The three Greatest Cookie Presses of 2024, Examined & Reviewed

Cookie presses are a revered baking instrument. Many homebakers covet their grandmother’s classic press that turned out good butter cookies and Christmas mints 12 months after 12 months.

I solely keep in mind my mother’s cookie press as an area hog at the back of a kitchen cupboard; She purchased it at a Pampered Chef get together, used it as soon as, and it by no means noticed the sunshine of day once more. Had I any foresight that I’d construct a profession as a baker and meals author, I’d have held onto that well-made traditional. My circle of relatives loves vacation cookie baking and my prolonged Southern household has taught me the tremendous artwork of constructing cheese straws at any time of 12 months. Evidently, I’ve spent a good bit of my grownup life in search of the right cookie press. I’ve used them in skilled kitchens and take a look at kitchens for years and at last set off on a quest to check seven of the highest-rated cookie presses out there to search out the easiest. 

The Winners, at a Look

OXO’s cookie press was the simplest to make use of and clear up. It has a non-slip grip on the tip to make your fingers much less prone to shift whereas urgent cookies and its steel discs yield clear shapes even on probably the most intricate designs. 

Should you’re baking quite a lot of batches of cheese straws or spritz cookies a 12 months and want one thing tremendous sturdy, Marcato Design’s chrome steel press is for you. Whereas it had a bigger margin of error for the primary few cookies and was tougher to press, it options design particulars (like two sizes of dough dosage and 20 discs) that severe house bakers will recognize. 

This press was disappointing for spritz cookies, however it out-pressed each different mannequin for cheese straws. That is one of the best instrument for the job in the event you’re making massive batches of cheese straws or comparable baked items with thick dough and lengthy presses. 

The Checks

• Spritz Cookie Check: Utilizing a traditional spritz cookie dough, I crammed every press and fitted it with a wreath-style disc. Engaged on an uncoated baking sheet, I used the press to pump out as many cookies as potential, noting how simply every press allotted and what number of good cookies I might make with out errors. 
• Disc Swap Check: Partway by way of every batch of cookies, I eliminated every press’s coupler and swapped the wreath discs for a extra intricate design to guage the convenience of switching discs.
• Cheese Straws Check: I made a batch of cheese straws to fill and take a look at my favourite presses from the spritz cookie take a look at. Since among the presses failed instantly, I additionally retested two outliers (Fante’s Simple Cookie Press and the De Purchaser Pastry Press) from the spritz cookie take a look at to discover a mannequin that labored greatest for giant batches of cheese straws. 
• Normal Use and Care Check: Whereas assembling and disassembling every press, I made notes on common use: Was the press straightforward to take aside and put collectively? Was the set off straightforward to launch? I additionally famous how a lot residual dough was left in every press after it stopped shelling out, and the convenience of cleansing. 

What We Realized

Lever Dispensers Have been Higher Than Set off Dispensers

Cookie presses have three types of dispensers: a set off deal with, a strain lever, or a rotating deal with. My two favourite presses for cookies, the OXO Good Grips Cookie Press and the Marcato Design Atlas Cookie Press, had lever-style handles that had been a lot simpler on my palms and wrists, they usually had been extra correct when dosing dough. Set off-style shelling out (discovered on the Wilton Easy Success Cookie Press and Kuhn Rikon Clear Cookie Press) grew to become tiring rapidly. Plus, a sooner squeeze dispenses much less dough than a sluggish one, which makes every cookie as completely different as every baker. A rotating deal with, just like the one discovered on Fante’s Simple Cookie Press, is right in order for you lengthy stretches of dough to dispense issues like churros and cheese straws. 

Metallic Discs Have been Greatest for Intricate Designs 

A lot of the enjoyment of spritz cookies is of their form—tree and wreath cookies actually kick off a vacation cookie get together—so sharp discs are an vital a part of a very good cookie press. There are some execs and cons to different supplies (plastic or metal) for a press’s physique, however they don’t affect the cookie form as a lot as disc materials does. For instance, a transparent plastic physique, just like the OXO Good Grips Cookie Press,  makes it straightforward to see how a lot dough is left to dispense. However a metal or aluminum physique doesn’t maintain onto grease throughout cleanup the identical approach plastic does. Metallic discs made a lot tidier cookies and cheese straws than plastic ones due to their sharper edges. The Wilton Cookie Press and Nordic Ware Deluxe Adorning Set every had some execs throughout testing, however their plastic discs created looser, much less intricate designs. 

Vast Openings Have been Useful for Filling With Dough

The entire cookie presses we examined are crammed on the disc finish of the press, because the shelling out plunger would in any other case be in the way in which. Whereas not one of the presses had been notably difficult to fill, I seen that the Nordic Ware and Kuhn Rikon presses, which have openings smaller than 2.5 inches, took the longest to fill. Our successful press, the OXO Good Grips Cookie Press, has one of many largest openings at 2.75 inches. I discovered that utilizing a small cookie scoop to drop dough into the presses sped up the filling processes between batches. 

Further Disc Designs Have been Extra Helpful Than Piping Suggestions

I used to be excited to check the few cookie presses that included choices to swap the design disc for a piping tip (the Kuhn Rikon and Nordic Ware). Nevertheless, the ensuing cookies had been tiny and inconsistent on account of the presses’ shelling out mechanisms. You’re significantly better off investing in a couple of piping ideas and disposable piping luggage for cake adorning or deviled egg filling. Save your cookie press for cookies! That stated, a cookie press with a lot of discs does offer you extra choices for distinctive spritz cookies and different baked items—like a star tip for churros or cheese straws. 

The Standards: What to Search for in a Cookie Press 

One of the best cookie presses have a lever-style dispenser to cut back wrist pressure and a large opening for filling the press and include a minimum of 12 steel discs for various baked items. A high-quality cookie press is straightforward to disassemble from prime to backside, making it less complicated to wash. A transparent plastic physique is nice for seeing how a lot dough you may have left, however shouldn’t be required. Ideally, your cookie press will include a storage resolution for the discs. 

Our Favourite Cookie Presses 

What we appreciated: With a non-slip coating on the deal with and tip, this lever-style cookie press was straightforward to make use of proper out of the field. Its smaller physique simply suits into the palms of most bakers. It comes with a small case for storing the discs. That is the cookie press for house bakers who make cookies or cheese straws only a few instances a 12 months. 

What we didn’t like: Weirdly, this cookie press didn’t include a star tip for cheese straws and churros. Whereas I used to be in a position to make use of the star disc from one other model’s press to check the OXO press with cheese straws, you could need to hunt for an older mannequin of this press or select one other press if a star disc is important for you. 

Key Specs

• Supplies: BPA-free plastic with metal discs 
• Sort of press: Lever-style 
• Variety of discs: 12
• Storage included?: Sure, for discs solely 

What we appreciated:  A worthy splurge, the Marcato Design Atlas Cookie Press is made from sturdy aluminum and has a lever-style dispenser with an adjustable dosage measurement. It comes with probably the most design discs (20) of all of the presses I examined, together with a sunflower, six-point star, and delicate floral wreath. This cookie press is right for severe house bakers who make a whole lot of pressed baked items, each savory and candy. 

What we didn’t like: The physique of the press shouldn’t be clear, so it’s robust to know while you’re working low on dough. 

Key Specs

• Supplies: Aluminum 
• Sort of press: Lever-style 
• Variety of discs: 20 
• Storage included?: No

What we appreciated: I’ll be frank—this was one among my least favourite cookie presses for cookies. It solely has 5 designs to work with on its “design slider” (there aren’t any discs) and the twist type of shelling out made for very inconsistent cookies. However whereas most of the different presses struggled with the thick cheese straw dough, Fante dealt with it superbly. With some finessing, twist shelling out gave me a lot of lengthy, skinny straws with none breakage. That is the cookie press for cheese straw fans. 

What we didn’t like: The press’s size of almost 10 inches (not together with the twist deal with) and weight (shut to 2 kilos when crammed) made it tougher to deal with. You’ll must follow retaining the press linked to the baking sheet and dealing from the again of the sheet to the entrance with a purpose to scale back hand fatigue and get even, straight cookies or straws.

Key Specs

• Supplies: Chrome steel 
• Sort of press: Rotating deal with 
• Variety of discs: None; this press has a sliding plate of designs 
• Storage included: No

The Competitors

• Wilton Easy Success Cookie Press: This inexpensive cookie press did decidedly nicely with spritz cookie dough and was straightforward to wash. However it didn’t embrace a star tip and will barely dispense cheese straw dough. 
• Kuhn Rikon Clear Cookie Press: I very a lot appreciated the storage case that got here with this press. Whereas the steel discs helped it with particulars on pressed cookies, the trigger-style deal with was inconsistent in shelling out. 
• Nordic Ware Deluxe Adorning Set: This cookie press seemed, felt, and carried out poorly. The plastic lever appeared prefer it would possibly crack below strain in the course of the spritz take a look at. 
• De Purchaser Pastry Press: Whilst you would possibly see this type of press in skilled kitchens, it was cumbersome and exhausting to make use of when crammed. The upright set off dispenser was tough to press and information. 

FAQs

How do you employ a cookie press?

Most cookie presses are used for shelling out creamy all-butter cookie doughs. You fill the barrel of the cookie press with dough, select a disc in your most well-liked design, and set it in place earlier than screwing on a coupler or cap. The dough is then allotted instantly onto a baking sheet utilizing a lever or set off. The press may be refilled many instances within the baking course of earlier than being cleaned. 

How do you clear a cookie press?

Most cookie presses ought to solely be hand-washed to extend their longevity. Utterly disassemble the press and wash with dish cleaning soap and water, then air dry earlier than storing. (That stated, it’s price noting that my husband unintentionally put all the cookie presses I examined within the dishwasher and none had been broken within the course of.) 

What can you employ in the event you don’t have a cookie press? 

Observe your particular recipe for recommendation on baking with out a cookie press for one of the best outcomes. Many butter cookie recipes may be piped onto parchment paper with a powerful piping bag and tip; For cheese straws, the dough may be rolled out and reduce into squares with a small cookie cutter. 

Can you employ a cookie press for frosting?

In principle, sure! However not all cookie presses include piping ideas and plenty of have a restricted shelling out mechanism that makes piping lengthy swirls of icing almost unimaginable. 

Why We’re the Specialists

• Meghan Splawn is a contract meals author and recipe developer who has labored in meals media since 2006. 
• Her work contains 10 years within the take a look at kitchen with Alton Brown.
• She’s been trying to find the right cookie press for over 10 years and after testing 4 batches of spritz cookies (120 cookies!) she’s lastly prepared to purchase herself a brand new one.