The history of flat bread goes back centuries and various cultures have created their own distinct variations on this theme. Experiencing warm, fresh flat bread, whether it's a soft tortilla, an Indian chapati, or a Chinese moo shoo, offers a very primal satisfaction. This appliance allows you to make your own flat bread very simply and easily, with a minimum of fuss, and a maximum of pleasure.
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: I'm GLUTEN FREE and won't live without one! Comment: I bought my first VillaWare Tortilla maker almost ten years ago. My daughter and I are gluten free (no wheat allowed) so we really missed a soft flour tortilla and wanted to make our own. This press works great! It did take me a few trials to get both the technique and recipe down. I've been using it daily to make my daughter a fresh tortilla sandwich wrap every morning for her school lunch. We also use them for tacos, fajitas, egg salad, salmon salad, chicken salad, sloppy joes, deli sandwiches, and even pizza roll ups. Unfortunately, the plastic parts of my press have broken off. First in the front and now in the back. So, I'm having to purchase a new one. I will be more careful with the next one not to press on those parts, although I have gotten so much use out of this one I can't complain too loudly. I'm not sure if there is a warranty on the plastic, but I've long ago lost any of my paperwork.
Gluten Free Wrap
2 cups rice flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1 cup potato starch flour
1 tsp. guar gum
4 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. dry milk powder
2 cups warm water
I generally mix up just the dry ingredients and store it in an airtight container. When I want to make tortillas I figure on 1/4 cup dry mix per tortilla, with half as much water, plus a little more as needed. The above recipe will make approximately 16 tortillas, but I often make just one tortilla at a time. The thinner the batter, the thinner and more pliable the wrap. The batter shouldn't pour, but works best if not too stiff a dough. Experiment until you get it right. A tortilla keeper is a must for keeping soft tortillas, otherwise cover with a cloth at least five minutes. They soften as they sit. I do spray the non-stick surface with a spray oil at the beginning and as needed throughout if making a whole batch. I use a 2 inch scooper to measure just the right amount of dough. LOVE IT!!!
Customer Rating: Summary: EXCELLENT Machine!!! Comment: My husband bought me the tortilla press for Christmas and I am thrilled with it! I followed the directions and it works beautifully. The negative reviews primarily come from people who do not follow instructions very well. I have had beautiful results and can now make tortilla shells whenever my family wants! I plan to try other flat bread recipes next and can't wait! Customer Rating: Summary: Good product Comment: It creates good well rounded tortillas (chapatis) very quickly and efficiently. However, they don't roast properly on the maker itself, so I have to roast them separately on another skillet. Customer Rating: Summary: Definitely not what I thought Comment: I was able to make tortillas with this but the insides of them were very tough. The outside was fine but the inside was like plasti-rubber. The quality of the product construction and materials is not that great due to using plastic where ever possible. After a few uses, one of the plastic tabs used to apply the initial pressing pressure has become loose. I fear this will break soon. Customer Rating: Summary: Very convenient, but lacking authenticity Comment: The tortilla press is really great to have and the quality is quite good. The only bummer is that our whole wheat tortillas seem to be lacking that blistered effect,and they are a little more "spongy"... almost like the press needs to get hotter! We will keep it and use it often, but I am sure we will resort to our cast iron cooking technique when we want a more authentic effect.
