@justip in Mexico, they use thin plastic (baking paper might also work?) to line the press so that the tortillas don’t stick. Put one piece of plastic down on the press, then the ball of masa dough, then another piece of plastic, then press

@justip I don’t know as much about arepas, but my sense is that they are hand formed rather than pressed. They are quite a lot thicker than tortillas.

@justip also! After pressing, peel off top layer of plastic, slap the uncovered masa (now pressed) onto your hand, then peel the second layer of plastic off