#Vintage #Cookie #Press #Baking #Nostalgia #WorthPoint
Baking cookies often leaves behind a joyous mess and happy memories. It’s also why vintage cookie presses, with their nostalgic charm, are currently in demand among collectors and culinary enthusiasts determined to bring out a tray of treats almost too pretty to eat.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, families in lockdown sought solace in the past, sparking a mild surge in demand for vintage cookie presses. A brief analysis of the Worthpoint Price Guide reveals how the prices of these once-affordable pieces increased, with some—namely Sveico cookie presses—selling for over $100. While prices have stabilized, interest in these manual and electric kitchen gadgets remains strong as we enter another holiday season, celebrating family, friends, and food.
What Is a Cookie Press?
A cookie press, often called a cookie gun or pastry press, is a kitchen gadget for making cookies and appetizers. Vintage models are likely aluminum or stainless steel and feature a hollow tube and a plunger that forces the cookie dough through a decorative disc inserted into the other end.
Most presses stand independently, making it easy to “spritz” (the German word for “squirt”) the treats uniformly onto the baking sheet using a twist, crank, or ratchet mechanism to force the dough through the tube. Later models are often electric and made primarily of plastic. These devices are all separate from stoneware cookie molds and stamps that make an intricate imprint on the dough.
Collecting Cookie Presses
While today’s vintage market features many brands, Mirro, Sveico, Nordic Ware, Sears, Montgomery Ward, and WearEver are probably the most recognizable. These companies became early sales leaders in cooking and baking gear, including bundt pans, cookie stamps, and cookie cutters.
Many presses from the 1960s and 70s were made with better materials, so, as a reseller, finding one in decent condition is a personal bonus. The priciest vintage guns tend to be the stainless steel models, especially Sveico. I noticed that in the Worthpoint Pride Guide, these Swedish-made presses sold for up to $800 in 2018, but closer to 2021, the prices fell between $140-$150. Meanwhile, electric presses from Mirro to Nordic Ware and WearEver have remained steady over the last few years. They’re priced around $20 for used sets with minor wear to $60 for a complete set with the original box.
Considering most of these gadgets appeared primarily during the holidays, you can find quite a few in good condition with their original packaging, accessories, and user manuals.
Here are a few to keep on your radar:
Antique Cookie Gun
The precursor to today’s cookie press was the antique cookie gun, made of a tin tube and a wooden piston or plunger. I have also heard dealers of primitive antiques call them “wood spritzers.” If you use one of these, ensure your dough is slightly firm and thoroughly clean the tube and piston when you’re done.
Nordic Ware Cookie King
Nordic Ware’s Cookie King press was manufactured in the 1960s to tap into Minnesota’s sizeable Scandinavian population. With a warm copper finish and colored hand crank, this aluminum tool was a champ at making spritzgebäck, a traditional Scandinavian Christmas cookie.
Mirro Cooky & Pastry Press
The Mirro Aluminum Company of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, manufactured the sturdy and compact “cooky and pastry press” that became popular in the 1960s. Some presses have a side handle, while others do not. They all usually come with a hopefully complete set of aluminum stencil discs. The “Dial A Cookie” model features larger stencils, each with four designs that turn like a dial. While the Mirro brand still exists, the company stopped making the presses by the early 1970s.
WearEver Cookie Press
WearEver is one of the most popular brands, as the manual aluminum cookie press is just as nifty as its packaging. As Jessica of the Penn Polly Vintage blog wrote, ” I love a good WearEver Cookie press in a pretty pink vintage box.”
Additionally, vintage electric cookie guns, like the WearEver Super Shooter, Montgomery Ward’s Party Pistol, and the Sears Fun Gun, are all still steady sellers.
Reselling Vintage Cookie Presses
As a reseller, remember that even if a cookie press doesn’t work, the parts, like the plungers, hardware, manuals, and stencil discs, are still sellable on the secondary market. Original user manuals can sell for between $8 and $10. It may not sound like much, but those pieces eventually add up.
Also, non-working electric cookie guns can often be rewired if you have the know-how. I left that task up to my partner Dave, who handily repaired the wiring on a vintage WearEver Super Shooter cookie gun, and we sold it within hours in our eBay shop. However, if you can’t find someone to fix your electric gun, check if you live near a local Repair Cafe where experienced volunteers repair everyday items free of charge, although a small financial donation is always appreciated. You can also check their online repair guides.
Whether you’re a seller or collector, checking out vintage cookie presses on your next thrifting excursion is worthwhile because the early pieces are no longer made and will eventually become more scarce.
Take it from the nameless culinary blogger at Innovative Sugarworks, who gushed over the longevity of vintage presses. “Modern presses use a little different design and all the ones I’ve seen have at least some component of plastic to them,” she wrote. “Maybe I’m just a stodgy old curmudgeon, but I just can’t imagine the new presses I’ve seen lasting 40-plus years.”
Between excursions to hunt for antiques and vintage décor, Lynda Houston is busy restoring her 1950s cottage in Cincinnati, Ohio. She and her partner, Dave Beck, operate TheRustInPeaceShop on Etsy.
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