, build lather in bowl, splash face with cold water, apply cold lather, shave. Re-lather and shave again if necessary. Cold shaving eliminates the razor burn, since my skin seems to be particularly sensitive. Might be worth a try, if you're still feeling a little burn. But I will say that I enjoy a warm shave much more, at least until I put the after shave on and my cheeks light up like I just poured lighter fluid on them and set myself alight.