Cookie Press: 3 Picks for Beautiful Spritz & Christmas Cookies

A tray of buttery spritz cookies should feel like a small holiday victory—not an afternoon spent prying dough off a stubborn disk. The right cookie press helps you shape trees, wreaths, and flowers without rolling dough or cutting each cookie individually. But a comfortable handle is only half the equation: your recipe and baking sheet matter, too. This guide compares three options for different baking routines and explains how to get cleaner shapes, easier release, and fewer frustrating batches.

A cookie press pushes soft dough through a patterned disk to make uniform cookies. Our first choice for most home bakers is the OXO Good Grips; consider Wilton Simple Success for occasional holiday batches or Marcato for more designs and adjustable portions. For successful spritz cookies, start with a press-specific recipe and a cool, ungreased baking sheet.

Cookie press	Best fit	Main trade-off
OXO Good Grips	Everyday starting point; 12 stainless steel disks and a storage case	Clear barrel rather than a metal body
Wilton Simple Success	Occasional baking; 12 disks and a visible dough supply	Basic design; compare its price against OXO
Marcato Biscuits / Atlas	Frequent baking; 20 shapes and two portion settings	Opaque barrel; extra features may be unnecessary

Check the selected model, seller, included accessories, and delivery date before ordering. Marcato listings may use different naming across versions and colors.

We compared manufacturer specifications, operating instructions, Amazon listings, and independently published testing. Our priorities are straightforward: manageable operation, useful designs, clear cleaning instructions, and a sensible match for how often you bake.

Serious Eats tested seven cookie presses, selecting OXO as its overall favorite, Marcato as its premium option, and Wilton Simple Success as its budget pick. Those are the publication’s findings; the recommendations below also consider which features are worth paying for in an ordinary home kitchen.

The Amazon pages retrieved for this guide showed thousands of ratings for all three models. That gives shoppers a larger pool of feedback to examine, but a star average does not tell you whether a handle fits your hand or whether a reviewer used suitable dough. Read recent feedback for the exact variation you plan to buy.

The OXO Good Grips cookie press makes sense as a first purchase because its features address everyday inconveniences. A transparent barrel shows the remaining dough, while the nonslip base helps position the press. Its lever mechanism, 12 stainless steel disks, and separate disk case are documented in OXO’s instruction booklet.

The storage case is easy to underestimate. Small patterned disks are awkward loose-drawer items, and replacing a missing favorite shape can be more annoying than cleaning the press itself. Keeping the set together makes next December’s first batch easier to organize.

Choose OXO if you want one spritz cookie press for family baking without committing to a larger collection of designs. The visible dough level is particularly useful when learning how much a barrel holds and when to refill.

What to consider: Metal disks do not mean the whole tool is metal. If a metal barrel is your priority, compare Marcato. You should also check the included shapes before buying separate holiday accessories.

Best match: A beginner or regular home baker who values visibility, organized storage, and a straightforward feature set.

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Real photo of the OXO Good Grips 14-Piece Cookie Press Set with freshly pressed spritz cookie dough on two baking sheets.

The Wilton Simple Success cookie press is worth comparing when you want a dedicated Christmas cookie press for a few baking sessions rather than a year-round hobby.

Wilton’s product page describes a clear barrel, an ergonomic handle with a soft-touch trigger, and 12 disks. Its assortment includes seasonal designs alongside everyday patterns, so there is room to experiment without buying accessories immediately.

For an occasional baker, the purchasing decision is mostly about the price gap. If Wilton costs substantially less than OXO when you shop, it can be a reasonable introduction to pressed cookies. If their prices are close, consider whether OXO’s metal disks and storage case better match your plans.

What to consider: Buy the exact model described here. Wilton Simple Success and Wilton Preferred Press are different product names; reviews, materials, and accessories should not be treated as interchangeable.

This is also a purchase to make before the day you need several dozen gift-box cookies. Leave time to learn the loading process and try a small batch with the recipe you intend to use.

Best match: Someone testing whether spritz baking will become a regular tradition.

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Real photo of the Wilton Simple Success Cookie Press with Discs, 13-Piece, showing the clear barrel, purple handle, and 12 patterned discs.

The Marcato cookie press deserves a place on the shortlist if you already enjoy pressed cookies and want more control over the assortment.

Marcato USA lists 20 shapes and two cookie sizes, along with an anodized aluminum body and steel and ABS components. It is a metal-bodied option, not an entirely plastic-free tool.

The extra designs give frequent bakers more variety, while the two portion settings let you change the amount of dough dispensed. That flexibility is useful when planning smaller cookies for a mixed dessert box or a more substantial cookie to serve with coffee. Test the chosen setting with your recipe before filling every baking sheet.

What to consider: The opaque barrel does not offer the same at-a-glance dough visibility as OXO or Wilton. More disks also create more pieces to organize. If you normally use only a tree and a wreath, the broader assortment may add little value.

Choose this model for features you will actually use, rather than assuming a metal body guarantees better cookies. Recipe consistency and technique still determine how neatly the dough releases.

Best match: A frequent baker who wants a metal body, more patterns, and adjustable portions.

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Photo collage of the red Marcato Biscuit Cookie Press Design Line on a kitchen counter alongside assorted baked spritz cookies.

Prioritize the Handle Over the Accessory Count

A kit with dozens of attachments can look appealing online. Before counting shapes, look at how the press is held and operated. Can you steady it comfortably while working the mechanism? Are there clear loading and release instructions?

For gift shopping, think about the recipient’s preferred tools. Someone who dislikes assembling gadgets may appreciate a simpler set more than an elaborate decorating bundle. If grip comfort is a concern, a return option is valuable because product photos cannot establish personal comfort.

Compare the Designs You Will Actually Use

For holiday trays, a few recognizable shapes can provide plenty of variety. Different dough colors and finishing decorations may matter more than another dozen disks.

Check the accessories pictured for the exact listing. A “14-piece set” does not necessarily contain 14 shape disks: the press and storage case may count toward the total. Do not assume disks from different brands will fit each other.

Match the Tool to the Job

A spritz cookie maker shapes individual cookies; it does not bake them. A pizzelle maker cooks thin patterned cookies between heated plates and belongs to a different category.

Likewise, a pastry bag is useful for piping suitable mixtures, but it is not a direct replacement for every disk pattern. Buy the tool for the cookies you want to make instead of collecting attachments for unrelated tasks.

Consider Manual Versus Electric Carefully

An electric cookie press may appeal to someone who wants powered dispensing, but power alone does not establish ease of use. Compare the specific model’s weight, controls, cleaning process, and replacement-part support.

The three options here are manual. For a few seasonal batches, that keeps the purchasing decision focused on the handle, disks, and dough instead of batteries or a motor.

Start With a Recipe Written for Pressed Cookies

A favorite drop-cookie recipe is not automatically suitable for a cookie dough press. Begin with a recipe intended for spritz or another pressed cookie, and follow its ingredient measurements and temperature instructions.

King Arthur Baking’s Fiori di Sicilia spritz recipe is one example of a recipe with explicit press instructions. Using an established recipe gives you a consistent starting point before experimenting with flavors or substitutions.

For repeatable measurements, use the recipe’s gram weights when provided. Our digital kitchen scale comparison covers options for weighing baking ingredients.

Prepare the Dough Before Loading

Aim for a mixture that moves through the disk without excessive pressure and retains a recognizable pattern afterward. Follow the recipe rather than a universal rule about chilling: some formulas are designed for room-temperature use, while others include refrigeration.

A hand mixer for baking can help prepare the mixture. If you routinely make larger quantities, compare stand mixer features for home bakers before deciding whether to upgrade your mixing setup.

Load, Prime, and Test a Few Shapes

Follow the model’s assembly directions, seat the selected disk securely, and load the barrel. Prime the mechanism until dough reaches the opening consistently.

Rest the base against a cool, ungreased sheet rather than suspending it above the surface. Dispense a portion, then lift the tool away. OXO’s instructions note that the first cookie may be uneven; treat the first few shapes as setup rather than a reason to abandon the batch.

Keep your first trial simple: one dough, one disk, one portion setting. If you change all three together, it becomes harder to identify what caused a problem.

Check a Small Batch Before Scaling Up

Bake a few cookies using the recipe’s directions and examine the cooled result. Are the shapes recognizable? Is the size suitable for your serving plan? Does the texture match what you wanted?

Record the disk and setting that worked. That small note is more useful next time than relying on memory after a year between holiday baking sessions.

The Dough Stays on the Disk

Check the sheet before changing the recipe. A slippery surface can prevent the dough from catching. Nordic Ware’s spritz guidance recommends a cool natural aluminum sheet and warns that parchment and nonstick pans can interfere with release.

Pan recommendations differ across manufacturers, so use your press instructions first. If release remains unreliable, an unlined aluminum sheet is a useful troubleshooting option.

The Handle Is Too Hard to Press

Stop rather than forcing the mechanism. Check the assembly and whether the dough is too stiff. Nordic Ware advises letting overly firm dough stand briefly at room temperature and adjusting its temperature as needed.

Change one variable at a time. Adding liquid immediately can create a second problem without resolving an assembly issue.

The Shapes Look Blurry or Slump

Very soft dough may need a brief chill. Wilton’s cookie press instructions explain that overly warm dough can lose its shape and suggest short refrigeration when necessary.

If the unbaked shape looks good but spreads in the oven, revisit the recipe, measurements, and sheet temperature. A more expensive press cannot compensate for a mixture that behaves differently during baking.

Portions Are Uneven

Check whether the mechanism has been primed and whether you are completing each press consistently. Make sure the base stays level against the tray. With an adjustable model, confirm the setting has not changed between batches.

Photograph one successful unbaked cookie as a reference. It gives you something concrete to compare against when switching disks or refilling the barrel.

Disassemble the tool according to its manual and remove dough before it dries in the patterned openings. Use the cleaning method specified for each component; dishwasher permission for a disk does not mean the complete mechanism is dishwasher-safe.

Dry the parts fully before reassembly and storage. Keep disks, instructions, and any small fittings together. A labeled container also makes it easier to avoid mixing accessories from two different presses.

OXO Good Grips is our starting recommendation because it combines a visible dough supply with organized disk storage. Wilton Simple Success is worth comparing if you are trying spritz baking for the first time and its current price is meaningfully lower.

Do not assume it will work. Wilton specifically advises against refrigerated or ordinary sugar-cookie dough in its presses because stiff dough can cause problems. Start with a recipe intended for your tool rather than trying to force a packaged dough through it.

Should Spritz Dough Be Chilled Before Pressing?

Follow the recipe. There is no single chilling schedule for every formula. If the mixture is too stiff to dispense, it may need to soften; if it cannot retain a pattern, a short chill may help.

Can You Use Parchment Paper for Spritz Cookies?

It can interfere with adhesion during pressing. If the dough lifts away with the disk, try a cool, ungreased, unlined sheet that is compatible with your manufacturer’s instructions.

Not automatically. A metal body may suit your material preference, while a transparent barrel makes dough levels visible. Compare the mechanism, included disks, cleaning requirements, and ease of handling before choosing based on material alone.

Can You Make Spritz Cookies Without a Press?

Yes, although the appearance will change. King Arthur’s linked recipe includes an alternative for dropping small portions onto the sheet. That lets you try the flavor before deciding whether decorative pressed shapes justify another kitchen tool.

Start with OXO Good Grips if you want a practical balance of features. Choose Wilton Simple Success when occasional use and a favorable price gap matter most. Pick Marcato when more designs and adjustable portions fit an established baking habit.

Whichever you choose, plan a practice batch before the holiday rush. Learning one reliable dough-and-disk combination will do more for your cookie trays than buying the largest accessory set.

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Cookie Press: 3 Picks for Beautiful Spritz & Christmas Cookies

Prioritize the Handle Over the Accessory Count