I had the same experiences initially and tried a variety of flours but settled on a Bobs Red Mill masa. I found letting the dough rest was really important and also using plastic ziplock gallon bags cut into 2 plastic sheets, worked best. Peeling/reappling a sheet off before pressing too, can't remember my technique but eventually got it.

My favorites involved adding some ground up in a mini chopper, thawed roasted corn from tj's. I liked the added flavor and texture.

FOAS Years ago, I put together a pictorial on making corn tortillas.

They are actually very easy to make.

Corn Tortillas Pictorial.

I was given a tortilla warmer in a swap years ago by Gina that I still use to this day.

The tortillas go into the pouch as they come off the stove and stay warm for a long time.

Or you can just wrap them in a tea towel to keep warm.

Excellent tutorial.

Easy? Yes and no. I need to get everything set up, lots of counter space. And pay attention. No zippy-speedy motions. Calm and easy pressure with the press. Most important is to get the masa dough a good consistency.

Rick Bayless has a good easy y-tube tutorial.

I also use my rectangle griddle on front burner lower and back burner higher. Two cast iron skillets works also.

I have MaSeCa and Bob's masa. I think you may have purchased MasaRepa that is grainier almost like a cross between cold polenta and cream of wheat. Delicious but a different animal. Those are stuffed and formed like a hockey puck, then grilled.

This time of year I have less patience than the Winter months. I have a local place that makes fresh and I freeze in packages of 6 for quick weeknight meals. (sun sets so late we would rather be outside than cooking). Prepping some quick sides and toppings is enough. I have two and a salad with all the toppings and DH has four. Been that way for years...

Presses can be such junk. My new one I got lucky. But it is junk. Not true cast iron. Some reviews it was broken out of the box or the handle snapped off first use. DH bought it to surprise me. My old one from Mexico needs a piece of cardboard like what is on the back of a legal size note pad. It was making them uneven.

When I was first experimenting, I made two small batches of dough to get the mix perfect. Now I know how it should feel but it took a couple tries.

I use cereal box plastic liners on my press.

Found a vintage non working tortilla press/ cooker at a rummage sale. Very heavy weight cast aluminum.

I just wanted a press and was scared off buying a new one because of all the broken handle reviews. Was delighted to find this one for only $2 and doesn't matter to me that the wiring was shot and mostly removed.

Thank goodness for Ann T. Ordinarily, I'd say find a Mexican mama for the best instructions, but Ann is one Canadian I'd trust to get it right. :) I am not Mexican, and defer to all the mamas, and children of Mexican mamas who have more or different to say.

I also agree on the recipe: Masa harina and water until the consistency is right. (Salt won't hurt, but it's not traditional.)

Maseca is a brand name but mostly associated with instant. You can use it, but I think it would be harder. Think instant grits. Potato flakes.

Masa just means dough. Most people in general usually say it as short for masa harina (dough flour), but if I saw it on packaging, I'd be thinking, «¿Masa de qué?» What kind? When my Mexican friends say they need to buy masa, they mean prepared dough for tamales. You can buy prepared masa in cans, but I wouldn't.

In the absence of a good press, use your plastic/parchment on both sides of the dough ball flat on the counter where you roll pastry or cookies, and press down hard with a heavy, flat bottomed pot. Or, if you don't mind introducing it to the kitchen, the unabridged dictionary. Or put a skillet full of fishing weights on it. Even pressure squish is important, but how you get there isn't. Pressing does work better than rolling given that there's no gluten or other protein holding it together.

Here is Elise's method. Her mom is from Mexico.

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_corn_tortillas/

Pati Jinich is my favorite Mexican cook on TV; here is her video on tortillas:

Better if you can find fresh masa (at a Latin market), but if you do, it must be used right away or frozen. I seldom make tortillas because there is a tortilla factory close to my house. When I visited Vancouver BC for the first time (August 1976), I could only find frozen tortillas in the grocery store, and that was a shock for me.

Pati is the best!

I learn something new every time I come across her on one of the food networks. I never follow who is on when but she is always a pleasure. And that is where I learned the bit of pressing on the tortilla while on the griddle.

When I stack mine I add a bit of lime and some of my topping...not too much but a bit of green onion and cilantro from my other side bowls...once the stack is delivered to the table with all the others...and the damp cloth is uncovered, the aroma of the corn and steamed herbs is such a scent...learned that from a NYC restaurant.

I use masa harina for tortillas, maseca for empanadas (it's also popular for tamales), and masarepa for arepas, which are the "hockey puck" type corn buns cooked on a griddle. I make them for Amanda, as they are gluten free.

I never had a tortilla press that worked worth a darn. I tried using a cast iron frying pan and it didn't work all that well either. Now I use the same trick as Bumblebeez, a deconstructed gallon size ziplock bag, it works better than plastic wrap.

Annie