Making your own pizzas and tortillas at home is extremely rewarding, and, to achieve the best results, you need the best pizza dough press. With a proper kitchen tool, the task becomes easy, and you can make dishes just like the ones you order at a restaurant. A pizza press is designed to prepare not only pizza dough but also various Mexican foods – quesadilla, tortillas, tostones, and more.
There are many pizza dough press reviews featuring different types of presses with both simple designs and more intricate ones. Besides the design, some of the pieces of equipment can both achieve the right dough shape and bake it. For others, you need to use a press and then cook the dough in the oven or on the stove. If you are looking for the best option for your home, here you can learn more about them and make the right decision.
10 Best Pizza Dough Press Options for Home and Professional Kitchens
If you are tired of using your hands or an ineffective DIY pizza dough press, there are many options to choose from depending on your needs. There are many things to consider, such as the material of the press, how much space you have in the kitchen, and how often you want to use the device. All these factors decide whether you can get away with a simple press or you need a more sophisticated machine with a timer and thickness adjustment.
back to menu ↑1. Victoria 8-inch Dough Press – Best Pizza Dough Press for Your Household
The first convenient dough press on this list is manufactured by the brand Victoria. It is an affordable 8-inch option that will occupy minimal space in your kitchen. The material of this press is seasoned cast-iron, which is what makes it extremely durable, so it can last you for decades. One thing to note is that it is quite heavy, which is something you can always expect from cast iron. What is great is that its weight ensures that you can achieve thin tortillas, and you don’t have to exert any effort to press the dough.
This material is also non-toxic, which is especially great news if you plan to use it often. This press is quite easy to clean as it doesn’t have any unnecessary parts. The overall width of the press is 11.25 inches from side to side, and it is also 11 inches from front to back. When purchasing this dough press, you also get an additional screw for the lever to replace it in the future. Overall, the 8-inch dough press from Victoria is a simple yet effective tool for your kitchen.
- Affordable cost
- Suitable for different types of dough
- Achieves even cooking
- Durable and non-toxic material
- The material is quite heavy
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2. IMUSA 8-inch Aluminum Tortilla Press – Traditional Pizza Dough Press
Another well-made press that will help turn your dough into perfect flat circles is the 8-inch one created by the company IMUSA. As opposed to the first option, this one is made from cast aluminum, so it is less heavy but still does the job of getting the right thickness of the dough. The press has a handle that you use for pressing down its top section. It has a simple design and allows you to make many tortillas in just a few minutes. Because of its lighter weight, this tool is easier to take with you if you ever need to.
The tool has humble dimensions, so you can easily store it in your drawers, and it won’t occupy a lot of space. It is a good idea to use parchment paper both under and over the dough balls so that they are easier to remove from the press and don’t stick. This also allows you to keep your dough press clean. This tool definitely has a very straightforward construction, which is why it’s so easy to use.
- Simple design
- Lightweight and easy to use
- Made from durable cast aluminum
- Doesn’t occupy a lot of space
- You need to press harder to get thin tortillas
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3. StarBlue 10-inch Cast Iron Press – Easy-to-Use Pizza Dough Flattener
The dough flattener from StarBlue is similar in its design to the previously mentioned tools. It is made from high-quality cast iron and is 10 inches in diameter. The advantage of the pressing diameter of 10 inches is that you can make larger dough circles, which are suitable for anything from tortillas to pizzas. Cast iron is such a sturdy material that this press will likely last you a lifetime, and you won’t have to buy another one.
It consists of two connected cast iron plates, and you need to use a handle to close one on top of another. The weight of this press is distributed evenly so that you get the perfect thickness on all sides. This means that your dough will cook in the same way all over, and you don’t need to worry about one part being more cooked than another.
The weight is 12.54lb, which is fairly heavy, but it’s not a problem as you don’t need to hold it while pressing the dough. The material is food-grade and easy to clean with any dish soap. It is recommended to use paper inside the presser so that your dough doesn’t get stuck to its surface. In this way, it’s easier to remove and you don’t even need to clean this flattener afterward.
- 10-inch design for larger tortillas
- Made from sturdy cast iron material
- Achieves even thickness of the dough
- Easy to clean and store in your kitchen
- Heavy material
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4. DoughXpress DMS-18 – Convenient Commercial Pizza Dough Press
It’s one thing to make pizza or tortillas at home for your family and a completely different thing to make them for many people on a daily basis. To increase the volume of production, it’s possible to use a proper press machine that both achieves the proper dough shape and also cooks it. This DoughXpress manual machine has an 18-inch work area and plates made from aluminum. It is a full-on press machine, so it is surely heavy – 115lbs. The height is 20 inches while the length is 28 inches. One of its useful benefits is that you can adjust the thickness of dough – from the thinnest possible to 7/8 inches.
You don’t need to use any flour to coat the plates of this press machine or use any paper. The upper plate heats up according to the temperature that you set on the machine. It is enough to press a ball of dough once, and it will be fully cooked through.
All you have to do is lift the upper plate by the handle, place your dough inside, and then bring the plate down. There are light indicators that will inform you when your dough is ready. The machine is convenient in use and doesn’t have any unnecessary functions, so it’s a useful one to have for businesses who specialize in making pizzas or similar dishes.
- The machine presses and cooks the dough
- You can choose the dough thickness
- Easy to clean
- Temperature can be adjusted
- It is fairly expensive
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5. VEVOR 8-inch Manual Press Machine – Stainless-Steel Dough Press Machine for Home
The next manual dough press machine that can be used for a wide range of purposes comes from VEVOR. When it comes to the material, the machine combines two – the plates are made from stainless steel while the frame and base are cast-iron.
The food-grade stainless steel ensures that anything you make is safe to eat. This is a very sturdy combination, so you can expect the machine to last you a long time. The weight is 37.8lbs, so it’s definitely heavier than your standard kitchen dough press, and it is a very stable construction thanks to this fact.
When it comes to the diameter, the plates are 8 inches, which is a common size for dough flatteners. A great part of this particular machine is that the bottom is made like a pulling plate, which makes it easier for you to remove the pressed dough. You can get the perfect dough thickness by adjusting the screw under the spring. The machine is designed to only flatten the dough, so you will have to cook it separately. It is certainly a reliable machine that can be used both at home and in commercial kitchens.
- High-quality stainless-steel plates
- Stable and durable
- Has a pulling plate
- The dough thickness is adjustable
- This machine doesn’t cook the dough
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6. ARC 10-inch Cast Iron Tortilla Press – Minimalistic Dough Presser
Yet another extremely simple tortilla press on this list is the one from ARC. It is a cast-iron dough presser that comes in four different sizes, but the largest one, which is 10.4 inches, is definitely the most convenient. You can make both larger 10-inch tortillas and smaller ones if you take less dough.
Cast iron is safe and rust-proof material that can be used for ages and cleaned with any dish soap. The weight of the 10-inch tool is 18.25lb and even pressing is achieved thanks to the bolted handle. It works the same as other dough presses – you need to place a ball of dough in the center, close the upper plate, and press. For easy removal, you should cover your dough with parchment paper on both sides.
Besides tortillas, you can easily make small pie shells, dumplings, pizza bases, arepas, and more. Once you use this dough presser several times, it’s easy to get a hang of it and make several dough circles in a matter of minutes.
- Straightforward design
- Stable and convenient
- Made from safe cast-iron material
- 10 inches in diameter
- Doesn’t come with an additional screw
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7. INTBUYING 8.7-inch Manual Press Machine – Sturdy Pizza Press Machine
The dough press machine from INTBUYING is another worthy option to look into. Firstly, it offers very sturdy construction, as the base is made from cast iron, and the plates are from stainless-steel material. The lower plate is made in the form of a tray that you can pull towards yourself once the dough has been pressed and take it off without damaging it. At the bottom of the machine, there are rubber pads that ensure that it doesn’t slide on the surface.
The diameter of the INTBUYING pressing space is 8.7 inches, and the weight is 35.2lb. Just like with other manual presses, it has a handle that brings down the upper plate without any effort. Another feature of this machine is that it has an automatic rebound design of the upper plate. It works via spring pulling and allows you to work quicker and with less effort. If you plan to use this machine in your kitchen at home, it is a good idea to assess if you have enough space to store it.
- Made from high-quality materials
- Includes a pulling plate
- A handle with an automatic rebound design
- Has rubber pads to keep it from sliding
- Easy to use
- Too big for some home kitchens
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8. DoughXpress DM-18NH – Large Dough Press for Professional Kitchens
As opposed to the previously mentioned dough machine from DoughXpress, the DM-18NH model is a unit with aluminum plates that don’t use any heat, and thus you need to bake the dough separately whichever way you choose. This type of machine is mostly aimed at use in professional kitchens, as it allows you to speed up the process of producing pizza bases, tortillas, etc.
The general recommendation when using this press machine is to keep the warm dough in it for about 10 seconds. After that, you can carefully take it out and bake it on the stone surface or in the oven. You can get circles up to 18 inches in diameter, which is a suitable size for a pizza. Compared to the more simplistic dough presses, this one allows you to adjust how thick the dough will be.
You can make it extremely thin or 7/8-inch thick depending on your needs. The weight is 75 pounds, so you need to find a place where it will be stored as you don’t want to move it around too much. All in all, it is a well-made kitchen tool that doesn’t use electricity and allows you to quickly make a lot of pizza bases.
- Has a large working diameter
- Suitable for professional kitchens
- Quickly and evenly presses the dough
- Made from reliable materials
- The machine doesn’t bake the dough
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9. ARC 8-inch Cast Iron Dough Press – Affordable Pizza Dough Equipment
This dough press from ARC is another one that doesn’t cost much yet does the job. It is a cast-iron press that is both extremely heavy-duty and safe for your health. The weight of the top plate is balanced on all sides, which is what allows you to achieve that thin and even dough circle that you are after. A handle is there to help you press the upper plate but the actual tool does most of the work thanks to its weight. The handle is sufficiently long, so you don’t have to put too much effort when you press.
Compared to some other flatteners, this particular model has a recessed bottom plate. This feature allows you to achieve thicker dough whenever you need it for some recipes. This can be useful for certain pies, sopes, pizzas, gorditas, and more. You should use this type of dough presser with oil paper to ensure that nothing sticks to its surface and the dough is easier to remove. This tool is easy to clean with your hands and some dish soap. It is recommended that you rub it with cooking oil from time to time to preserve the coating.
- Convenient design with a long handle
- Easy to clean
- Allows you to create thicker dough
- Made from safe cast iron
- The shape is not suitable for tortillas
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10. DoughXpress Par Bake Dough Press – Powerful Machine for Professionals
Now we have come to another professional dough press in this review. It is a specialized piece of equipment created by DoughXpress, and it has two purposes – flatten the dough and bake it right in it afterward. The machine has an electronic timer that allows you to set up to 60 seconds, so you can control how much crust you want to achieve. Once the baking time is up, you will be informed with a buzzer. The plates are 8 inches in diameter and are Xylan-coated. Such coating ensures that they are non-stick, and thus you don’t need to use oil paper or anything else on your dough.
The preset temperature of this device is 430F, which is what allows it to bake the dough very fast. For being quite a powerful machine, it is also compact – 12 inches in width and 14.5 inches in length. It is possible to find a permanent or temporary place for it in most commercial kitchens. It is a manual-controlled machine, so you have to open and close it with the help of a handle. It has a comfortable grip, and you can use two hands for maximum convenience.
The crust, which you achieve with this equipment, holds for several hours, and you can extend this time by freezing it. It is a well-designed device that quickly bakes pizza bases and thus allows you to get more work done in less time.
- Shapes the dough and bakes it
- Has a timer with a buzzer
- Convenient to use
- Has non-stick coating on plates
- An 8-inch diameter can be too small for some kitchens
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Choose the Best Dough Press for Your Needs
There is an abundance of manual dough flatteners out there, and some of them are more suitable for home use while others are ideal for commercial kitchens. Depending on your needs, it’s possible to find affordable options that will last you a long time. If you are looking for a simple dough press to use at home for tortillas, pizzas, and all kinds of other dishes, a cast-iron 8-inch press from Victoria is a great option. It is affordable, durable, non-toxic, and easy to use.
Do you use a dough press at home? If so, what is that you are looking for in an ideal tool? Share your thoughts on the different equipment presented here as I would like to hear from you.
