John "JR"
Minnesota/ United States of America
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Sabrina just got me one of these for my birthday. I am looking forward to trying it out. Are they pretty easy to use? and is it worth the extra work?​
Was thinking this would be great for our post sauna meals we always make during the winter months.
I am not sure who was more pumped to get this.....me or Sabrina.
Dude, the fresh tortillas beat anything store bought! Very simple to use, just a matter of dialing in the correct dough ball and pressure. I used a scale the first few times to get consistent size and from there I was able to get pretty consistent tortillas by eyeball.
You are gonna love this! Especially with all that sauna food you kick out!
Haha, yeah, that may have been a momentary lapse of reason.
I figured it would be more than worth it. I am looking forward to trying this. I think I am gonna do it at home first, so I am ready for sauna season! barelfly
Never knew this was a thing 🤷â€â™‚ï¸
quick google search shows quite a few models for under $20.
also, some that are a bit pricier...
I may have to look into this further.
Spinaker Happy birthday!
The press itself is straightforward, you're just looking for uniform thickness across the tortilla and that comes more by trial and error and feel than anything else. Also, you really don't need more than a golfball size of dough for a perfect street taco unless you want it thick or it will squeeze out the sides. If you press it and it doesn't look right just roll it back into a ball and do it again. mnavarre Had it right that the success of your tortillas really has more to do with getting the right moisture content and cook time which again I've found to completely be by feel. Every recipe and video I've watched has you start off with a different masa to water ratio and you tweak it from there based on how its coming together, and it never seems like I have the same ratio between batches. I'm still figuring it out and haven't had enough sustained success to graduate from the Maseca brand to something better. I really need to start a thread for people to chime in on how to make the perfect corn tortilla.
Is it worth it to me? Absolutely, yes. I still cheat more than I'd like to admit but if I had the time I would make these every time I have tacos not only because they are infinitely better than any corn tortilla from the store but it's just fun to do! My wife and kids were never store-bought corn tortilla fans but she loves these and my kids will eat them plain. It really is a completely different taste and texture... not life changing but rewarding on a personal level because I love the experience of making something from scratch and discovering the nuances that were lost when it was produced in bulk for profit, which is what took me down this rabbit hole to begin with. I know it's "just a tortilla" but that added benefit is what makes it worth it for me. YMMV but something tells me you'll like it for the same reasons, especially when it becomes a unique part of the post-sauna meal experience. I mean, how many other get-togethers have you been to where you were served homemade tortillas?
They do take some time though and it is another part of the meal you'll need to compensate for. However I am usually doing all the cooking so the entire process can get a little long between the tortillas and the rest of the meat and fixings but if you and Sabrina divide and conquer then it should be a breeze.
I'm looking forward to seeing how you like it. Get to it and let me know how it goes!
Thanks! yeah, I was wondering how big of a ball I should make before pressing. Do you ever heat the press or is it better for it to be cold or room temp? Thanks!
Spinaker Is it worth the extra effort? Up to you, really. But if all you have access to is crappy grocery store tortillas, then it's not even the same game. If you have a tortilaria you can buy fresh tortillas from, home made are still better but depending on what you're making they're fine.
As far as making tortillas, it's mostly getting the hydration right and technique. Like I said back up the thread, it's extremely simple. and more complex then it seems like it should be. But the hydration is the key, I think. Also, if you make "bad" tortillas, they're still gonna be really good.
I’ve been using Masienda masa harina lately for making tortillas. They recommend a 1 to 1.4 flour to water ratio by weight. It’s worked perfectly for me every time. Of course this ratio will only be right for their masa harina.
I’ll have to give that ratio a shot and see how it matches up. I should have added that when I tweak it it’s usually just adding a tsp or two of water so it’s close but just different enough to keep me guessing. I think the using weights will help me be a little more accurate.
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This company specializes in all things masa and tortillas. They have a series of videos on mixing pre-ground masa (or making your own if that's your thing) and making tortillas.
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Andrrr are you using maseca or masa harina now? The photo of the puffy one specifically?
Need to watch some videos, perhaps I’m not getting the moisture level correct? I’m sure it’s a combo of moisture and heat on the flat top.
and perhaps my process is all wrong with getting the 1.2oz balls all set out, then pressing, then cooking. I’ll have to try some doing the entire process for just one tortilla then move on.
barelfly I’ve only used maseca so far and will until I feel like I’ve got it down. This last batch was 75% awesome, 25% ok. Don’t be fooled though, as you know ok is still way better than store bought. The batch before that was no bueno as in way too much water. They were still mighty tasty but no puff at all. I agree that I think the correlation between cooking temp and water/masa ratio is the driving factor in the Goldilocks tortillas and I’ve been trying to figure out what that is, which seems to be more by feel than an actual numerical ratio.
Someone suggested using a weight ratio rather than volume for the masa/water ratio and I think that might be the ticket. I’ve been using the 2C masa to 1-1/2C (warm) water as a starting point. I’ve never used less water than that as that ratio works but sometimes I need to add more, maybe in the area of a Tbsp or two.
I stopped weighing the balls awhile ago as I think I have a pretty good feel of the proper size ball. This has been reinforced by the fact I haven’t had any blowouts during the press in my last few batches, unless I got a little overzealous on the press.
For temp I’ve been putting my stove at 4.5 which puts my CI skillet right about 600*F (edit: I'm going to have to check that), maybe a little less. I am cooking 30 sec, flip and cook for 30 more while using the spatula to lightly press the tortilla to A) make sure the edges cook to keep the steam in and B) make sure there is good contact. Finally flip, give a nice little spatula push in the middle of the tortilla and wait for the puff. 30 sec max on this flip.
You know I was originally thinking a birria thread but I think we need a tortilla thread. I’m sure there are plenty of people here that know a lot more than I do that could contribute to the conversation. Maybe I’ll record me cooking the next batch of tortillas and post it to here. MUST SEE TV!😂
Last edited by Andrrr; November 3, 2022, 07:32 AM.
Currently looking at getting a tortilla press.
The victoria is available at Amazon.
8" cast iron is $30. The 8" "heavy duty" cast iron is $50.
Who has which one, and is the heavy duty one really a necessity?
My current budget really prefers $30 over $50
I only have the Victoria one which works fine but I can see how the Masienda one would work much better at getting an even thickness. Hardly a dealbreaker though.
Victoria 8” for $30 is gonna do you just fine! If you were cranking out hundreds of tortillas, then maybe something different. But for home use, put that extra $20 into good meat for your TACOS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Currently looking at getting a tortilla press.
The victoria is available at Amazon.
8" cast iron is $30. The 8" "heavy duty" cast iron is $50.
Who has which one, and is the heavy duty one really a necessity?
My current budget really prefers $30 over $50
Thanks. I will add this one to consideration
Not sure how much I will use it, but I have hand rolled flour tortillas 3 times in the last 2 weeks after deciding to try it, so there is that!
The family really liked the fresh ones so I may be on the hook to make them regularly.
My daughter liked eating them with just butter spread on them 🤷♂️
Excellent... @Finster
One trick that I discovered (after several tries) was to press lighter than you would think, then rotate the dough, then press again. That helped to make the dough the same thickness as the hinge side (end) of the press will make the dough thinner than the opposite end. Good luck... 👍
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Whatever brand tortillas I buy go into the air fryer with my stainless pizza cutter to keep from flying around. I'll get one side kinda crispy and have with a glass of chocolate milk for a 1am snack.
I have the Masienda tortilla press, I bought it on sale last year. I really like it, much better than the cheap cast iron one that I had and it has gotten really good reviews online.
Meet our best-selling tortilla press, voted best tortilla press by countless experts. It's made of rolled carbon steel and calibrated to make a range of tortilla thicknesses possible. Plus it's powder-coated in food-safe paint here in the States.
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