I have never made tortillas before so this is all new to me. I bought one and read the instructions on how to make them. Armed with this info and the other review which suggests cooking them separately, and having seen how Cafe Rio does theirs, I set off on the first batch. The first batch had mixed results, but not bad for first time. The main problem I had was pressing too long and too hard, making it thin and stiff (hard to roll a burrito with a hard shell). This time I did the wheat tortillas (recipe included with the owner's manual) and all of them turned out. The actual press time was less than 10 seconds and included flipping it.
I am really impressed with the non-stick coating. It really does not need any coating on it (even though the manufacturer recommends it) because the tortillas simply will not stick. I center them (after the first press the ball dough will sometimes slide a little because of the slick surface), flip them, and take them out all without a spatula.
Perhaps one thing I do which also helps is that I start the dough off in a bread maker and let it do the kneading for about 10 minutes then form into balls and let them rest for 30 minutes. But as far as being a difficult machine to use I have not found this to be the case just follow the instructions.
I noticed that several reviews indicated that users were using this machine to both press and cook their tortillas.This machine works in the same way as the 3000 dollar tortilla press except no automatic operation, that said a tortilla press needs to be hot to keep the tortilla from shrinking, however the tortilla needs to be finished cooking on a griddle for best results.
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This is better than any other tortilla or roti maker I have tried. Its bigger and also heavier which reduces the amount of pressure one needs to apply to make flat thin perfect leveled round rotis. I primarily got it to make Rotis. 1 drawback that i did notice is that it does not heat up a lot which ends up taking longer to make the rotis which means slightly drier rotis. So I might try something which can heat up more which I will do rather reluctantly because this is the sturdiest roti maker I have ever come across. Rotis are different as after pressing them down to shape we really should cook on these electric roti makers just like a Tawa or Pan . Pressing them again and again will only make them harder and rubbery. I suggest for 1st timers to search youtube for videos. They are full of them. Thats how I got it right. That said, I dont think the tortilla makers roti can ever compare to the conventional method. If you rate the conventional rotis as a 9 or 10 /10. I would give this a 6/10. But for the sheer convenience of sitting on a chair watching T.V making these rotis in an air conditioned room without sweating it out in the heat of the flame I would give it a 9 / 10.
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11/6/12UPDATE: We bought a second one!One is not enough, kids have no patience.This is a popular fast food favorite in our kitchen: Rye, Whole Wheet, Pretzle flat bread and Tortillas by the dozen ...
First, we use NO LARD, BUTTER, or OIL of any kind and NO EGGS.Applesauce makes a good egg substitute, if you really want to go there, but it's really not needed.
OK it takes a little trial and error to get the mixture moisture correct and to understand how much pressure to exert and when to take it out.Pressing them too thin makes them lacy.Opening it too early makes them pull apart (just close & let it cook a little more).They scrape off easily with a plastic (NOT metal) pancake turner.
The best part?We are making tortillas so soft, fluffy, sweet and delicous, they're becoming the main course!Try this: drain a can of sweet corn, puree in the blender.Mix it with Corn Masa (for tortillas) until the batter is stiff.Keep the tortillas less than 7 inches the larger ones make the grill difficult to open.Best tortillas ever!Then customize them to taste with salt, onion, jalapenos, or ...
Next, mix whole wheat flour or rye flour with about 1/4 seminolina flour & water for a soft dough, add caraway seeds, salt, oregeno, thyme, rosemary to taste.Everyone loves our flat bread!
Next, thin out the Masa mixture a little, let it cook a little longer, and it makes healthy chips with NO OIL for dipping in the homemade salsa.
Already sent my sister one of these and we're planning on taking it to a friend's when it's our turn to do the snacks.
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My wife and I are trying to get away from wheat (after buying "wheat belly" from Amazon) and had a hard time finding corn based flatbreads where we shop.
So we bought the Cucina pro piece. We had a little trouble at first but learned to press slowly on the unformed breads until they are flat. AND we learned to let the dough get to room temp at least before cooking. A hot cooking surface and a cold dough makes a real mess.
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This is a very versatile non stick skillet.The size is medium so not too heavy but big enough to say scramble eggs for 4.I use it for everything from grilling sandwiches to finish pasta in sauce and for making chicken piccata or other dishes with a sauce, etc. etc.Love it and use it lots so I bought a second.
