When pressed, they respond

It’s hard to improve on the efficiency of the hand-held cookie press, that old-fashioned gadget that looks like some kind of culinary caulking gun and gets hauled out at this time of year, when we’re madly turning out big batches of cookies.

Yet manufacturers continue to tweak the design and add accessories. Today it’s possible to find a cookie press that can be used for filling doughnuts, piping icing or forming fancy cheese straws. Not bad ideas, but how well do the updated versions perform the task at hand?

The Times Test Kitchen put four presses to the test, from a no-frills basic model to a futuristic, battery-operated marvel. Using our cardamom spritz cookie dough, we made several batches with each. We used the basic Christmas-tree disk on each one, along with several other disks, looking for uniform, well-defined shapes and ease of operation.

Operating a press is easy enough -- most work in basically the same way: pack a tube with cookie dough, squeeze a trigger and a rod pushes the dough through a stencil disk. Cookies emerge shaped like wreaths, Christmas trees, stars and so on, at a nice, rapid clip. In a few minutes, you can shape dozens of cookies.

Our favorite: Kuhn Rikon’s La Patisserie, an easy-to-use press that created well-shaped cookies and came with a nice assortment of extras. Of the four, this was the only one that was dishwasher-safe -- a big plus -- and at $17.95, it was the best value. Our runner-up was a Williams-Sonoma trigger model for $26 that performed well but had fewer shape options.

The $14.99 Progressive International cookie press was problematic because, unless the barrel was tightly packed, the cookies emerged unevenly. It was also less comfortable to use.

The most high-tech model, the battery-operated BonJour Cookie Factory, was tricky to use. Although battery power seems like a great idea for impaired hands or weaker grips, we thought the process -- you hold the button down for as long as you think you should -- had too steep of a learning curve for holiday fun. Our first batches of cookies with this press were a series of globby oddballs, some too big, some too small. It was the kind of kitchen scene Charlie Chaplin could have made into a movie.

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Impressive presser

What’s the difference: Kuhn Rikon’s La Patisserie is a dishwasher-safe plastic and metal number with a trigger handle and two see-through barrels. Its something-extra accessories include stainless-steel icing tips which make for neater and prettier piping than the plastic ones that come with other models.

What we thought: One of the two best performers and the best value. It creates consistent and clean cookie shapes, you can monitor dough level and its 20 disks are augmented with a nice assortment of extras. The handle could be a tad more comfortable.

How much: $17.95 list price, but discounted to $9.95 at Cookin’ Stuff in Torrance; $14.99 at www.amazon.com.

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Just like Grandma’s

What’s the difference: This Williams-Sonoma metal and plastic trigger model comes in an attractive, old-fashioned tin box, and includes 18 disks but no additional barrels or icing tips.

What we thought: The comfortable handle squeezes one perfect cookie at a time. It offers some unusual designs, including a butterfly and a fish. A see-through window gauge on the barrel marks off the contents in increments of six.

How much: $26 at Williams-Sonoma, or $24 online at www.williams-sonoma.com.

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The budget baker

What’s the difference: The least expensive model, Progressive International’s set includes 12 disks, one opaque and one clear plastic decorating barrel and six plastic icing tips.

What we thought: Just so-so. You have to keep packing the barrel to keep the shapes consistent. The squeeze trigger lacks precise control and is mounted uncomfortably near a metal tab.

How much: $14.99 at Cookin’ Stuff, Torrance.

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Battery-operated gizmo

What’s the difference: The battery-powered BonJour Cookie Factory and Decorating Kit promises cookies at the push of a button. The 39-piece set includes 10 jumbo cookie disks; 15 traditional-size disks; 10 decorating and filling tips; and an unusual jumbo-size barrel that holds a standard 18-ounce package of refrigerated cookie dough.

What we thought: No mindless trigger-squeezing here: Cooks must carefully hold the button down for a count of two or three seconds per cookie, and it’s wise to master the tricky technique with test batches. Two “C” batteries make the machine’s head bulky, heavy and rather large for small hands. The jumbo tube makes large, uniformly produced cookies, but it seems a bother.

How much: $29.95 at Cookin’ Stuff in Torrance and at www.tabletools.com.