Boomers Still Swear By This Old-School Baking Tool - Tasting Table

"When baking cookies, there is one particular old school kitchen tool that boomers love. This tool is none other a vintage cookie press. If you're not familiar with what it is, a cookie press is handheld gadget, perfect for making spritz and other retro Christmas cookies. It has a hollow tube that holds cookie dough, and a plunger that you use to push the dough through patterned disks. The result are fun-shaped cookies ready for baking."

"Cookie presses first gained popularity in America around the 1930s to 1940s. Around the '70s to '80s, a brand named Mirro sold aluminum cookie presses that were widely popular in American households. But, by the early 2000s, Mirro experienced setbacks and underwent new ownership. Today, the Mirro aluminum cookie press is now a vintage gadget. You can still purchase one these days, but expect to pay upwards of $100."

"So why exactly did the cookie press fall out of favor? See, vintage metal cookie presses only work with softer doughs and consist of multiple parts to clean after each use. They can be quite fussy when sticky dough gets trapped in crevices, and you can't just throw aluminum tools into a dishwasher. With modern, dishwasher-friendly tools that are easier-to-clean such as cookie molds, the vintage cookie press eventually lost its appeal in America."

Vintage metal cookie presses were widely used in America from the 1930s–1940s and enjoyed renewed popularity in the 1970s–1980s, notably through Mirro's aluminum models. Those presses work best with softer doughs and produce consistent, piped shapes like spritz cookies. Vintage models have multiple parts that trap sticky dough, cannot be dishwasher-cleaned, and require careful handwashing. Mirro declined by the early 2000s and its aluminum presses are now considered collectible, often selling for over $100. Modern, dishwasher-friendly cookie presses and molds are easier to clean and more versatile, causing many home bakers to favor newer tools while some keep vintage presses for nostalgia.

Read at Tasting Table