The 5 Best Tortilla Presses, Tested & Reviewed

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We all know grocery store tortillas have their limits; they can barely hold their fillings, and the flavors can't beat the taste of fresh. As a child of Mexico-born parents, I love fresh tortillas, and my family loves them too. And while you don't technically need a tortilla press to make them, a rolling pin is tedious, arm-tiring work. A press makes easy work of multiples and is fun to use. Plus, it's not just for tortillas: You can use a tortilla press to make roti, paratha, and other flatbreads.

For insight on the best tortilla press, I spoke with chef Pati Jinich, author of Treasures of The Mexican Table and host of the James Beard Award-winning PBS series Pati’s Mexican Table, a top authority on Mexican cuisine — and one of the world's best Mexican cooks. She knows tortillas and has strong opinions on the best gadgets to make them, the one she’d never buy, and whether you should use parchment paper or a grocery store plastic bag to avoid sticking.

Coupled with her expert direction and my extensive tortilla pressing at home, I found many of the best tortilla presses by making dozens of tortillas on 10 different models, from fancy wooden contraptions to the inexpensive aluminum kind you can get at your local Mexican market. What surprised me most was how well all of them performed. There were differences, but I would be happy with any press on this list — even the ones that didn’t win a top-five spot. Go with your budget or aesthetic, and you can’t lose.

This durable, compact tortilla press gets you great results for a small investment.

It's very heavy for its size and requires careful maintenance.

If you're just learning how to use a tortilla press at home, an inexpensive cast iron model could be your best bet. Victoria's model has a classic design, with seriously heavy-duty construction made to last for decades and slightly curved handle that gives you a little extra leverage. As with a cast iron skillet, you’ll have to put in some extra effort with cleaning this press, making sure it's thoroughly dry before oiling it to avoid rust and corrosion. But when I made tortillas, I used plastic rather than parchment paper to line the plates and found them easy to clean.

Cast iron is heavy, but the 8-inch Victoria is the perfect size for portability, making me more likely to use it than lug out a larger one. You're limited in tortilla size, however, and you'll have to upgrade to the pricier and heavier 10-inch version to make extra-large tacos and burritos.

Dimensions: 11.34 x 9.96 inches | Weight: 5 pounds | Material: Cast iron

This inexpensive, lightweight tool made some of the best tortillas of my tests.

It's painted with silver paint that can potentially chip.

This lightweight wonder, crafted from rust-proof aluminum, makes pressing tortillas a dream. Nestle the dough, press the lever, and voilà — perfectly round masterpieces emerge, ready to puff up on your comal. Forget the struggle of heavy cast iron; the Gonzalez press glides with effortless leverage, its smooth surfaces easy to rinse off in the sink. Given its low price and incredibly light weight, this is an excellent choice for those who are on a budget or can’t physically lift heavier wood or cast iron presses. In fact, I was shocked by the quality of the tortillas we got with only a single pull of the handle during both rounds of testing. This was a contender for the top spot, but I'm worried that the silver paint on the outside might chip off over time, and that's not something you want in your tortillas.

Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.27 inches | Weight: 3.21 pounds | Material: Aluminum

You can customize your tortilla’s thickness with this versatile, thoughtfully designed, handcrafted press that comes in five different colors.

Watch out for the sharp edges and corners, and potential paint wear.

This modern-looking tortilla press is handmade in Mexico and comes in five eye-catching color options — which helps justify the high price. It’s not just the Masienda design that’ll win you over, though. One of its best features is that it’s calibrated so you can control thickness, offering you a lot of flexibility with tortillas and other creations, including flatbreads, dumpling wrappers, and even smash burgers. You also get a set of reusable liners printed with a ruler to ensure uniform size.

I love the thought that went into adding the two handles on either side of the top plate for easy gripping and opening. Just keep an eye out for corners and edges; the square shape of this press has more spots that might catch errant fingers than a round one. The paint is a durable food-safe powder coat, though you might start to see the color wearing down over time in areas of high contact like the press lever. You can absolutely get a great tortilla press for less money than this one, but the Masienda is equal parts kitchen decor and kitchen tool.

Dimensions: 9.5 x 8.75 inches | Weight: 10.4 pounds | Material: Powder-coated rolled steel

This beautiful, artisan-made press gets the job done and looks great on the counter.

It's pricey, and doesn't work well with flour tortillas and other wheat-based doughs.

This tortilla press has craftsmanship and solid construction, using two wood types — red oak and walnut. The dual tone provides an attractive design that any cook would want to display in their kitchen. It was my favorite wood version in testing and would have been best overall had it not been so heavy. Still, among wooden presses, this is a beautiful choice. I was happy with its consistent results during testing. It is also an excellent gift for a tortilla enthusiast and is pretty enough to leave it on the counter. If you prefer flour tortillas (or similar wheat flatbreads like roti, chapati, and pita), things can get sticky, however. You can't press gluten-based doughs as thin in a wood press as you could with a different design. You can always finish them off with a rolling pin, though.

Dimensions: 12.17 x 9.37 inches | Weight: 5.4 Pounds | Materials: Wood, stainless steel

This enormous press can make corn or flour tortillas in super-burrito size.

It's quite heavy and takes up a lot of space.

Craft restaurant-quality tortillas at home with the ARC, your personal cast iron powerhouse. The reinforced, extra-grip handle ensures effortless pressing, while non-slip feet keep it steady on the countertop and prevent scratching. Its anti-rust coating has a sleek, stone-like finish that makes for smooth tortillas.

The ARC comes in three sizes, but it's the biggest one that gets my highest recommendation. This 10-inch model can handle burrito-sized tortillas that stay round and won't squeeze out between the edges of the plates. It’s ideal for all sorts of flattened foods beyond tortillas: tostones, arepas, naan, and more are in your grasp. If countertop space is no consideration, this is the most versatile press I tested. As a helpful bonus, the ARC comes with 100 sheets of pre-cut parchment paper — although I prefer plastic.

Dimensions: 16.18 x 12.83 x 4.09 inches | Weight: 15.87 pounds | Material: Cast iron

It was difficult to choose because so many presses performed well. It all boils down to your lifestyle and what you hope to make. The Victoria Commercial-Grade Cast-Iron Tortilla Press is the best for the average household that wants to dip their toes in tortillas or is experienced an looking for a durable press. It’s a good price point, and the size is right for most average and mini-sized tortillas.

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I tested 10 tortilla presses for this story, using them to make basic corn tortillas, far and away the most common kind you'd make in a tortilla press. (You can also use a press for flour tortillas, though a rolling pin works just as well.) I made batches with fresh and dried masa and pressed tortillas between parchment paper and plastic across multiple rounds. I also looked for any damage or change in operation from the first to the last test. I also thoroughly cleaned each machine, following its directions after testing and ensuring it was not too difficult to detail the nooks and crannies.

Tortilla presses can vary quite a bit in diameter, with most models falling between 6 and 12 inches. “I would go for either 8 or 10, because 6 limits you to taco size,” says Jinich. “And if you don't center the masa precisely in the middle, you will have masa sticking out of the press." Her general size recommendation is 8 inches. "Even if you want to make little tortillas, there's nothing wrong with having the extra space. It allows for a better press,” she says.

Tortilla presses are commonly made of cast iron, wood, stainless steel, or aluminum. Cast iron presses are very durable but heavy and may require seasoning if not coated in paint or powder coating. Wooden tortilla presses are often available in larger sizes, and the quality will depend on what wood is used (hardwoods are preferred to softwoods for longevity, but they cost more). Aluminum tortilla presses are lighter and cheaper than cast iron models but aren’t as sturdy. There are even electric tortilla presses out there that cook the tortilla after pressing.

Jinich recommends “the ones you get in Mexican markets that are either cast iron or very heavy, like condensed aluminum. I love the weight of the cast iron or hefty aluminum. But ones that are huge and very heavy metal are very impractical. I like to feel the weight but not that much weight.” Jinich does not like wood presses because she finds them chunky, thick, and too heavy to pull out repeatedly. “Wood tends to be overly chunky and cumbersome because it needs to be pressed to get the tortilla press to have the weight. They tend to make them chunky and thick, which makes them impractical to store in my mind.”

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Tortilla presses come in both round ad square shapes, but Jinich has a clear preference. “Big and square tortilla presses are unbelievably heavy,” she says. “I like round tortilla presses. I don't know why. It's personal. Maybe because a tortilla is round?” In practice, shape doesn't really affect performance — both round and square presses make circular tortillas with ease — but the larger, decorative models intended to both make tortillas and stay on display tend to be square.

Weight can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. Heavy cast iron or wooden plates help flatten the dough with less effort, but they're a pain to store and drag out of the cabinet when you want to make tortillas. Aluminum and steel presses are lighter, but you'll have to push down harder on the handle. Presses that can make larger tortillas are also naturally heavier and take up more space, so there’s some trade-off between portability and versatility there, too.

Masa dough is thick and sticky, and if it dries onto your tortilla press it can be a real pain to remove. That's why we recommend always lining the surface with parchment paper or plastic; it makes for more even tortillas as well as simpler cleanup. When you're done making tortillas, you'll need to wipe off any excess masa or flour using a sponge or damp cloth. With cast iron especially, you should thoroughly dry the press after washing to avoid rust and corrosion. Some tortilla presses are also dishwasher-safe, though hand-washing is generally pretty easy.

It's best to clean your press immediately after use while the dough is still soft and pliable. If anything dries onto the press, it'll take serious scrubbing or careful picking with a toothpick or skewer to remove.

Traditional tortillas are made from corn that's been treated with lime, ground, and mixed into a dough called masa. You can grind your corn at home to make fresh masa, but you can also buy dried, powdered masa harina ("masa flour" in Spanish) that just needs mixing with water. After making masa, you roll it into balls (golf ball size is pretty standard) and flatten them in the press.

Place a masa ball between two pieces of plastic or parchment paper into the press, slightly closer to the hinge than the center. Close the top plate event over the bottom, and push down the handle for 3 to 6 seconds.

The harder you press, the thinner the tortilla will be, but be sure to apply pressure slowly and evenly so the dough doesn't squeeze out the edges of the press. Once the tortilla is flattened, open the press, peel it off the plastic or parchment, and cook it immediately.

To cook tortillas, start by pre-heating a comal or large, dense pan over medium-high. “For beginners, it's best to start with a nonstick comal or pan,” says Jinich. Place a raw tortilla on the pan and let it cook for 20 to 30 seconds until it starts to release from the pan. Flip it over to cook on the other side for about 15 seconds, then flip it back for the final cooking. At this point, the tortilla should inflate like a balloon. ”You must give them enough time to heat within, like between the two layers, so they puff and make little air bubbles. That means the tortilla has been heated, and that's how you know when you've made a tortilla correctly. If it doesn't puff, you'll have a tortilla that you can eat, but it's not going to be pliable, soft, and resilient,” Jinich explains. “That's why so many tortillas look like fat, weird pancakes. It’s not like they're wrong or don't taste good, but they don't have that incredible pliable softness that when you heat them, you should be able to fold them without them breaking,”

“I am very against pressing your tortillas with parchment paper because the parchment paper starts to wrinkle after making one or two or three tortillas, and it impresses those wrinkles into the masa and tends to break, too. I don't know anyone Mexican who uses parchment paper to press corn tortillas," says Jinich. "It gets moist, and the wrinkles then get impressed in the tortilla.” She suggests plastic, but not plastic wrap; cutting apart a zip-top bag or a grocery store produce bag works better.

Yes. Making tortillas without a press requires more training and time, but it is possible. You can use a rolling pin to make corn tortillas, but it's hard to keep the shape and thickness consistent. A press is faster, and makes it much easier to get identically round tortillas every time.

A rolling pin is “much more complicated for making corn tortillas or even sopes or fresh masa quesadillas,” says Jinich. “It's much better to have a tortilla press. However, I use a rolling pin for a flour tortilla, and most people I know use a rolling pin, not a tortilla press.”

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Verve Culture 8.5-inch Tortilla Press ($80 on Amazon)The tortillas I made with the Verve were fine, but nothing to write home about. Even though the finish is excellent and polished, I have concerns about it oxidizing due to moisture. There were a few discolored spots after the tests.

Panan Wooden Tortilla Press ($70 on Amazon)This gorgeous wooden press is ultimately too large and clunky for most kitchens. The wood also had too many imperfections for my taste.

Uno Casa Cast Iron Tortilla Press ($56 on Amazon)This cast iron press was quite large, which would be fine if it wasn't so heavy. I also had concerns about the feet scraping countertops since there is no padding or protection.

Fox Run Tortilla Press ($38 at Amazon)I liked how this press performed, and its price was right, but it didn't stand out over the rest. The pebbled surface makes a textured tortilla that might or might not be to your taste.

NorPro Tortilla Maker ($21 on Amazon)While this light, painted model felt the most cheaply made in my taste, it was one of the easiest ti press. It's an excellent option for someone who only wants to make tiny tortillas and doesn't have a ton of room.

Jennifer Zyman is a Testing Editor for Food & Wine and a recovering restaurant critic with a culinary school degree and over 15 years of food writing experience. Her work has appeared in Atlanta Magazine, Bon Appetit, Eater Atlanta, The Kitchn, Local Palate, National Geographic, Southern Living, and Thrillist. Zyman updated this story using her testing insights, research, and culinary expertise.