Victoria is the name most cooks run into first when they look for a tortilla press. The Colombian maker has made cast iron cookware in its own factories since 1939, its 8-inch press turns up in nearly every equipment review, and on Amazon it sells several presses that look almost identical in the photos: a traditional 8-inch, an 8-inch “HD”, and a 10-inch HD.
They are not the same press. They differ in weight, iron, hardware and care instructions, and the differences decide which one suits your kitchen. This review sets out what Victoria itself says about each model, what published reviewers found, where the presses fall short, and which one we would point most home cooks to.
Julia’s earns a commission on purchases made through links on this page, at no cost to you. Recommendations are based on what a working Mexican kitchen looks for in a tortilla press, the maker’s own specifications and published equipment reviews, which we cite. We have not used these presses ourselves.
Quick verdict: which Victoria press to buy
For most home cooks making corn tortillas, buy the Victoria 8-inch Traditional Cast Iron Tortilla Press (model TOR-003). It is the heaviest of Victoria’s 8-inch presses, the model America’s Test Kitchen named its best buy, and the right size for taco and table tortillas. Choose the 8-inch HD if you want a lighter press (5.9 pounds) with stainless steel hinge pins, and the 10-inch HD if you make large tortillas or press flour dough.
Below: how the three models differ, the full review of the traditional press, its strengths and drawbacks, and what to buy if a Victoria is not right for you.
Victoria’s tortilla presses, model by model
Victoria’s own store lists four cast iron presses: an 8-inch press with no “HD” label, the 8-inch and 10-inch HD presses, and a 6.5-inch press that was sold out when we checked. The three on Amazon are the ones most cooks will choose between. Here is what Victoria and the Amazon listings state for each.
| Detail | 8-inch Traditional | 8-inch HD | 10-inch HD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | TOR-003 | 8″ HD Spherrous Iron | TOR-010 |
| Iron | Traditional gray cast iron | “Spherrous” cast iron | “Spherrous” cast iron |
| Weight (Victoria) | 8.9 lb | 5.9 lb | 9.3 lb |
| Size | 8 x 8 x 3.1 in | 8 in; 9.45 in hinge to hinge | 10 in; 12.2 in hinge to hinge |
| Hinge pins | Not stated; extra screw included | Stainless steel; extra lever screw | Stainless steel |
| Seasoning | Three layers of kosher-certified, non-GMO flaxseed oil; no PTFE, PFAS or paint | ||
| Made in | Colombia | ||
What “HD” means. Victoria calls the HD presses “Spherrous” cast iron and says it resists bending and breaking, with a reinforced design, engineered plates that avoid pinching, and an improved base and handle. Victoria does not explain what Spherrous iron is, and we have not found an independent description. The practical difference you can measure is weight: the 8-inch HD is three pounds lighter than the traditional 8-inch, by Victoria’s own figures. Breadtopia, which sells the 10-inch HD, also says the HD iron is lighter than the original press.
Which size. A press makes a tortilla a little smaller than its plates, so an 8-inch press gives you every common corn tortilla size with room to spare. America’s Test Kitchen preferred plates at least 8 inches wide, “but the wider, the better”, and a 10-inch plate is the one to choose for flour dough or large rounds. If you are pressing mostly flour tortillas, our guide to the best tortilla press for flour tortillas explains why size matters more for wheat.
Victoria tortilla press review: the 8-inch Traditional
This is the press we recommend for most kitchens, and the same one that heads our guides to the best tortilla press and tortilla making tools.
1. Victoria 8-inch Traditional Cast Iron Tortilla Press – Heavy Plates, Classic Size
The traditional 8-inch is the Victoria press most people mean when they say “a Victoria”: a heavy round base, a matching top plate and a lever that folds down over it. Victoria lists it at 8.9 pounds, and America’s Test Kitchen weighed the same model (TOR-003) at just under eight pounds; either way it is the heaviest of Victoria’s 8-inch presses, and weight is what lets the press do the work. Close it on a ball of masa, press the lever with a steady hand, and the plates flatten the dough evenly.
Victoria describes a reinforced design with engineered flat plates that prevent pinching and an ergonomic handle. America’s Test Kitchen measured a 10-inch handle that lies fairly flat, which makes the press easy to store, and Victoria says it has a smaller footprint than wood or steel presses. The finish is gray cast iron seasoned with three layers of non-GMO, kosher-certified flaxseed oil, made without PTFE or PFAS, and an extra screw comes in the box.
Because the iron is bare, care matters. Victoria’s instructions for this press are to wipe it with a damp cloth after each use, not to submerge it, to avoid soap and abrasive cleaners, and to oil it lightly as needed. The Amazon listing adds that it should never be air dried or put in a dishwasher. Use thin plastic liners for fresh masa, which sticks to iron.
Why we like it
- Heaviest of Victoria’s 8-inch presses
- America’s Test Kitchen’s best buy among tortilla presses
- Flat plates engineered to prevent pinching, according to Victoria
- Flaxseed-oil seasoning, no PTFE, PFAS or paint
- Made in Colombia; limited lifetime warranty on the listing
Key specifications
| Model | TOR-003 |
|---|---|
| Plate size | 8 inches; 8 x 8 x 3.1 in overall |
| Weight | 8.9 lb (Victoria); just under 8 lb (America’s Test Kitchen) |
| Material | Traditional gray cast iron |
| Finish | Three layers of flaxseed oil; no PTFE, PFAS or paint |
| Handle | About 10 inches; extra screw included |
| Made in | Colombia |
| Care | Wipe with a damp cloth; no soaking, soap or dishwasher; oil lightly |
Why we recommend it
It suits anyone who makes corn tortillas regularly and wants one press that will last: heavy enough to press evenly with little effort, the standard size for tacos and enchiladas, and compact enough to keep in a drawer.
Skip it if lifting an eight-pound press is a struggle or you will not dry and oil bare iron; the 8-inch HD is lighter and an aluminum press never rusts.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Heavy, so it presses evenly
- Compact, low handle
- No synthetic coating
- Long-established maker
Cons
- Rusts if left wet
- Heavy to lift
- Pressing too hard can give uneven tortillas
- No liners in the box
Where Victoria presses do well
Weight where it counts. America’s Test Kitchen’s central finding was that a press needs “enough weight to produce an evenly thin tortilla”; its two aluminum presses were too light to press evenly. All three Victoria models are cast iron, and the traditional 8-inch and 10-inch HD both weigh around nine pounds by Victoria’s figures.
Flat plates and a sound hinge. A press whose top plate tilts as it closes makes tortillas thicker on one side. Victoria makes a point of plates engineered to prevent pinching on every model, includes a spare screw for the lever, and on the HD presses uses stainless steel hinge pins, which will not rust when you wipe the press down.
A maker that publishes its numbers. Victoria gives weights and dimensions for each press on its own site, which most press makers on Amazon do not. That makes it easy to compare models before you buy.
Plain seasoning. The presses come seasoned with flaxseed oil rather than a paint or powder coating, so the surface can be re-oiled at home for as long as you own it.
Made by the maker. Victoria says it makes its cast iron in its own factories in Colombia and has done since 1939, and both the Amazon listings and Victoria’s site say the presses are made there.
Drawbacks to weigh before you buy
Bare iron rusts. This is the trade-off for a natural finish. Leave a Victoria press wet in a dish rack and it will show orange spots. The fix is easy (dry it at once, keep a thin film of oil on it, store it away from steam), but if you know you will not do it, an aluminum or enameled press is the honest choice.
Care instructions differ by model. Victoria’s page for the traditional press says to wipe it with a damp cloth, never submerge it and avoid soap. Its HD pages say you may wash a very dirty press with warm water and a dish brush, then rinse, dry and oil it. Follow the card that comes with your press; for any of them, dry it straight away and never put it in the dishwasher.
Technique still matters. America’s Test Kitchen found that pressing too hard on the Victoria’s handle occasionally gave tortillas of uneven thickness, and that results improved once testers got the hang of it. Press firmly, not forcefully, and turn the masa and press again if one side comes out thick.
Weight cuts both ways. An eight- or nine-pound press is easy to use and harder to lift down from a high shelf. Reviewed’s tester noted that the 8-inch Victoria weighs more than eight pounds and is harder to clean than an aluminum press.
Confusing listings. Victoria’s own page for the traditional 8-inch press includes copy written for its 6.5-inch press, and on Amazon at least one aluminum press from another brand puts “Victoria Cast Iron Tortilla Press” in its title. Check that the brand is Victoria and the listing says cast iron before you buy.
No liners in the box. Victoria lists an extra screw and care instructions but no liners. You will need thin plastic, cut from a produce or bread bag, or a set of reusable press liners.
What published reviewers report
America’s Test Kitchen reviewed tortilla presses and named the Victoria 8-inch press (model TOR-003, the traditional) its best buy. Its testers wrote that the press was “made of hefty yet smooth cast iron” with “a heavy top plate that easily anchored dough balls in place”, that “its wide plates ensured that no dough squeezed out its sides”, and that the handle slid easily and lay fairly flat for storage. Its reservation was the uneven thickness when pressed too hard. The overall winner was Masienda’s steel Doña Rosa press, which America’s Test Kitchen found heavier, with slightly wider plates and a longer handle, but bulkier to store.
Reviewed named the Victoria 8-inch cast iron press its best overall tortilla press. Its tester, Lindsay D. Mattison, a professional chef, found that it pressed uniform tortillas without moving on the counter, and quickly, with tortillas “so perfectly flat and consistent” she would serve them in a restaurant. Her cautions were the weight and the extra cleaning cast iron needs; she suggested pressing between plastic wrap and wiping the press dry to prevent rust.
Both reviews covered Victoria’s 8-inch press. We did not find a published review that compares the traditional and HD versions side by side, so what we say about the HD models comes from Victoria’s specifications rather than reviewers’ findings.
Alternatives to a Victoria press
If a Victoria does not suit you, these are the presses we would look at instead. Each is covered in more detail in our other guides.
- Lighter and rust-free: the IMUSA 8-inch cast aluminum press. It never needs oiling and is easy to lift, but America’s Test Kitchen found aluminum too light to press evenly, so expect to press harder or twice. Our aluminum vs cast iron tortilla press comparison sets out the trade-off.
- Cast iron without the oiling: the Verve Culture 6.5-inch enameled press, made in Mexico from recycled iron and sealed with enamel that the maker says prevents rust. It makes small street-taco tortillas only. It is reviewed in our guide to the best cast iron tortilla press.
- More weight and width: the ARC 10-inch cast iron press, which ARC lists at 18.25 pounds, with non-slip feet and parchment in the box. It is in our tortilla press guide.
America’s Test Kitchen’s top pick, Masienda’s Doña Rosa press, was not sold on Amazon when we checked, which is why it is not linked here.
Our verdict after this Victoria tortilla press review
Victoria makes the tortilla press we would send most home cooks to. Buy the 8-inch Traditional if you want one press for corn tortillas: it is the heaviest of the 8-inch models, the version America’s Test Kitchen rated its best buy, and it stores flat. Buy the 8-inch HD if you would rather lift three pounds less and like the stainless steel pins; it is the top pick in our cast iron guide for its clear specifications. Buy the 10-inch HD for large tortillas, flour dough or pressing for a crowd.
Whichever you choose, the habits are the same: thin liners, a firm and steady press, dry it right away, and a thin film of oil before it goes back in the cupboard.
Victoria press questions, answered
What is the difference between the Victoria traditional and HD tortilla press?
The traditional 8-inch is gray cast iron and weighs 8.9 pounds, according to Victoria. The 8-inch HD is made of what Victoria calls Spherrous iron, which it says resists bending and breaking; it weighs 5.9 pounds and has stainless steel hinge pins. Both are seasoned with flaxseed oil and made in Colombia.
Is the Victoria tortilla press good for flour tortillas?
It can press flour dough, and Victoria says so, but wheat dough springs back, so you will often finish with a rolling pin. If you make mostly flour tortillas, the 10-inch HD gives you more room.
Does a Victoria tortilla press need seasoning?
It arrives pre-seasoned with three layers of flaxseed oil. Victoria advises wiping it before first use and oiling it lightly as needed to maintain the seasoning.
Can a Victoria tortilla press go in the dishwasher?
No. The listing says it should never be put in a dishwasher or left to air dry. Wipe it clean, dry it and oil it lightly.
Do I need liners with a Victoria press?
Yes, for corn masa. Fresh masa sticks to iron, so press it between two pieces of thin plastic, such as a cut produce bag, or reusable liners like Masienda’s press liners, which can be trimmed to fit a Victoria.
For the rest of the kit, see our guide to tortilla making tools, and to cook what you press, the best comal for tortillas. And if tonight is not a tortilla-making night, see the menu or call to order.