The delicious universe of flatbreads from all over the world can be experienced more easily, without as much work, when we’re using the best flatbread maker machines.
But no machine is ever going to enrich our world if we don’t experiment with the right recipes. Unless you’re one of the lucky ones who have recipes passed down through generations.
Just keep in mind that flatbreads are an entire universe of breads from around the world so, there’s no singular machine that can make them all. Just as there’s no singular cooking technique that can be used. Depending on the recipe, you’ll have to grill, fry, oven-bake, skillet-bake, steam.
Check out my reviews for the best waffle cone makers if you want to make your own ice cream cones. Once you’re done with your flatbread maker, a cooling dessert might be the perfect ending for a perfect meal.
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Best Flatbread Maker Machines Reviews
My reviews for the best flatbread maker machines cover different types of bakeware and cookware because there are different cooking techniques that you’ll have to use, depending on which recipe you want to make.
For example, is a tortilla press the same as a flat bread maker machine?
The answer is yes. When we’re talking about the best flat bread maker machines, we can definitely refer to tortilla presses. In addition, you can also use these machines for making roti, empanadas, quesadillas, arepas. They also work for gluten free flat breads.
But we’re also referring to so much more. We can talk about ovens, baking stones, a grill or cast-iron skillets.
1. Victoria 8 Inch Cast Iron Tortilla Press
This should be at the top of your shopping list for the best flatbread maker machines if you’re looking for a tortilla press.
You’ll also be able to make patacones, rotis, empanadas, quesadillas, and arepas. It definitely covers a lot of the flatbreads of the Americas. Moreover, it works for non-gluten and Paleo tortillas.
This tortilla press is made of cast iron and it definitely has an impressive look. I appreciate the sturdy feeling it gives.
The cast iron plates are engineered to avoid pinching. They’re also seasoned with 100% non-GMO vegetable flaxseed oil. You’ll have to read the instructions on use and care.
I must admit that I loved the fact that it’s made in Colombia, where they have manufactured their presses since 1986.
This manufacturer received some complains a few years back about the quality of some parts so, they made sure to reassure us that they improved the base and the handle for better resistance. I’m definitely happy to see that.
Overall, the price is quite good, quite cheap actually, considering that this tortilla press is meant to maybe last a lifetime.
Dimensions: 11.25 inches width and 11 inches depth. They also make a 10-inch model.
2. Presto Pizzazz Plus Rotation Oven
If you want one of the cheapest rotation ovens as one of the best flatbread maker machines, then look no further than the Presto Pizzazz.
You can make fresh thin-crust pizza, 7 to 12 inches pizzas. Or you even one loaded with toppings, it can handle both. It’s mainly for pizza and pita but you could also try it for focaccia or naan.
It works just like an oven, it has dual heating elements. The difference is that the nonstick tray is out in the open. Their is a rotating mechanism that ensure that the heating elements reach all sides, including the middle.
What I love is that for many people this has withstood the test of time, it still works perfectly after many years of us. That’s lovely to hear, especially when it comes to an appliance that it’s quite cheap.
You can separately control the heating elements. There’s also a timer. Plus, the tray is removable. If you don’t have much free space, this oven will fit in perfectly.
3. Wisco 421 Pizza Oven
If you’re more into making flatbreads like pizza, pita, naan, focaccia, fougasse or others like that, then when you’re looking for the best flatbread maker machines, you should actually look for the best pizza makers. Or what we know as a pizza oven.
This one from Wisco is actually one of most affordable ovens. It’s not for the outdoors. It’s actually a countertop oven that is perfect even for smaller spaces.
The Wisco 421 Pizza Oven offers a wide range of baking possibilities, even if its temperature only goes as high as 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 degrees C). That shouldn’t discourage you. It actually bakes very well because it has a really narrow baking chamber.
The heating elements are very close to what you’re baking, which is brilliant.
It also maintains constant temperatures.
You can get a pizza stone or a baking steel but you can also try it without.
4. Heritage Pizza Stone 15 Inch Ceramic Baking Stone
If you’re not looking to invest in a new oven because you already own a home oven that works perfectly, I want to recommend you something: get a pizza stone. Or a baking steel if you have a larger budget.
Basically, all the flatbreads recipe that instruct oven baking can be made on a baking stone.
You’ll have to preheat the baking stone so, make sure to make plenty so you don’t feel bad about using that much gas or electricity. You can even experiment with making different recipes during the same day and throw the most impressive party for your family or guests.
This one from Heritage is not the cheapest, that’s true. You’ll be able to find cordierite stones that are much more affordable, probably half the price. Which is surprising considering that cordierite is regarded as the more durable of the two.
However, the manufacturer reassures us of their durability by mentioning that theirs are cast from black ceramic and protected by heat resistant coating. The coating is also non-stick.
The interesting thing is that Heritage tells us that their stones can preheat twice as fast as the others. That’s a considerable advantage.
If you want something that absolutely has no risk of breaking in two, check out baking steels. They have become more popular, lately their prices have also decreased a bit.
The one thing you have to do before buying the stone is to make sure that it fits your oven. If you have a countertop oven, you might need 12-13 inches stones not something as big as this Heritage model.
5. Lodge Seasoned Cast-Iron Griddle, 10.5 Inch
Some flatbreads recipes require a cast-iron skillet. They’re not oven-baked but skillet-baked. I actually love these recipes, the cooking is done very fast. Plus, they’re absolutely delicious.
Quite a lot of recipes require the use of a skillet. Although, I’m quite sure that not a lot of people associate the words best flatbread maker machine with the best cast-iron skillets.
So, which recipes require this pan frying method?
They are for: pizza, lefse (Norwegian potato flatbread), blini (Russian pancakes), Scottish oatcakes, chapatti, dosa, papadum, roti, parathi, injera, tortillas, gorditas, pan fry bread, cornbread etc.
Lodge is just the manufacturer in everyone’s mind when it comes to buying the close-to-perfect cast iron skillets, pans or Dutch ovens. They’re also some of the most affordable, no matter what you’re looking for.
A review from one user named this Lodge Seasoned Cast-Iron Griddle as an awesome dosa pan. That’s definitely all that I need to know when I’m selecting the best flat bread maker machines.
It can be used to saute, sear, fry, bake, and stir fry. It works on all cooking surfaces, including grills and campfires.
However, pay attention to the size. A 10.5 inch pan is really not big at all.
If you want something a lot bigger, you should check out their 12 inches skillets. Or the absolutely amazing Lodge Baking Pan 14 Inch but it’s a lot more expensive.
Cast iron pans make people think that they’re difficult to maintain. They’re actually not, I recommend reading Lodge’s own guide on seasoning. I also talked about seasoning in my article on cast iron bread pans.
6. Big Horn Outdoors Wood Fired Pizza Maker
Do you want to know what qualifies as the most expensive best flatbread maker machine? That’s an outdoor pizza oven.
Frankly, this should only be considered by those who first and foremost love making pizza and they strive to recreate the quality that professionals offer us.
Pita or naan made in an outdoor pizza oven will make you fall in love with much more than pizzas.
The Big Horn actually works with wood pellets not with big chunks of wood. They’re more easy to use, the oven will preheat in about 18 minutes, but you’ll have to buy quite a lot of bags.
If you get the needed temperature, you’ll be able to bake a pizza in less than 2 minutes. That’s impressive for an outdoor oven that’s more on the affordable side.
If you’re baking in an outdoor oven, you might also want to get a pizza peel to handle baking without singing any hairs on your hands or arms. You’ll also need an infrared thermometer because each recipe requires its own different temperature.
What Are Flatbreads?
Flatbreads fall into 2 categories:
- those leavened with yeast or another agent (baking powder, baking soda)
- those that are unleavened
Those recipes that don’t require leavening agents are usually made with: flour, water, milk, yogurt, salt.
If we search online for what are flatbreads, we will get this kind of an answer: a flat, thin bread that is usually unleavened. That means that most of them are usually made with no yeast or no baking powder/baking soda.
Pita breads are made with yeast so, that’s one very famous exception. Moreover, pizza definitely belongs to this universe, although some would say that there are differences between them. That’s another even more famous exception. We can place focaccia in there, too.
We can make them as thin as a crepe or bake them to be cut into 2-inch thick slices.
If we read the introduction to 500 Pizzas & Flatbreads by Rebecca Baugniet, we will discover that flatbreads have existed as long as humans have been grinding grains and mixing that flour with water, baking the mix over hot coals.
So, these are the world’s oldest breads.
For just as long, some of these peoples have made them more delicious by covering them with other ingredients. The book claims that it is the oldest variety of prepared food, that appears all over the globe, with its different shapes and textures.
The Most Famous Flatbreads
Well, what better way to exactly say what they are and to show you how vast their universe is than by enumerating some of the most famous flatbreads from around the world.
The most popular ones are:
- pizza
- pita
- focaccia
- fougasse
- naan
- chapatti
- papdum
- roti
- parathi
- dosa
- injera
- chapatti
- tortillas
- pan fry bread
- gorditas
- arepas
- cornbread
Apple turnovers can also be made with a flatbread dough, made from flour, salt, and water. You can use hard flour, whole wheat or white, but all purpose also works. You’ll need no oil or any difficult pastry dough. Plus, you can replace apples with any other preferred fruit. For this sweet recipe, you actually need baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
These examples show us that any grain works: wheat, rye, corn, oats, sorghum, rice, millet, buckwheat, teff. They can also be made from lentils or urad beans or chickpea or potatoes. That’s why they can be perfectly integrated in a gluten-free diet.
Will a single best flatbread maker machine work for making all these varieties? Absolutely not. Each recipe will have different instructions.
Some will have to be rolled by hand or with a rolling pin. Just a few can be made with a press.
Some will have to be fried, others baked in an oven, for some you have to use a skillet or the grill, others will be made by steaming them.
In some cases, a very good rolling pin, our hands, an oven, a skillet, a tortilla press, etc. are the necessary tools to assist or be the best flatbread maker machines.
