Mexican Cast Iron Electric Corn or Flower Tortilla Maker Gorditas Bunuelos

I chose to give this product a 5 star review for two reasons. First, the shipping was expedient with no damage to the product. Second, this product works EXTREMELY well. I have purchased non electric tortilla presses in the past with very minimal success. The tortillas always came out lopsided and too thick for my liking (also the traditional hand operated ones could only be used to make corn tortillas). With the heat this device provides, the home cook can now have fresh flower tortillas in no time. The home cook can make any size tortillas they want based on the weight of the dough ball. I prefer my tortillas to be smaller so I used around 20 grams of dough to make the sized I wanted. A 50 gram dough ball (about the size of a golf ball) will easily fill out the entire press with ease which is 7 & 14/16th inches in diameter. When using this product allow the device to preheat for at least ten minutes. At the same time preheat your pan you are going to use to cook them. I used a ten inch Calphalon hard anodized aluminum fry pan; the tortillas never stuck and came out beautifully. I do have two comals but decided not to use those initially. The device really does par cook the tortillas and you do need to finish them off in a fry pan, skillet, or comal to finish cooking. I used all purpose flower and have not yet tried whole wheat flour or masa flour. I like the fact that this device is reasonably priced for the job it performs. Other devices like this are much more expensive and geared more for restaurants than the home cook. With this product the home cook can crank out fresh tortillas in no time. using more than one pan will help speed up the process because the press itself will flatten and par cook tortillas very quickly. you will be slowed down by the 45-60 seconds it takes to completely cook the tortillas. I would estimate that someone could make 1 flour tortilla every 5 seconds just using the tortillas press (not including time it takes to cook in the pan). When using the press, place the dough ball down and close the lid. press down with the handle for about three seconds, release, then press down again for about 5 - 7 seconds. Steam will come out and you will hear a hissing noise as the steam escapes. Open the lid and use a wooden spatula to take the tortilla off (they will be hot) and place in the pan to cook...it is that easy. I would recommend this product to the home cook or to someone who sells tacos on a taco truck. This device takes up very little space. By using this product, you will be able to take good homemade tacos to another level and make them great. I will be trying to make corn tortillas tomorrow (26 June 2014) and will report on the success or failure of the attempt. On another note the plug is geared for use in US homes at 120 volts and not the 220 volt outlets that are used outside the United States.

I learned to make my own flour tortillas a few months ago. The first time, I flattened them with a rolling pin. It took forever, and I was sore for days. Next, I bought a non-electric cast iron tortilla press. It still took a long time, I was still sore from the amount of pressure I had to use, and the tortillas were never as thin as I wanted them to be. Discouraged, I thought I was going to have to go back to store bought. It just wasn’t worth the time and effort. Then I found his guy. It’s a bit more $$ than I wanted to spend, but I’m really trying to eat less processed foods., so I decided to give it a try. It’s amazing! I guess it’s the heat or something that flattens the tortillas. I don’t know. All I know is that it works, and it’s easy. I put the dough ball in, do one quick press, turn it, and then press for 3 seconds. Bam! Done. I knocked out these 12 tortillas in less than 10 minutes. They don’t stick together. I spread them out so they can cool before I store them in a ziploc baggie in the fridge. I don’t know exactly how long they will stay fresh in the refrigerator, because it takes me less than a week to eat them. I love this thing!

Best thing to buy if you make a lot of flour tortillas

I ordered this "shipped by Amazon" and found the added expense for speed of delivery and assured arrival worth every penny. Friends, this is basically an electric rolling pin. Actually, it par-bakes the tortilla which is then finished off on the griddle. Follow the manufacturer's recommended recipe for good performance and excellent flour tortillas. (I tried John Raven's low fat Tex-Mex recipe with less-than-satisfactory results.) Though nowhere recommended by the manufacturer, with the unit cold I did have good success in pressing out corn tortillas using thick plastic (anti-static rice bags that I saved for this purpose); just peel off and pop onto the griddle. Why four stars? I am dubious of the overall sturdiness of this product. Prior to use, I was forced to trim off the plastic flash from the upper plate's black knob. Most of the cast parts seem robust enough but I am not going to over-task the lever. Besides, a moderate and steady action results in a good pressing. The electrical portion of this product is obviously third-world so I'll keep an eye on it. All in all, I am pleased with my purchase. Now, instead of the cook waiting for the person rolling out the flour tortilla, I make a par-baked stack and then finish them on the griddle in record time. No more making tortillas the night before to be reheated in the microwave oven (urk!) -- fresh, Fresh, FRESH! Tip: Make up a big batch of your flour tortilla mix (dry ingredients only), keep it in the freezer or refrigerator, scale out what you need (e.g. enough for four tortillas), mix with warm water, divide and then press. What could be more easy? No more worry about a dozen's remaining tortillas going stale/moldy in the refrigerator. Lastly, to large-scale producers of flour tortillas for retail: If this catches on, best to lower your prices or die. **** UPDATE: I have been using this press since 2013 with no problems whatsoever. Maintenance is minimal. A wipe with a dry, clean paper towel and then letting the platters cool before closing and storing seems to be sufficient for all environments both humid and dry. TIP 1: Plug the unit in and then make your dough. Do not tarry. Prior to use, open the platters for about two minutes for the temperature to stabilize. After that you can knock out a dozen par baked flour tortillas in record time. TIP 2: I was shocked when I saw a someone put a CYLINDER (not a ball) of dough 1/3-distance away from the hinge. Out came a perfectly round tortilla. This is what I now do. NOTE: Don't press too hard and you will get a more even tortilla. NOTE 2: Don't stabilize the platters (see TIP 1) and you'll have an exploding tortilla on first press.