Masienda Tortilla Press Review

I learned how to make tortillas when I was a prep cook at a restaurant. We nixtamalized dried corn before grinding it, then I’d spent about an hour mixing and shaping the masa into balls ready to press during service. They were truly special, ultra-fresh tortillas. While I don’t work in restaurants anymore, I still love to make fresh tortillas at home. It’s even more fun to serve them to friends and family, who are often awestruck at how good they are.

Making a corn tortilla from scratch is a tactile experience. Grab a handful of the moistened masa and squeeze it to see if it’s soaked up enough water. If it’s too dry, it’ll crack as it squishes through your fingers. If it’s just right, it’ll hold together as it extrudes. While getting the masa properly hydrated is one part of a corn tortilla’s success, pressing it to the perfect size and thickness is the other. This is where the Masienda tortilla press comes in. This weighty metal press lets me churn out tortilla after tortilla, all pressed to the perfect even thickness. 

Why the Masienda Tortilla Press Is My Go-To 

When I tested tortilla presses, I wondered how different they could be. And the truth is, most tortilla presses are quite similar. They’re often made of enameled cast iron or steel (and sometimes wood) and feature two sides you bring together and then press down on with a lever-like handle. It was the details that set the Masienda apart. 

The best thing about it is its wide, 8.5-inch square surface. This gives me the wiggle room to make petite tortillas for empanadas or larger tortillas for truly amazing quesadillas. Some of the other tortilla presses I tested were small and round, which meant I had to get that ball of masa just the right size or I risked masa squeezing out the edges. 

The hefty weight is another boon: The Masienda was the heaviest press I tested at 10.8 pounds. When pressing a corn tortilla, you need even weight distribution with enough oomph behind it to flatten the masa as quickly and evenly as possible. Lightweight presses couldn’t provide the same even flattening motion, resulting in uneven or too-thick tortillas. The handle is also nice on the Masienda, smoothly swinging over the press without wiggling around, letting me get even pressure when I push down on the two plates. Oh, and this may be superficial, but the Masienda comes in some gorgeous colors, including a pistachio green espuma and a rich blueberry azul. You can wow your friends with your tender corn tortillas and your eye-catching press. 

Why We’re the Experts

• Grace Kelly is an editor at Serious Eats, where she’s been testing gear for more than two years. 
• She used to make fresh tortillas when she was a prep cook. 
• She uses the Masienda tortilla press to impress her friends and family and to also just make really good fresh tortillas.