Top 6 – Best Cookie Press
A cookie press allows you to make pretty shapes that give you professional results! You can also use it to ice cakes or cupcakes, fill cream puffs, or fill deviled eggs neatly.
We find that almost all electric cookie presses are bad, so the best options are generally manual presses. Let’s check them out!
Our Top List
# | Preview | Product | Our Rating | Link |
1 |  | Marcato Atlas Biscuit Maker & Cookie Press (Manual) | ||
2 |  | OXO Good Grips 14-Piece Cookie Press Set (Manual) | ||
3 |  | Cuisinart CCP-10 Electric Cookie Press (Electric) | ||
4 |  | Wilton Preferred Press Cookie Press (Manual) | ||
5 |  | Kuhn Rikon Clear Cookie Press (Manual) | ||
6 |  | Norpro NOR-3299 Cookie & Icing Press (Manual) |
1. Marcato Atlas Biscuit Maker & Cookie Press
The first cookie press on the list is made in Italy by a company called Marcato that is better known for creating high-quality tools to help you make pasta, but pasta extruding is very close to cookie extruding so you get a very sturdy cookie press. This cookie press features some ABS plastic and steel components, with the main body being made out of anodized aluminum to make it very stable and resistant to rust and corrosion, and you get 20 different dies in each purchase that include a tree, heart, flower, and a range of abstract designs.
You can turn the knob on the top of the cookie press to help adjust the size of the cookies you make as you work because this monitors the amount of the dough that the machine extrudes each time you push the lever. You can take it apart to clean each inch of it before hand washing it between uses to keep it clean and neat, and the cookie press is silver with a straight barrel. There is a deluxe version available that comes with a slightly different barrel in more colors, and it’s very quick and easy to swap out the dies as you work.
Key Features:
- Dies Offered: Variety of seasonal ones
- Material: Anodized aluminum, steel, and ABS plastic
- Size: Several sizes
Pros
- Very durable
- Available in several colors
- Comes with seasonal dies
- Deluxe version available
- Can make different cookie sizes
Cons
- Has plastic components
2. OXO Good Grips 14-Piece Cookie Press Set
Spritz cookies are a holiday staple in thousands of households, and a lot of older-style cookie presses reflect this by offering dies that help you form trees, wreaths, and holiday-related shapes. However, this particular press comes with a range of shapes that don’t get tied to one season, and this is why you get sunflowers, daisies, flowers, a bear, shell, butterfly, fleur-de-lis, heart, leaf, tree, snowflake, and a wreath so you’re ready to make cookies on any occasion, and they’re extremely easy to swap out as you work to create a host of different shapes.
This cookie press uses a top ratchet to help you press out the cookies, and it has a clear barrel that allows you to monitor the dough you have left as you work so you know when it’s time to reload it. It comes apart completely when it’s time to clean it between uses, and the bottom ring, barrel, and each die are safe to put in the dishwasher because they’re stainless steel. This helps them resist rust and corrosion with repeated use and cleaning, but you should wash the plunger and top by hand to help them last longer.
Key Features:
- Dies Offered: Multi-seasonal
- Material: Stainless steel components with plastic
- Size: Several sizes
Pros
- Get multi-seasonal dies
- Clear barrel
- Most pieces are dishwasher safe
- From a reputable brand
- Resists corrosion and rust
Cons
- Barrel is plastic
3. Cuisinart CCP-10 Electric Cookie Press
Cuisinart is a very well-known brand that puts out a huge amount of food preparation devices that come built to last, and this is an excellent electric cookie press that is great for novice or professional bakers. It combines versatility with beauty while staying very easy to use, and it comes with a huge range of decorating tips and discs that allow you to create gorgeous cookies for all seasons. You get 12 discs with different hole arrangements, and you get eight decorating tips for decorating your cupcakes, cookies and cakes. Each die and decorating tip are stainless steel to ensure they last.
There is a transparent barrel on this electric cookie press that lets you see how much dough you have when you work so you don’t run out in the middle of extruding a cookie, and you get a very ergonomic handle that is easy to grip and operate for extended periods without a problem. All you have to do to operate it is push a button to lower the plunger and push the dough through the die, and the whole thing is easy to take apart and pop into the dishwasher for easy and stress-free cleaning.
Key Features:
- Dies Offered: Several with decorating tips
- Material: Plastic with stainless steel
- Size: One
Pros
- Comes with decorating tips
- Has a transparent barrel
- Ergonomic handle
- Very user-friendly
- Push a button to lower the plunger
Cons
- Can be difficult to clean
4. Wilton Preferred Press Cookie Press
Wilton is a very reputable company when it comes to cake decorating or baking because they specialize in making high-quality products that are built to last, and this press uses a squeeze trigger to operate. You’ll get a clear barrel that allows you to see how much dough you have left as you work to ensure you don’t run out, and you get a raised base that makes it quick and easy to change out the dies in the middle of making cookies to help switch up the shape. You can easily make a few cookies on one sheet to practice and see which ones you want to use next to get professional-level results.
You’ll get 12 different dies that include a snowman, tree, pumpkin, heart, turkey, and much more to help you use this press all year round. You can also buy more dies from the same company if you want more, and it uses metal and plastic in the design that gives you a comfortable, durable, but ergonomic grip when you use it for extended periods. You should hand-wash the entire thing between uses with warm, soapy water and dry them by hand.
Key Features:
- Dies Offered: Several
- Material: Plastic and steel
- Size: One
Pros
- Several dies included
- Rubberized handle is comfortable
- Ergonomic design
- Easy to clean
- Comes from a well-known company
Cons
- Have to hand wash
5. Kuhn Rikon Clear Cookie Press
Learning how to use your new cookie press is a simple process, and it’s a very versatile tool that you can pull out for virtually any occasion to make pretty cookie shapes. This set from Kohn Rikon comes with a nice storage box that helps you keep everything nicely organized and together so it’s all on-hand when you need to use it, and there is a clear barrel on this press that lets you see the dough as you work to ensure you always have enough. The press comes with a squeeze trigger that allows you to quickly and easily dispense the dough in even portions, and it comes with 15 dies with both traditional and odd shapes like a candy cane, butterfly, and a camel.
The star die allows you to get pretty cookies or use it for cheese straws, and you get six decorating tips in your order, so you can use it to decorate your cookies once you press them out and bake them. The press can go into the top rack of the dishwasher to safely wash it without causing any damage, but the company recommends that you hand-wash it. The dies should get hand washed and dried between uses to prevent rust or corrosion, and it has a secure attachment point to ensure the dies don’t slip off.
Key Features:
- Dies Offered: 14
- Material: Plastic and steel
- Size: One
Pros
- Has decorating tips
- Comes with a storage case
- Traditional and add shapes
- Secure attachment point
- From a well-known company
Cons
- Steel dies can rust
6. Norpro NOR-3299 Cookie & Icing Press
The final cookie press on the list comes from Norpro, and you get 13 aluminum cookie dies with eight stainless steel icing tips that allows you to create cookies, bake them, let them cool, and frost them to complete the process. The dies come in traditional shapes like flowers, Christmas trees, and a heart while the icing tips have stars, writing tips, leaves, and flowers. There is a squeeze-style trigger handle that helps you dispense even amounts of dough onto your cookie sheets with a sturdy metal barrel that makes it easy to swap out dies as you work.
You can quickly and easily disassemble the barrel and press when you finish making the cookies to clean it and get it ready for the next use, and the company recommends that you wash it by hand to help keep it working longer. You’ll get instructions and recipes included in each purchase to ensure you use it correctly and to inspire you, and it has a larger 1.25-cup capacity that allows you to put out a decent amount of cookies between fills. The barrel is stainless steel, and this makes it more durable with heavy usage.
Key Features:
- Dies Offered: 13 with 8 icing tips
- Material: Plastic and stainless steel
- Size: One
Pros
- Squeeze-style trigger system
- 1.25-cup capacity
- Icing tips included
- Easy to disassemble
- Sturdy metal barrel
Cons
- Have to wash by hand
Verdict & Review
Marcato Atlas Biscuit Maker & Cookie Press
Pros
- Very durable
- Available in several colors
- Comes with seasonal dies
- Deluxe version available
- Can make different cookie sizes
Cons
- Has plastic components
Our pick for the best cookie press is the Marcato Atlas Biscuit Maker Cookie Press because it comes with a nice mix of steel and ABS plastic to make it very durable and long-lasting, and we liked that it came from a company that had a long history of creating high-quality products. You get 20 different dies in a huge range of shapes to allow you to use it all year-round, and the entire design helps it resist corrosion and rust with heavy use and repeated washing sessions.
We liked that you could turn the knob to adjust the size of the cookies you put out as you work and that it’s very easy to clean between uses. There was a deluxe version available, and we liked that you could pick from a host of different colors. All of these things combined to make this our top pick for all of the cookie presses available.
Best Cookie Press Buying Guide
When it’s time to buy your cookie press, there are a few buying criteria you want to keep in mind to ensure you get a quality item. We’re going to touch on a few things that you can use to narrow down your choices when you start comparing items below. You don’t need to be a professional when you have the right tools, one of which is a professional cookie scoop set!
How to Use Cookie Presses
Luckily, using a cookie press is a relatively straightforward project, and all you’ll need is a few easy steps to churn out gorgeously-shaped cookies. This may take a few tries, but you’ll find out what works best for you.
Step One – Fill
Once you make the cookie dough and wash the cookie, press with warm, soapy water and dry it thoroughly, you’re ready to fill it. You have to turn the plunger rod and pull until the center rod is all of the ways to the top. Unscrew the ring at the end of the press, and shape your cookie dough into a log and push it into the cookie press. Next, pick a cookie disk and put it at the end of the press with the smooth side out before screwing the ring back onto the press.
Step Two – Hold Correctly
Hold your cookie press in an upright position with the bottom ring resting very firmly against an ungreased and cooled cookie sheet. Don’t hold the press above the cookie sheet or tilt it as you work, and squeeze the trigger mechanism to form the cookie. Repeat this process for whatever dough you have before refilling it. If you want to change designs, you’ll swap out your disks.
Step Four – Decorate and Bake
Before you bake your cookies and after you form them, you want to add your toppings like almonds, cherries, nonpareils, or colorful sugars. They’ll bake into the cookie. If you want to ice the cookies, you can pipe icing onto them after you bake them and they cool.
Step Five – Clean the Press
Once you finish baking and decorating your cookies, you want to clean out the cookie press, so it’s ready to go the next time you use it. Twist the barrel off counterclockwise, and make sure you’re gripping the barrel and not the outer casing. Wash the whole thing with warm, soapy water before drying it thoroughly. If your cookie press is dishwasher-safe, you can put it in the top rack and run a wash cycle.
Buying Considerations
Now that you know how to use a cookie press and clean it after you finish, it’s important that you know which items you should consider when you start shopping.
Capacity
The shaft capacity is an important consideration to keep in mind, especially if you plan to churn out several batches of cookies at one time. Ideally, you’ll pick out a cookie press that has a larger capacity and a bigger shaft to ensure you can fit more cookie dough into it per go. If you only plan on making a batch or two of cookies at a time, you can get away with a lower capacity, as long as you don’t mind refilling it halfway through your project.
Stainless Steel and Rust
When you clean and wash your cookie press, it may not be possible to get every drop of moisture out of all of the grooves and crevices. This is exactly why you want to pick out a cookie press that resists rust and corrosion, and having one with mostly aluminum or stainless steel as the material will help. If you have a plastic shaft, make sure that it’s BPA-free since it’ll be around your food.
Attachments and Disks
You’ll quickly notice that cookie presses come with a huge range of attachments and disks to them, and the ones you use the most will depend on your intended use. If you want to have personality shine through, pick out disks that have unique styles or floral designs, or you can go the more traditional route and use holiday-themed disks. Some presses also come with nozzles for icing, and this is another bonus.
Manual or Electric
We have both manual and electric cookie presses on our list, and each one comes with benefits and drawbacks. A manual option is usually much less expensive to buy outright with more variety available, and it doesn’t have a cord to worry about. But, an electric model can give you continuous and consistent pressing that is ideal for decorating with runny icing. It can also save you time if you have to make big batches of cookies.
Trigger
Some cookie presses offer a trigger-style compression system, and it’s perfect for releasing the correct amount of dough for a single cookie when you pull the trigger. These are usually much more friendly for beginners to help you get shapes that are roughly the same size because it measures out the dough for you. However, if you have weak hands, arthritis, or you want younger kids to help you, this trigger can be difficult to operate.
Budget
Your budget is another important factor to keep in mind as you shop, and cookie presses that have more items included like discs, sockets, and tips will usually cost more. However, they also usually offer a better durability rating with more usability. Starter or beginner cookie press sets are usually on the lower price spectrum, and they usually have very basic items included in the purchase. The materials also impact the price, so be prepared to pay more for a press with high-grade construction and materials because it’ll last.
Cookie Press FAQ
If you’re brand new to using one of these cookie presses, it’s not uncommon for you to have questions. We’ve picked out a few of the most frequently asked questions and answered them in one convenient place below for you.
1. What does a cookie press do?
A cookie press lets you choose the flavor, color, and shape of your spritz cookies when you make them. This is one of the easiest ways to make a broad range of designs, and you can use festive designs before topping them with sprinkles, sugars, nuts, and more.
2. Can you use store-bought cookie dough in a cookie press?
You can as long as you make sure that the cookie dough log is thin enough to fit inside your cookie press barrel. You can purchase premade cookie dough that is already in a log shape, and you want to avoid using cookie dough that has big chunks of nuts or chocolate in it. Instead, use a thinner spritz cookie or sugar cookie dough to prevent clogs.
3. How do you stop the dough from sticking to the press?
You never want to refrigerate the dough before you try to run it through a cookie press. The dough should be warm because it won’t stick to the pan if it isn’t tacky. If you need to soften up the dough and it’s already in the press, put it in a warm location for a few minutes.
4. What are a few reputable cookie press brands?
Ideally, you’ll buy your cookie press from a well-known brand, and a few of them include Wilton, OXO Good Grips, Marcato, Cuisinart, and Norpro.