A Tongue Press is used for pressing cooked, skinned tongue into a tube shape. This lets tongue sliced for luncheon meat have a more uniform appearance to its slices.
You put the tongue while still warm into the press, and when the tongue has cooled, it will retain the shape of the press.
The presses are usually metal cylinders perhaps 8 inches (20 cm) wide by 12 inches (30 cm) tall. You adjust the pressure with the springs on the handle, causing a cone-shaped press inside to do the pressing. The bottom is removable.
A Tongue Press can hold up to 5kg (11 pounds) of tongue at once.
These presses have been made since the start of the 1800s. You can still buy them in England, though usually only by special order now.
