Straight to the Level
One tortilla press rose to the highest when it comes to sturdiness and efficiency: the Doña Rosa Masienda Tortilla Press. It’s solidly constructed, straightforward to make use of, and evenly pressed dozens of tortillas. For a wood press possibility, we favored the providing from Central Coast Woodworks. And whereas it wasn’t the sturdiest of the bunch, in case you’re searching for a extra budget-friendly possibility, the IMUSA USA Cast Iron Tortilla Press 8-Inch carried out simply advantageous.
A freshly made tortilla is a revelation; plush, toothsome, and intensely corny (actually), it is without doubt one of the purest embodiments of this staple grain. I had my first chunk of 1 after I was a prepare dinner at a Windfall restaurant the place we nixtamalized flint corn and made our personal masa earlier than urgent the dough into tortillas. We’d then both serve them with sopa negra (roll the tortilla up like a flauta, then swipe it by means of the soup like an edible spoon) or fry them in just a little oil to create crispy tostadas for scooping up fish crudo. However my favourite preparation was one my fellow prepare dinner, Angél, made as a snack earlier than service: he’d spoon some queso fresco within the heart of the tortilla, fold it over on itself and pinch it shut, then deep fry it. Served straight from the fryer with just a little avocado and a few scorching sauce, it was among the finest issues I’ve ever eaten.
An integral a part of making contemporary tortillas (which you’ll be able to then griddle, fry, or make into stated little empanadas) is the tortilla press; usually made from forged iron, it’s composed of two flat items of metallic and a deal with you utilize to compress them collectively. You place the ball of masa between the 2 metallic plates (lined with a plastic bag or parchment paper) earlier than closing and urgent, then open it up and peel off the tortilla.
To search out the most effective tortilla presses, I put eight to the check,* making tortillas with store-bought masa harina in addition to masa I nixtamalized at house following this recipe. I examined the presses for his or her ease of use, consistency, and sturdiness (you don’t need the deal with falling off mid-press! It’s a factor!). Jorge Gaviria, the writer of the Masa cookbook and founding father of Masienda, famous that weight is vital, too. “The load is vital to maintain it balanced and in place throughout urgent,” he says. “Most we’ve used are extremely unstable.”
*A be aware: From my time working with masa within the restaurant, I went into tortilla press testing realizing that whereas an excellent, weighty press is vital, so too is the preparation of the masa—if it wasn’t in fine condition (e.g. too moist or too dry), then no tortilla press would appear to carry out effectively. I realized just a little tip from my fellow prepare dinner, Angél, to search out out in case your masa is correctly hydrated: Type a bit right into a ball and squish it; if it squished out between your knuckles with out breaking, it was adequately hydrated. If it broke into items or frayed on the edges, it was too dry. And in case you’ve gotten that far, rolled a ball, and pressed it solely to search out the tortilla is simply too moist and sticking to your liner, don’t fret‚ masa may be very forgiving. Merely scrape it off as finest you may, return it to the remainder of the masa, add extra dried masa harina, knead, and take a look at once more.
The Winners, at a Look
![Masienda Doña Rosa Masienda Tortilla Press](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/Sn74-8qBUd2HQq4bGMh2Rc_1UBA=/fit-in/1500x1000/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/doa-rosa-masienda-tortilla-press-128f48acf4044935aafe54d48d12825e.jpg)
Masienda
Every part about this tortilla press’s design was considerate; the heavyweight, powder-coated forged iron ensured even, skinny tortillas, whereas the sq. form allowed for a wide range of sizes.
![Amazon Central Coast Woodworks](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/oMZwVJwXipTTkuC_8Ix79vPVu-k=/fit-in/1500x1000/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/central-coast-woodworks-4e0ded341f834baea52aead99cbf5268.jpg)
Amazon
Whereas it required just a little extra muscle to get thinner outcomes, this beautiful wood press churned out even, flat tortillas each time.
![Amazon IMUSA USA Cast Iron Tortilla Press 8-Inch](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/zvYm-KN9809OvTmWU9AwVCQ-Z4Q=/fit-in/1500x1000/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/imusa-usa-cast-iron-tortilla-press-8-inch-5fb0b624217b46de83a6c47545a2d120.jpg)
Amazon
The deal with on this press was just a little wobbly, however it was surprisingly good at making even, completely pressed tortillas.
The Exams
- Storebought Masa Harina Tortillas Take a look at: We made tortilla dough (a.okay.a masa) with King Arthur Flour masa harina, rolled the dough into 36-gram balls, and pressed 5 tortillas on every press.
- Home made Masa Tortillas Take a look at (Winners-Solely): We took flint corn, nixtamalized it, and floor it to make home made masa, including masa harina as wanted to get the proper texture. We then rolled the dough into 36-gram balls and pressed 5 tortillas on every successful press.
- Sturdiness Exams (Winners Solely): We pressed down on every successful tortilla press’s deal with 10 occasions to look at their sturdiness.
- Ease of Use and Cleansing Exams: All through testing, we famous how straightforward the presses have been to make use of and clear.
What We Discovered
Bigger, Sq. Presses Provided Extra Versatility
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
Whereas spherical tortilla presses may seem to be a pure match for making, effectively, spherical tortillas, I discovered the spherical form was limiting. This was very true of smaller spherical presses, just like the Verve Culture, which had a mere 6.25-inch diameter; if you wish to make an 8-inch whopper of a corn tortilla, you’re plum out of luck. As an alternative, I most well-liked bigger, sq. tortillas just like the Doña Rosa Masienda Tortilla Press and the Central Coast Woodworks Hardwood Tortilla Press, which have been eight-and-a-half by eight-and-a-half inches and eight-by-eight inches, respectively. The bigger floor space allowed me to range the scale of the tortillas extra simply than a smaller, spherical press.
A Snug Deal with Made a Distinction
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
I didn’t love when a press’s deal with was wobbly (like on the IMUSA), too tight (like on the Navaris), or floor up in opposition to the highest of the press (like the Victoria)—these flaws made it a problem to press down evenly and firmly. As an alternative, I actually favored the powder-coated forged iron deal with on the Masienda press as a result of it folded easily and didn’t grind into the highest plate when urgent. The identical went for the Central Coast press, which was made from clean, buffed hardwood.
Hefty, Evenly Weighted Presses Have been the Finest
There’s a purpose most tortilla presses are made from forged iron—it’s heavy. Once you’re squishing a spherical ball of masa in a single fell movement, you desire a tortilla press that’s evenly and closely weighted so that you don’t find yourself with a very thick or uneven tortilla. Once I made tortillas as a prep prepare dinner, we aimed for the thickness to hover round 1/16 inch for many purposes, although Gaviria notes that the common thickness he goals for is rather less than 1/8 inch (after all, in case you’re trying to make Arepas or Papusas, you must press down extra frivolously to get a barely thicker end result). Whereas a lot of the presses I examined introduced the heft and will press tortillas to the proper thickness, the exception was the forged aluminum model from Norpro. At a mere one pound, 11.4 ounces, it was too gentle to press the masa right into a thinner tortilla. In distinction, my favourite tortilla press from Masienda was additionally the heaviest, weighing in at 10 kilos, 7.9 ounces. That stated, some presses, whereas hefty, struggled at urgent evenly throughout the masa’s floor. For instance, the Uno Casa Cast Iron Tortilla Press’s prime plate was connected barely off-center, leading to uneven tortillas.
Your Tortilla Press Is Solely as Good as Your Masa
In different phrases, even you probably have the most effective tortilla press on this planet, in case your masa is simply too dry or moist, you’ll wrestle to make a superbly spherical tortilla that comes off the liner simply. The excellent news is, it’s tremendous straightforward to repair masa. Simply add extra masa harina if the dough is simply too moist, or add a teaspoon of water at a time if the masa is simply too dry. And in case you mess up and find yourself with a ragged, sticky tortilla, don’t panic—simply scrape it off and take a look at once more!
Additionally—Use a Liner!
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
Most tortilleras use some kind of nonstick liner when urgent masa into tortillas, which prevents the masa from sticking to the press, because it’s wont to do. The Masienda tortilla press got here with a plastic liner within the form of a bag (handles and all), a nod to the strategy of utilizing a plastic grocery bag as a liner (as I realized from my restaurant colleague Angél). You too can use parchment paper, simply make sure that to trim in so it doesn’t fold or crimp once you press since this may mar the floor of the tortillas.
The Standards: What to Search for In a Tortilla Press
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
A very good tortilla press needs to be hefty, function a large urgent space (ideally square-shaped), and press even, spherical tortillas in a single clean, fluid movement.
![Masienda Doña Rosa Masienda Tortilla Press](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/Sn74-8qBUd2HQq4bGMh2Rc_1UBA=/fit-in/1500x1000/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/doa-rosa-masienda-tortilla-press-128f48acf4044935aafe54d48d12825e.jpg)
Masienda
What we favored: This tortilla press had a pleasant, vast floor space—nice for making tortillas of varied sizes. It additionally introduced the heft and utilized it evenly, leading to good outcomes each time. Lastly, the food-safe powder coating made urgent clean and simple, with none grinding or grating.
What we didn’t like: It’s an costly tortilla press, there’s no getting round it.
Value at time of publish: $95.
Key Specs
- Press type: Sq.
- Press dimensions: 8.5 x 8.5 inches
- Deal with size: 10.5 inches
- Weight: 10 lbs, 7.9 ounces
- Supplies: Completed in food-safe powder coating, forged iron
- Care: Hand-wash and dry
![Amazon Central Coast Woodworks](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/oMZwVJwXipTTkuC_8Ix79vPVu-k=/fit-in/1500x1000/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/central-coast-woodworks-4e0ded341f834baea52aead99cbf5268.jpg)
Amazon
What we favored: This beautiful hardwood tortilla press introduced me again to after I was a child and would play with wood toys and Play Dough—and I imply this in the easiest way. It was tremendous straightforward to make use of and supplied sufficient heft to make spherical, even tortillas, doing so in a single fluid, clean movement.
What we didn’t like: This press was just a little bit on the lighter aspect, and because the deal with is a block of wooden, it’s just a little harder to leverage your weight on it and press down more durable. It additionally requires extra upkeep and oiling.
Value at time of publish: $79.
Key Specs
- Press type: Sq.
- Press dimensions: 8 x 8 inches
- Deal with size: 13.25 inches
- Weight: 4 lbs 13.7 ounces
- Supplies: Walnut and oak
- Care: Hand-wash and dry; rub with food-safe mineral oil
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
![Amazon IMUSA USA Cast Iron Tortilla Press 8-Inch](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/zvYm-KN9809OvTmWU9AwVCQ-Z4Q=/fit-in/1500x1000/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/imusa-usa-cast-iron-tortilla-press-8-inch-5fb0b624217b46de83a6c47545a2d120.jpg)
Amazon
What we favored: This no-frills press was heavy and pressed even, spherical tortillas. It was additionally an honest measurement regardless that it’s round, and is offered in a 10-inch possibility if you would like a fair larger workspace.
What we didn’t like: The deal with was secured somewhat loosely, and I questioned its longevity.
Value at time of publish: $34.
Key Specs
- Press type: Round
- Press dimensions: 7.75-inch diameter
- Deal with size: 10 inches
- Weight: 6 lbs, 13.3 ounces
- Supplies: Forged iron
- Care: Hand-wash and dry
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
The Competitors
- Uno Casa Cast Iron Tortilla Press: Whereas I favored utilizing this tortilla press, the plates have been misaligned, leading to uneven tortillas.
- Victoria 8 Inch Cast Iron Tortilla Press: I favored the spaciousness and heft of this press, however the deal with floor and grated when urgent, and it didn’t have the great spring and provides to it that different presses had.
- Verve Culture Tortilla Press: Whereas this was a pleasant little press, it was simply that—little. At 6.5 inches in diameter, it was simply too small to get an ideal press (and tortilla) each time. Nevertheless, in case you’re a really seasoned hand at making tortillas and don’t thoughts limiting your self to creating smaller ones, then it is perhaps alright.
- Navaris Wooden Tortilla Press: This wasn’t a nasty tortilla press, however the deal with was troublesome to connect and, as soon as it was, it was onerous to maneuver up and down.
- Norpro Tortilla Press, 8 inch: Fabricated from forged aluminum, this tortilla press was too gentle to get an excellent press on the masa.
FAQs
Can you utilize a tortilla press to make flour tortillas?
When you *technically* can use a tortilla press to make flour tortillas, they might yield smaller, thicker outcomes. It’s because the gluten formation in flour tortillas makes the dough springy and it’s troublesome to unfold it out simply by urgent it; we advocate utilizing a rolling pin for finest outcomes. Corn tortillas don’t have gluten, so they only smush out properly.
What’s the easiest way to wash a tortilla press?
Since most tortilla presses are made from forged iron, they need to be hand-washed and dried to forestall rusting. When you have a wood tortilla press, this must also be hand-washed and dried, in addition to oiled to forestall splitting or cracking.
What measurement is finest for a tortilla press?
We most well-liked bigger tortilla presses—round eight inches or bigger—as a result of they open up the potential of making tortillas of varied sizes.