Our Cuppone Heated Press is one of our most popular items of catering equipment and with very good reason- the Press flattens doughballs to consistently perfect shapes in seconds, taking over the arduous task of hand stretching from busy chefs without ever calling in sick. This powerful piece of equipment can press 400 products in just one hour and can even save you a whopping 62% on labour costs!

If you take care of your Heated Press, it will be the most reliable employee you ever took on. But, forgetting certain best practices can cause sticky situations- usually, sticky plates!

We have used our most frequently asked questions about the Press to compile 5 top tips which will help you get the absolute most out of your investment in this equipment.

• Oil the plates before turning on the Press

Before the machine has been turned on, splash a drop of olive oil onto a piece of kitchen towel and wipe the Press’ plates over with it. Failing to do this could result in your dough sticking to the plates- ‘Dough’ indeed! Note well- do not do this when the plates are hot! Burned fingers are no fun in the middle of a busy service.

2. Slightly increase the temperature of the plates at busier times

We generally recommend that the plate’s optimum temperature for pressing is 150 degrees Celsius. However, during busy periods when you are pressing lots of lots of dough balls in quick succession, the cooler temperature of the dough can cause the plates to lose heat. To counteract this, you can increase the temperature of both plates equally by about 10 or 20 degrees to maintain the optimum pressing temperature. Again, this will ensure that the dough does not stick to the plates and leave you with an avoidable mess!

3. Wait till your dough balls are room temperature before pressing

If you press a dough ball that is too cold or hasn’t been proved then the product will shrink after it has been pressed, leaving your customers wondering why they were served a small when they ordered a large! Wait till your dough balls have reached room temperature (12/13 degrees) and are well proved before pressing.

4. Cover your dough balls in flour before pressing

Less of a tip, more of a must! Before you press your dough ball, it is vital that you cover it completely with flour. Failing to do this results in, you guessed it- a sticky situation all over your plates!

5. Use just two fingers to press the guard

Use just two fingers to gently press the guard down during operation. Slamming down the guard with your full fist time after time after time will put too much strain on the machine and could result in breakages. Be kind to your Press!

Follow these 5 simple tips to get the absolute most out of your Press and keep it powering your kitchen to success for years to come!