Good cookie press?
As holiday baking season approaches, I'm starting to think about making cookies, and my all time favorites were always Spritz. However, I made the mistake of parting with my "old school" cookie press several years ago, with the thought that I'd prefer a newer, updated version.
I have heard publication after publication raving about "trigger-style" cookie presses, and so I picked one up a couple of years ago. (It's a Wilton Cookie Pro.) It does indeed accurately mete out the same amount of dough each time you squeeze the handle. Unfortunately, it's the *wrong* amount of dough -- one click isn't enough to fully form a cookie, and two clicks results in a smashed blob. On top of that, the thing is a nightmare to assemble and disassemble.
Before I start searching for an old copper press with a knob at the back, does anyone out there have a more convenient, modern press they actually *like*? Easy cleanup is a plus. I'm willing to consider electric, but I'm not sure it's entirely necessary.
dtremit
Oct 16, 2006 08:42PM
I've got a Kuhn-Rikon press that is really nice. Comes apart for cleaning. Found it at a Marshall's, of all places.
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I think the one I got last Christmas was a Wilton too. I thought it worked pretty decently when I got the hang of how it all fits together. Mine has a little screw-in compartment that holds all the dies together in a single unit with the press. Neat! But there are die shapes like a wreath that I thought were unfortunately overlooked.
As for getting the right amount of dough per trigger click, have you tried tweaking your dough so that it's a tiny bit looser and giving it a couple extra secs to relax onto the cookie sheet? A cheaper thing to investigate than replacing the machine.
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I have this one from Marcato:
http://www.amazon.com/Marcato-Cookie-...
Works like a charm.
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Although this thread is from last year, I thought I would add my own experience.
I bought a trigger style cookie press at Williams-Sonoma - and I am very dissapointed. The die shapes are flimsy, and after a few dozen cookies both the snowman and candy cane shapes were warped - producing distorted blobs. I tried allowing the dough to warm up a bit, and then warm up a lot.. and it just never did produce even shapes.
And despite the labeling, it is not dishwasher safe. So back to the W&S it goes.
I will be hunting through the stores tomorrow for a decent replacement.
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I, too, have had lots of trouble with the Wilton cookie press, which I bought based on a recommendation from Cook's Illustrated. I have the old-style press with the copper knob and found that it works better than the Wilton. I got it at a local hardware store with a good kitchen department.
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Here's an update on the Wilton cookie press. I went to the Wilton website for tips and then used the official Wilton recipe, which the website recommended for best results. After making just two cookies, the underside of the trigger mechanism snapped off, breaking the plastic posts that held it together and making it unusable and impossible to fix. I used my old screw-type press to finish the job only to determine that the Wilton recipe makes pretty tough and not-so-tasty cookies. Next year it's back to the Cook's Illustrated recipe for me.
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Would you share that recipe with me, please?
I have a very old electric Super Shooter Cookie Press, that was my grandmother's. It is a champ! Love it to death. Once you get into the rhythm of it it is so easy to bang out dozens of cookies in no time.They don't make the electric anymore, but they have a battery operated one.
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