Tortilla equipment can be a major purchase for any size restaurant or business. Most restaurants don't have a lot of empty space in the kitchen to store or use tortilla equipment, so it's important to keep the size of the equipment in mind when you make your purchase. If space becomes an issue, a second location beyond the kitchen can be considered to house your tortilla production.

Once you decide on a location to house your new tortilla machine, you'll want to make sure you're using the best ingredients possible in your corn or flour tortilla maker. Buy flour in bulk if you plan to produce a large number of tortillas, but if you won't be creating tortillas in mass production, you may want to find a specialty flour to make your tortillas unique.

1. Consider how much space you have available for a commercial tortilla maker.

2. Use your tortilla machine as a way to draw customers in.

3. Create great tasting tortillas using quality and unique ingredients.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find the space for your tortilla maker machine

When purchasing a commercial tortilla machine, you'll need to not only fit your budget but also the space you have available. Don't try to squeeze a large production machine into a small kitchen. Look for compact models if your space is limited, or consider remodeling to add a tortilla production room or area. A designated room or area could become a draw for customers if you plan to make the production process an attraction and allow customers to watch.

I recommend: Find a compact Counter Top Crust Sheeter that makes up to 12-inch round tortillas and fits easily on the counter. If you're looking for an all-in-one unit to press and grill tortillas, consider the BE&SCO Mini Wedge Tortilla Press Combo. The company also sells small countertop versions of the tortilla press that can produce up to 500 tortillas an hour. If have the space and want to purchase highly efficient equipment, consider an all-in-one system from La Poblana Food Machines.

Show off your tortillas machine and production

Draw customers in by making your tortilla production a part of the restaurant experience. Create a location where they can watch their tortillas go from flour to the finished product. They'll enjoy eating a tortilla they watch you make, and you can even package tortillas for customers to take home if you have large tortilla equipment.

I recommend: Go "old school" and roll and cut your own flour tortillas. Once you roll them out, use a good tortilla press from Tortilla Xpress to finish them off. If don't need to mass produce the tortillas themselves, take a more personal route by pressing each customer's tortilla(s) when they order it using the Dough Pro.

Use fresh ingredients in your tortilla machines

The main ingredient in any tortilla is obviously the flour. Whether you're making corn or flour tortillas, you'll want to use the best ingredients to ensure your tortillas taste good.

I recommend: Use corn, white or wheat flour from Gruma so you know your tortillas will be made from some of the best-rated ingredients in the industry. Use Maseca Corn Flour from MexGrocer.com if you don't need to buy in bulk.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If your business already has a dough roller, it can usually be used quite easy to rough the tortilla dough as well. Save money by only purchasing the tortilla grill or press and use your existing roller.

Fresh tortillas are an increasingly popular menu item in many restaurants. Tortilla machines are appearing even in restaurants that do not regularly feature Mexican cuisine on their menus. One reason that so many restaurants run their own tortilla maker is the difference in taste. Fresh tortillas, even those made on a commercial tortilla machine in a restaurant have a far superior taste and texture than those mass-produced for grocery store chains.

A commercial tortilla maker is a necessity for any restaurant that wants to make a large volume of tortillas. Hand mixing, rolling and cooking tortillas is extremely labor intensive. Tortilla equipment can drastically reduce the time it takes to produce homemade tortillas.

Tortilla machines include:

1. Mixers
2. Dough dividers
3. Tortilla presses
4. Tortilla cutters
5. Counters
6. Tortilla equipment for packaging

Depending on the volume of tortillas a restaurant wants to produce, it may only need a divider and a press. If a restaurateur is looking to introduce his tortillas to a larger market, then he should invest in packaging and labeling equipment.

Action Steps
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Decide if you have enough room for a commercial tortilla maker

Few restaurant kitchens have extra room for bulky equipment. In fact, in most restaurant kitchens, extra room is at a premium. So before you start ordering tortilla equipment, first determine how much space you have. If you only have a corner space available, you will have to nix the full-scale assembly line and settle for something a little smaller.

I recommend: e-Torilla.com offers several models of commercial tortilla makers in many sizes. They have a tortilla machine that takes up less than 3 square feet, ideal for a small restaurant kitchen.

Flour tortilla machine or corn tortilla machine?

All tortillas are not created equal. Will you be making flour tortillas or corn? Will you make large tortillas for burritos and enchiladas or smaller ones for asadas and wraps? Look for a tortilla machine that can do both corn and flour and has adjustable sizes and thicknesses.

I recommend: Manufacturas Lenin carries a line of tortilla equipment, including a flour tortilla machine, a corn tortilla machine and several models that can do the job of both. They also carry stone rolling heads, for authentic tasting Mexican tortillas.

Bring your tortillas to the masses

Once you get your tortilla-making skills honed, why not expand your business to include grocery stores and gourmet food shops? After all, what better way to get the word out about your restaurant than with your own line of food. Look for a tortilla machine that includes counting, packaging and labeling.

I recommend: Arr-Tech specializes in tortilla counters and packagers that are easy to maintain, reduce labor and are simple to operate.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  You may be tempted to purchase an electric tortilla maker, sold at department stores and home stores. They look like a flat waffle iron. Be sure to keep the receipt, because they are difficult to work with and not at all suited for the heavy industrial use of a commercial tortilla maker.

If you have recently started looking at the pricing and costs of tortilla equipment, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the choices and wide range of prices. If your budget is tight, but you really want to keep your customers coming back for your great tasting fresh tortillas, keep your eyes open for good quality tortilla makers with even better prices.

Depending on your needs for tortilla equipment, you may be able to purchase a used model to meet your needs and still produce outstanding tortillas. If tortillas only make up a small portion of your average sales, you may not need a top-of-the line model with all the bells and whistles. Look for a lower cost model or smaller machine to put in your kitchen. Get individual presses for under $50, or find compact machines that will only set you back a few hundred dollars instead of the large, commercial models that can cost upwards of $20,000.

1. Buy quality equipment if the tortilla is a staple of your restaurant.

2. Save money buying used tortilla equipment if a new model isn't in your budget.

3. Keep extras in mind when purchasing tortilla equipment.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose to purchase all new tortilla equipment

Whether you own a restaurant or you're in the tortilla making business, your tortilla equipment is probably the most important equipment you'll buy. Make sure you find good quality equipment by buying from reputable dealers who offer warranties, parts and even on-site servicing. Purchase commercial machines at prices ranging from $1,000 to over $10,000 depending on the size and quality of the machine. Buy individual tortilla presses to use in smaller restaurants for anywhere from about $20 to $200.

I recommend: eTortilla has a full line of restaurant tortilla equipment for corn or flour tortillas in many sizes for small or large kitchen settings. For the smaller kitchen that needs to purchase a good quality tortilla press, check out the presses sold by Tortilla Cocina Mexican Cookware. If you need a good quality sheeter to roll out your tortillas, get a Somerset tortilla maker from Mexican Equipment World. For those in the market for a large-scale tortilla machine, J.C. Ford Company offers both corn and flour tortilla machine options that produce up to 7,000 dozen tortillas an hour.

Find bargain prices for your tortilla equipment

Tortilla machines can last a long time. Just because a restaurant or business goes out of business doesn't mean its equipment is any less useful. If your budget doesn't allow for the purchase of new equipment, find tortilla machines at liquidator sales, restaurant auctions or even new manufactures that refurbish equipment.

I recommend: Find a used tortilla machine at Lawrence Equipment for a lot less of the cost; besides selling the latest in tortilla equipment, the company also offers many used machines at much lower prices. Ibarra's Tortillas not only makes great tasting products, it also sells refurbished machines of all sizes to restaurants and others in the market for good quality tortilla equipment. Use the listings of newly liquidated tortilla equipment at Bakery Exchange to find a good buy for your business. Contact the seller directly from the site to negotiate a price that could save you hundreds, even thousands, of dollars.

Prepare to spend on extras for your tortilla makers

If you need to purchase parts for any tortilla equipment, you'll want to start by contacting the manufacturer of the equipment your purchased. If you bought your equipment used, or are looking for accessories to go with the tortillas machines you already have, find a good supplier of accessories and parts.

I recommend: Shop Instawares online for all your commercial tortilla maker equipment extras. From frying baskets to complete presses, the online store offers all restaurant quality equipment at resonable prices. Find used accessories, parts and equipment for tortilla making at BE&SCO.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Whether you're purchasing a corn tortilla machine or flour machine, the best reviews can be found from people who already work with them. Talk to a few restaurants or manufacturers to get the best reviews.

With many innovations in the industry, companies can make tortillas quickly and efficiently by machine. Companies that want to keep up with the advances in the industry need to know some key terms before they select equipment. They also need to keep an eye on what manufacturers are inventing to make the process even easier. Having the best equipment helps to ensure success.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Tortilla presses

Many tortillas today are made by the hot press method. These tortillas are stronger so they are less likely to split. Tortillas can also be die cut. Die-cut tortillas are often drier because they need a dusting of flour to keep them from sticking, but many uniform shapes can be cut at one time.

I recommend: For a comparison of the hot-press and die-cut methods, check out BakingManagement. Casa Herrera provides a video that shows a die-cut machine at work.

Ambient cooling system

After tortillas are baked, they need to be cooled or they will stick together. Many manufacturers use an ambient cooling system. In this process, the tortillas are cooled on a conveyor belt. As the tortillas rotate on the various layers of the belt, they are air cooled. Along with the belt, cooling coils or fans can be used to produce cool, dry air to reduce the surface temperature of the freshly baked tortillas.

I recommend: To see tortillas cooled on a conveyor belt with an ambient-cooling system, visit Manufacturas Lenin.

Tension gauges

Tension gauges keep spiral conveyors in working order. They measure the conveyor belt tension and report possible problems. These gauges are designed to work in any temperature, so they can be used with ambient coolers or freezers.

I recommend: Ashworth provides more information on the features of tension gauges and their operation.

Infrared (IR) temperature measurement

In the past, many tortilla makers used thermocouples because they were inexpensive and easy to use, but they did not do an accurate job of measuring surface temperatures. Now, many companies use IR thermometers, which do not need to touch the food. These IR sensors register the intensity of radiation to determine tortilla temperature.

I recommend: A comparison of thermocouples and IR technology can be found in Food Quality magazine produced by John Wiley & Sons. Omega Engineering explains how IR sensors work.

Indexers, counters and stackers

An indexer removes excess air from the tortillas. These machines also stack the correct number of tortillas to prepare them for packing. By automating these processes, companies can save a great deal of time and produce a better, more uniform product.

I recommend: Arr-Tech has a drawing of the machinery used for this complete process.

Belt splice

Wear and tear on conveyor-belt systems often results in splits in the belt. If a belt has wear in only one place, it can be repaired by splicing. A belt splice is done by replacing worn wires with new, stronger ones.

I recommend: For comprehensive, step-by-step instructions for completing a belt splice, see Wire Belt Company of America. They also have information on various types of splices and other belt maintenance issues.