The three Best Cookie Presses, Examined & Reviewed

Cookie presses are a revered baking machine. Many homebakers covet their grandmother’s traditional press that turned out good butter cookies and Christmas mints 12 months after 12 months.

I solely keep in mind my mom’s cookie press as an space hog behind a kitchen cabinet; She bought it at a Pampered Chef social gathering, used it as quickly as, and it under no circumstances observed the sunshine of day as soon as extra. Had I any foresight that I’d assemble a career as a baker and meals creator, I may need held onto that well-made primary. My family loves trip cookie baking and my extended Southern family has taught me the high-quality art work of making cheese straws at any time of 12 months. For certain, I’ve spent an excellent little bit of my grownup life looking out for the right cookie press. I’ve used them in expert kitchens and test kitchens for years and ultimately set off on a quest to test seven of the highest-rated cookie presses accessible to hunt out the proper. 

The Winners, at a Look

OXO’s cookie press was the very best to utilize and clear up. It has a non-slip grip on the highest to make your fingers a lot much less extra more likely to shift whereas pressing cookies and its metal discs yield clear shapes even on most likely probably the most intricate designs. 

Must you’re baking numerous batches of cheese straws or spritz cookies a 12 months and need one factor large sturdy, Marcato Design’s stainless-steel press is for you. Whereas it had a much bigger margin of error for the first few cookies and was extra sturdy to press, it choices design particulars (like two sizes of dough dosage and 20 discs) that extreme home bakers will respect. 

This press was disappointing for spritz cookies, however it out-pressed every completely different model for cheese straws. That’s the perfect machine for the job within the occasion you’re making large batches of cheese straws or associated baked gadgets with thick dough and prolonged presses. 

The Assessments

• Spritz Cookie Verify: Using a primary spritz cookie dough, I stuffed each press and fitted it with a wreath-style disc. Engaged on an uncoated baking sheet, I used the press to pump out as many cookies as attainable, noting how merely each press allotted and what variety of good cookies I’ll make with out errors. 
• Disc Swap Verify: Partway by means of each batch of cookies, I eradicated each press’s coupler and swapped the wreath discs for a further intricate design to guage the advantage of switching discs.
• Cheese Straws Verify: I made a batch of cheese straws to fill and test my favorite presses from the spritz cookie test. Since just a few of the presses failed immediately, I moreover retested two outliers (Fante’s Easy Cookie Press and the De Purchaser Pastry Press) from the spritz cookie test to find a model that labored best for large batches of cheese straws. 
• Primary Use and Care Verify: Whereas assembling and disassembling each press, I made notes on primary use: Was the press simple to take apart and put collectively? Was the set off simple to launch? I moreover well-known how rather a lot residual dough was left in each press after it stopped dispensing, and the advantage of cleaning. 

What We Found

Lever Dispensers Had been Greater Than Set off Dispensers

Cookie presses have three varieties of dispensers: a set off take care of, a pressure lever, or a rotating take care of. My two favorite presses for cookies, the OXO Good Grips Cookie Press and the Marcato Design Atlas Cookie Press, had lever-style handles that had been rather a lot easier on my fingers and wrists, and they also had been further appropriate when dosing dough. Set off-style dispensing (found on the Wilton Straightforward Success Cookie Press and Kuhn Rikon Clear Cookie Press) grew to turn into tiring shortly. Plus, a faster squeeze dispenses a lot much less dough than a gradual one, which makes each cookie as completely completely different as each baker. A rotating take care of, identical to the one found on Fante’s Easy Cookie Press, is correct if you need prolonged stretches of dough to dispense points like churros and cheese straws. 

Metal Discs Had been Best for Intricate Designs 

Numerous the enjoyment of spritz cookies is of their type—tree and wreath cookies really kick off a trip cookie social gathering—so sharp discs are a necessary part of cookie press. There are some execs and cons to completely different provides (plastic or steel) for a press’s physique, nonetheless they don’t affect the cookie type as rather a lot as disc supplies does. For example, a clear plastic physique, identical to the OXO Good Grips Cookie Press,  makes it simple to see how rather a lot dough is left to dispense. Nonetheless a steel or aluminum physique doesn’t preserve onto grease all through cleanup the equivalent method plastic does. Metal discs made rather a lot tidier cookies and cheese straws than plastic ones because of their sharper edges. The Wilton Cookie Press and Nordic Ware Deluxe Adorning Set each had some execs all through testing, nonetheless their plastic discs created looser, a lot much less intricate designs. 

Giant Openings Had been Helpful for Filling With Dough

All of the cookie presses we examined are stuffed on the disc end of the press, as a result of the dispensing plunger would in another case be in the best way wherein. Whereas not one of many presses had been considerably troublesome to fill, I noticed that the Nordic Ware and Kuhn Rikon presses, which have openings smaller than 2.5 inches, took the longest to fill. Our worthwhile press, the OXO Good Grips Cookie Press, has considered one of many largest openings at 2.75 inches. I found that using a small cookie scoop to drop dough into the presses sped up the filling processes between batches. 

Additional Disc Designs Had been Additional Useful Than Piping Recommendations

I was excited to test the few cookie presses that included decisions to swap the design disc for a piping tip (the Kuhn Rikon and Nordic Ware). Nonetheless, the following cookies had been tiny and inconsistent due to the presses’ dispensing mechanisms. You’re considerably higher off investing in only a few piping options and disposable piping baggage for cake adorning or deviled egg filling. Save your cookie press for cookies! That acknowledged, a cookie press with various discs does offer you further decisions for distinctive spritz cookies and completely different baked gadgets—like a star tip for churros or cheese straws. 

The Requirements: What to Seek for in a Cookie Press 

The proper cookie presses have a lever-style dispenser to chop again wrist stress and a big opening for filling the press and embrace on the very least 12 metal discs for numerous baked gadgets. A high-quality cookie press is simple to disassemble from prime to bottom, making it simpler to clean. A clear plastic physique is good for seeing how rather a lot dough you should have left, nonetheless is not required. Ideally, your cookie press will embrace a storage decision for the discs. 

Our Favorite Cookie Presses 

What we favored: With a non-slip coating on the take care of and tip, this lever-style cookie press was simple to utilize correct out of the sector. Its smaller physique merely matches into the fingers of most bakers. It comes with a small case for storing the discs. That’s the cookie press for home bakers who make cookies or cheese straws just a few cases a 12 months. 

What we didn’t like: Weirdly, this cookie press did not embrace a star tip for cheese straws and churros. Whereas I was able to make use of the star disc from one different mannequin’s press to test the OXO press with cheese straws, you would want to hunt for an older model of this press or choose one different press if a star disc is essential for you. 

Key Specs

• Provides: BPA-free plastic with steel discs 
• Type of press: Lever-style 
• Number of discs: 12
• Storage included?: Positive, for discs solely 

What we favored:  A worthy splurge, the Marcato Design Atlas Cookie Press is produced from sturdy aluminum and has a lever-style dispenser with an adjustable dosage dimension. It comes with most likely probably the most design discs (20) of all the presses I examined, along with a sunflower, six-point star, and delicate floral wreath. This cookie press is correct for extreme home bakers who make a great deal of pressed baked gadgets, every savory and sweet. 

What we didn’t like: The physique of the press is not clear, so it’s highly effective to know when you’re working low on dough. 

Key Specs

• Provides: Aluminum 
• Type of press: Lever-style 
• Number of discs: 20 
• Storage included?: No

What we favored: I’ll be frank—this was one among my least favorite cookie presses for cookies. It solely has 5 designs to work with on its “design slider” (there will not be any discs) and the twist mannequin of dispensing made for very inconsistent cookies. Nonetheless whereas a lot of the completely different presses struggled with the thick cheese straw dough, Fante handled it beautifully. With some finessing, twist dispensing gave me various prolonged, skinny straws with none breakage. That’s the cookie press for cheese straw lovers. 

What we didn’t like: The press’s measurement of virtually 10 inches (not along with the twist take care of) and weight (shut to 2 kilos when stuffed) made it extra sturdy to take care of. You’ll should comply with retaining the press associated to the baking sheet and dealing from the once more of the sheet to the doorway with the intention to chop again hand fatigue and get even, straight cookies or straws.

Key Specs

• Provides: Stainless-steel 
• Type of press: Rotating take care of 
• Number of discs: None; this press has a sliding plate of designs 
• Storage included: No

The Opponents

• Wilton Straightforward Success Cookie Press: This cheap cookie press did decidedly successfully with spritz cookie dough and was simple to clean. Nonetheless it did not embrace a star tip and can barely dispense cheese straw dough. 
• Kuhn Rikon Clear Cookie Press: I very rather a lot appreciated the storage case that obtained right here with this press. Whereas the metal discs helped it with particulars on pressed cookies, the trigger-style take care of was inconsistent in dispensing. 
• Nordic Ware Deluxe Adorning Set: This cookie press appeared, felt, and carried out poorly. The plastic lever appeared choose it could probably crack beneath pressure in the middle of the spritz test. 
• De Purchaser Pastry Press: If you may see this kind of press in expert kitchens, it was cumbersome and arduous to utilize when stuffed. The upright set off dispenser was troublesome to press and knowledge. 

FAQs

How do you utilize a cookie press?

Most cookie presses are used for dispensing creamy all-butter cookie doughs. You fill the barrel of the cookie press with dough, choose a disc in your preferred design, and set it in place sooner than screwing on a coupler or cap. The dough is then allotted immediately onto a baking sheet using a lever or set off. The press might be refilled many cases inside the baking course of sooner than being cleaned. 

How do you clear a cookie press?

Most cookie presses should solely be hand-washed to increase their longevity. Totally disassemble the press and wash with dish cleansing cleaning soap and water, then air dry sooner than storing. (That acknowledged, it is worth noting that my husband unintentionally put all of the cookie presses I examined inside the dishwasher and none had been damaged inside the course of.) 

What can you utilize within the occasion you don’t have a cookie press? 

Observe your specific recipe for advice on baking and never utilizing a cookie press for the perfect outcomes. Many butter cookie recipes might be piped onto parchment paper with a strong piping bag and tip; For cheese straws, the dough might be rolled out and decrease into squares with a small cookie cutter. 

Can you utilize a cookie press for frosting?

In precept, certain! Nonetheless not all cookie presses embrace piping options and plenty of have a restricted dispensing mechanism that makes piping prolonged swirls of icing virtually not potential. 

Why We’re the Specialists

• Meghan Splawn is a meals creator and recipe developer who has labored in meals media since 2006. 
• Her work consists of 10 years inside the test kitchen with Alton Brown.
• She’s been looking for the right cookie press for over 10 years and after testing 4 batches of spritz cookies (120 cookies!) she’s lastly ready to buy herself a model new one.