Tortillas’ popularity has been on the rise in the US for years. Millions are spent on tortillas each year. One way to cut costs is to buy a tortilla press and make your own!
Homemade tortillas are cheaper, healthier, and better for the environment than prepackaged ones. However, finding the right tortilla press can be difficult at first, especially when you don’t know where to start.
Luckily for you, we’ve compiled a list of the six best cast iron tortilla presses on the market. After reading this list you’ll be able to find the best-fit press for you and your family.
In a hurry? This is our favorite cast-iron tortilla maker from Amazon.
Best for Flour Tortillas – Victoria 8 Inch Cast Iron Tortilla Press
Coming in first for the best cast-iron press for flour tortillas is this 8-inch Victoria press. It is known that flour tortillas are much harder to work with than ones made of corn. Ones made of flour can get too thick or fall apart. This press is made in Colombia, making it more reliable than brands from non-Latin countries. It can make tortillas that are eight inches in diameter, but the thickness of the tortilla is not adjustable. Some people find this to be an issue, as they don’t like the thickness of the tortillas, but that’s up to your personal preference. The other complaint some people have is that the handle may break, which you will see is a running trend with most tortilla presses. But, this handle was engineered to avoid pinching. This makes it safer for young kids and elderly people to use it with ease. Lastly, this press is pre-seasoned with non-GMO vegetable flax seed oil. If you’re like me, this is a positive trait that makes this tortilla press more eco-friendly than most on the list.
Best for Corn Tortillas – Tortillada
This press is hard to beat if you’re looking for one that can do more than press tortillas. The Tortillada can make tortillas, patacones, tostones, empanadas, arepas, dumplings, mini pie shells, patacon piaso, and even more! Impressive, right? It comes in different sizes, ranging from six to ten inches.
The 10-inch press, or the standard for this product, is roughly 13 pounds. Heavier than some of the others on the list, it can cause the tortilla to be pressed unevenly. Though the Tortillada may have some quirks, it includes an offer that’s impossible to pass up: when you buy this press, you get a free e-book with over 50 tortilla recipes! You can’t get a deal like that with any other press on the market.
Thinnest Tortillas – Estrella 7.5 Inch Cast Iron Tortilla Press
Having trouble with your tortillas being too thick? Look no further! The Estrella makes the thinnest tortillas out of any other press I could find. Though it can take a bit of practice to evenly press the tortillas, this machine makes paper-thin tortillas perfect for any traditional dish. That may be because this press is made in Mexico! It doesn’t get better than an authentic Mexican press to make your tortillas with.
This one will work with both corn and flour dough, though you do have to assemble this press yourself. It’s small, weighing only seven pounds (which could be useful for younger kids and their grandparents to use without injury). It also makes smaller tortillas, up to 7.5 inches in diameter. Good things come in small packages!
Best Lightweight – Premium Grade-8 Cast Iron Tortilla Press
Some common issues with other presses are how weighty than can be. Since they are all made of cast iron, they can get to be a little bit too heavy for your liking. Some heavyweight presses might cause the tortillas to break apart or become frail.
The Premium Grade-8 Cast Iron Tortilla Press weighs in at a mere 6.64 pounds, lighter than any other one on the list. But because of its weight, there have been some complaints about the tortillas coming out too thick.
The Premium is pre-seasoned, making it easier than ever to just throw your dough in and press down. You do, as with others presses on this list, have to assemble it yourself, although it generally is not a difficult process.
It’s eight inches wide and super-easy to maintain. All you have to do is hand-wash and dry it, then rub it with some cooking oil! It’s also known to be a favorite among people who are on a gluten-free diet. If that’s you, you might want to try this one out!
Best Electric – Revel Roti
As you may have guessed from the name of this product, the Revel Roti can be used to make both tortillas and roti. This press is different from the others because it not only presses the dough, but cooks it too!
This 10-inch tortilla maker machine has a temperature control feature, which lets you control how much you want to cook your dough. This press can get up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, giving you many options on how you want to cook your tortilla!
Most Inexpensive – Alpha Living Tortilla Press
Last on the list is for those who are looking for something less expensive that still gives you high-quality results. Since this press is less than $20, it’s hard to believe it is made of heavy-duty cast iron.
Much like the Tortillada, this one makes more than just tortillas. The Alpha can make patacones, empanadas, arepas, pie crust, dumplings, and even more. A flaw, like any tortilla press you will come across, is that the handle has the potential of breaking easily. If you are careful handling this press, it should last you a long time!
One feature it has that none other on the list do is that you can adjust the thickness of your tortilla. No more worries about tortillas that are too thick.
Final Comments about Cast-Iron Tortilla Makers
No matter where you’re from, everyone can agree that tortillas are a household staple. Everyone loves them, and for big families, they can get expensive to keep buying. An eco-friendly alternative is to buy a tortilla press! This list includes some of the best on the market and includes something for everyone. They’re inexpensive, easy to use, and definitely worth the purchase. If you’re looking to make the jump to homemade tortillas, let this guide help you find the best one for you!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is a Tortilla Press Worth the Money?
The short answer is yes, especially if your family eats a lot of tortillas. Tortillas can be used to make soft tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, chimichangas, flavored chips, and more. It’s easier to create your tortillas with a tortilla maker than in the traditional manner of using a rolling pin, and tortilla presses offer the benefit of helping even the most inexperienced cooks create uniformly round, flat tortillas as thin or as thick as they desire.
Also, tortilla presses can be made to make so many other delicious foods! You can use your tortilla maker to create pita bread, dumplings, pizza dough, matzoh bread, dough to make filled cookies, mini pie shells, samosas, tamales, and more!
Is a Cast-Iron Tortilla Press Better than a Wooden One?
Although it’s up to you to choose which material you think is best for your tortilla maker, a cast-iron tortilla press has advantages over a wooden one. When you take care of your cast-iron kitchen accessories, they tend to last much longer than those made of aluminum, wood, and glass. Also, cast-iron tortilla presses are sturdier and more aesthetically pleasing than their counterparts.
Wooden tortilla presses generally are made from pine, a soft wood that just doesn’t hold up well over the passage of time; they also incorporate steel hinges and bolts that will, ultimately, rust; this does not affect the performance of the press, but does look unsightly. If you do opt for a cast-iron version, just make sure you clean and season it regularly to give it a super-long life! Cast-iron tortilla presses, also, take up much less counter and storage space than their wooden counterparts, which is important in a family-friendly kitchen.
Although you will have to take care with the handle of your cast-iron tortilla press in order to prevent breakage, the same is true of a tortilla press made of any other material. Decide what is best for your and your family’s cooking needs and decide from there.
Bryce is not a real professor, but he's real nerdy in the kitchen. He's been barbecuing, chopping, and generally blazing food for many decades. He thinks there's definitely a better spatula or utensil out there that hasn't been invented yet.