How to Find the Perfect Tortilla Press for You
Tortilla-making can be enjoyable but can be quite tedious as well. You need to make sure that you get the consistency right and rolling out the dough can take a lot of practice to get perfect results. It can really be tiresome that you wish you have a tortilla press that you can use, so you do not have to do everything by hand.
When looking for the best tortilla press, there are many things to consider, including the price, features, and size. Tortilla press 10-inch models are among the most popular, along with the 8-inch ones. However, you can also find large tortilla press that you can count on if you need a bigger work surface area.
Before you buy, you should have an idea about how much you are willing to spend and your preferences as well. For some, having more features would be more convenient for them, while others opt for a simpler one. Below, you will find some advice on what to choose, but in the end, it is always your decision to make.
What is a Tortilla Press?
Also known as a tortilladora, a tortilla press is a tool with a base, handle, and top and is used to make corn tortillas. Nowadays, it is easy to learn how to utilize the item, so you do not need to find a manual for a tortilla press just to learn how to use the instructions. If it is the first time you will use the product, here are straightforward steps for using the press:
Place the balls of masa (corn flour) in the center of the tortilla press.
Turn the tool on to let it apply some pressure on the dough. You will see that the dough is flattened, giving you a round and even tortilla.
With the steps for tortilla press how to use above, you can now go straight to finding the best tortilla press for your kitchen. There are three main types to select from: tortilla press cast iron, wooden, and electric.
How to Choose from Tortilla Press Cast Iron Options
Cast iron presses are the traditional way to make fresh tortillas. You will be inserting the small balls of masa between two plates. With just one press, you will have your freshly made tortilla in a matter of seconds.
Tortilla press cast iron has a number of advantages, including they make the job so much easier. You can make lots of tortillas almost without effort. However, they can be very heavy, so moving them around can be such a pain as they can weigh from six to eight pounds. For the size, you can normally find six to eight inches, but you can also find larger ones like tortilla press 10-inch to 18-inch options.
If you want a cast iron, here are some things to consider: Some cast iron presses have the classic silver coating. You may find the paint job worrisome but you will not put dough on the direct surface of the press, so it is perfectly safe. The coating is to prevent rusting of the cast iron. This type is the least expensive of all.
Powder coated cast iron presses have that electrostatically applied coating, which gives the cooking equipment a much smoother finish than the silver coated ones.
Some cast iron presses do not have a coating, where there is only a light seal coat with the surface entirely unpainted. This type of tortilla press cast iron should not be soaked in water and dried well before they are stored to prevent rusting.
Cast iron is not the same as cast aluminum presses, which are easier to handle and lighter than the former. Aluminum presses look prettier and shinier, but they can break easily if not taken care of properly.
How to Choose a Wooden Tortilla Press
Older than cast iron presses, a wooden tortilla press is still quite common in Mexico. They are used for making corn tortillas and empanadas as well. Wooden presses these days are made of pine, but this type of wood is soft, so they are prone to breakage.
If you want a more durable wooden press, you should go for one that is made of oak or mesquite, which are wood types that are harder and heavier. Often the platform size is 8” x 8”, which means you will get a tortilla with a generous size.
Although you get an ample surface for creating tortillas, there are some disadvantages with wooden presses. Often, they are cruder or rougher unless you go for a high-quality one, which is of course quite expensive. The bolts and the hinges of the press are prone to rusting because they are typically made of steel, although it will not affect the efficiency of the press.
Wooden presses are also big and bulky, so they will take up a lot of storage space in your kitchen. They are also quite heavy, so it can be difficult to move them from one place to another. Additionally, they are not as durable as other types, which is why you should always go for one with better quality.
How about Electric Tortilla Presses?
Electric presses have become so convenient that they are a good choice for businesses and even homes that love to make tortillas. This type of press is easy to use since you just need to plug it in, place the dough between the plates, and press a button to start making the tortillas. It basically consists of just one step since you will let the machine do all the work for you.
Even better, these electric tortilla presses are not just for making tortillas. You can also use them to make pita, focaccia, moo shoo pancakes, gyro, and other nutritious flatbreads. While some of the press plates from other brands have press plates measuring the standard 10 inches, ProLuxe, the makers of the world-famous DoughPro, has products that can provide you as much as 18 inches of tortilla.
From manual to semiautomatic (such as the DP2010SE) to automatic, you can find what you are looking for in the list of ProLuxe catalog. These kitchen tools are so versatile that you can even make pizza dough with them – all in just a few seconds. Whether you are pressed for time, you can never go wrong with a ProLuxe tortilla press.
