4 Best Cookie Presses For Designer Cookies

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Spritz cookies make every holiday season better. With their cute shapes and soft buttery yumminess, these treats are a favorite for many families.

As delicious as they are, spritz cookies do take a bit of skill to perfect. But with the right cookie press, you’ll whip up pretty treats for your family and friends.

The best cookie presses are sturdy, comfortable to use, and easy to clean. A spritz maker should be easy to assemble and reassemble as you work your way through batches of soft cookie dough.

Read on to find out more about these useful baking tools. I’ve included my selection of cookie presses to up your holiday cookie decorating game.

A cookie press is a kitchen tool used for preparing pressed decorative cookies and biscuits. It has a cylindrical barrel that holds dough and a plunger that is used to push the dough through a shaped disc onto a baking tray. The dough is extruded manually or electrically from the cookie press in the desired shape.

Apart from using this decorative tool to make cute festive cookies, you can use a cookie press to ice cakes and fill pastry shells, deviled eggs, mousse cups, or cream puffs. Most cookie presses come with different-sized tips for filling and frosting your baked treats.

best cookie presses

To consistently prepare identical amounts of cute treats using a cookie press, you need to get into a rhythm as you press out spritz dough. With a little practice, your classic spritz cookies and shortbread recipes will come out just right. Using a cookie press involves the following steps:

Setting up

Allow some time to set up, especially if you’re new to this baking tool. Ensure that you only use cookie press recipes. Avoid add-ins like raisins and nuts that won’t press through the discs.

Pressing dough

Fill the barrel with soft dough and attach the desired disc at the end of the cookie press. Before you start pressing, remove any air between the dough and the disc or decorating tip. Make sure that the press is flat on the baking tray so that you can apply pressure evenly. Squeeze the trigger to expel precise amounts of dough. 

Cleaning up

Allow the released dough to grab the baking sheet before lifting the press from one cookie to another. After you are done, wash and dry every part of the press completely before storage

You need a cookie press that is robust, especially if you plan to make large batches of treats for the holidays. Here’s what you should consider:

Material

Most presses have either plastic or metallic cylinders. A metallic barrel is sturdier but a clear plastic cylinder lets you see how much cookie dough is left. The material of the discs and tips also matters. Stainless steel discs are strong and produce cookies with clean cuts.

Design

You can choose between a manual cookie press and a motorized one. An electric press offers continuous pressing and will save you time. On the other hand, manual cookie presses are cheaper and cordless. Plus, there’s a wide variety of manual presses in the market.

Handle-type

Rotating handles need less pressure whereas plunger handles offer more control as you push out dough. Plunger handles are simple to use but require more pressure to dispense dough.

Accessories

Consider the number of discs and icing tips that come with a cookie press. Go for models that give you more options when it comes to shaping your cookies and decorating your baked goods.

by [amazon link=”B00UYZI1EI” link_icon=”none” title=”Fante’s” /]

[amazon fields=”B00UYZI1EI” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”Fante’s Easy Cookie Press”]

This classic cookie press will conjure up memories of grandma’s cookies. It utilizes a turning handle to extrude dough for tasty holiday bites. You get to choose from five traditional shapes of cookies. It’s also great for thick cheese straw dough. Plus, it can pipe out long strips of dough.

This old-school cookie press is easy to put together, use, and disassemble. Moreover, it comes with delicious cookie recipes.

by [amazon link=”B00E6Q28WW” link_icon=”none” title=”Marcato” /]

[amazon fields=”B00E6Q28WW” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”Marcato Design Atlas Deluxe Biscuit Maker Cookie Press”]

With this gorgeous cookie press, you can adjust cookie size from small to large. It comes with 20 different discs to extrude dough in a variety of creative shapes including stars and Christmas trees.

This sturdy tool has an ergonomic handle that’s easy on your hand as you press out consistent amounts of dough. Plus, it comes with a dough recipe to help you create beautiful melt-in-your-mouth cookies.

by [amazon link=”B00ABH0PYI” link_icon=”none” title=”OXO” /]

[amazon fields=”B00ABH0PYI” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”OXO Good Grips 13-Piece Cookie Press Set”]

Grab this cookie press set for batches of cute consistent cookies. It features a clear plastic cylinder and a non-slip base that keeps the press stable as you dispense dough. With twelve decorative discs, you’ll create beautiful cookies for holidays and parties. A storage box holds the discs when they’re not in use.

If you are a beginner, this OXO Good Grips set may be the best cookie press for you. It has a large comfy handle that offers a non-strenuous grip as you work. Furthermore, this highly-rated item comes with a lifetime warranty.

by [amazon link=”B000AXQA7Y” link_icon=”none” title=”Kuhn Rikon” /]

[amazon fields=”B000AXQA7Y” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”Kuhn Rikon Clear Cookie Press with Decorating Tips and Storage Box”]

Perfect for busy bakers, this manual cookie press will take your Christmas cookies to a whole new level. It efficiently dispenses precise uniform cookie dough. It comes with a clear refillable cylinder and a durable stainless steel handle that gives you great control.

Fourteen interchangeable steel discs create firm detailed cookies. And six decorating tips will have you covered as you embellish your desserts. Even better, you can store the cookies press, discs, and tips in the included clear storage box.

Why does my cookie dough stick to the cookie press?

Cookie dough that is too warm will stick to a cookie press. Refrigerate your dough for a few minutes or until it’s at room temperature. When you take it from the fridge, knead the dough to ensure that it has a uniform temperature and stiffness. Also, ensure that the cookie press is completely dry before using it.

How should I hold the cookie press when shooting cookies?

Hold the press vertically and ensure that its base is flat on an ungreased cookie sheet. With gentle even pressure, pipe the dough onto the baking pan.  To create consistent shapes, don’t tilt the cookie press as you dispense dough.

How do you clean a cookie press?

To clean a cookie press, we recommend hand washing each piece. After use, disassemble the press and clean it with warm soapy water. Use a clean bottle brush to get the dough out of the crooks and crannies. Ensure all the pieces, especially metallic parts, are dry before storing them.

Can you use a cookie press for frosting?

If your cookie press came with icing tips, you can use it to frost your bakes and desserts. Use frosting with a fine soft consistency. Any solid ingredients in the icing should be finely chopped or crushed.

Should the dough in the cookie press be cold?

It may be difficult to extrude cold dough from a cookie press. And due to the firmness of cold dough, your cookies may not take the shape you desire. Plus, the tough dough could ruin a motorized cookie press. It’s best to work with dough that’s at room temperature.

Ready To Bake?

Ready for beautiful fun festive cookies? Then add a cookie press to your baking kit. These kitchen tools will make your work easier as you prepare treats for the holidays or host a cookie decorating party.

Using a cookie press is simpler and faster than scooping cookie dough by hand. You can bypass all the rolling and cutting of dough. Apart from that, you can interchange discs to create a variety of patterns from a single batch of dough.

Grab one of these recommended cookie presses and transform your cookies into works of art.

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