Instruction: Extract information from the supporting document to answer the given question.

Input:
Question: What if I want to make plain cookies?  I just want to use the press to make it easier, but not to make designs.
Document: Not so here. There are only a few Christmas cookie die, and the majority cover several other holidays and  just plain generic shapes like flowers and leaves. I love it. It comes with only a couple of recipes for large batches of cookies that you can easily reduce. It is easy to fill, assemble/disassemble, and clean. It's light weight which is good and bad. It's easier to handle that way but it will need some TLC to make it last over the years I think.
I love making cookies and this is a great product. This cookie press is easy to use and shows you how much cookie dough you still have. There are 12 different cookie disks to make fun designs. I love the Disk Storage Case since in the past I have can find the press and not all the disk. Another great OXO product.
I called Oxo to report this issue and the representative claimed they were unaware of the problem and perhaps I should try one of their recipes instead. If I can't use the press to make MY recipe, why would I want the press? Needless to say I will be returning the Oxo cookie press.
*Use a cool, ungreased cookie sheet. If rotating out sheets, make sure it is cool before adding new cookies. *You can switch the disks midway through a batch of dough if so desired; simply unscrew the bottom of the barrel, slide the disk off the barrel (instead of pulling it up so dough is attached), replace with new disk, and run a little dough through until it comes out evenly. I got four designs from a half-batch of dough this way.
I love to make cookies. However my cookies have always been . . er . . well . . . kind of ugly. Now I can make cookies that look like they were made in a fine commercial bakery. Kids love shapes and the OXO Good Grips Cookie Press can make about every shape you can immagine. What you can make will blow your mind! Oh, and I am on a diet, so I like uniform cookies that I don't have to weigh each time I want to eat one.
I have fond memories, from when I was a child, of using a hand held cookie press with my mom which had a handle that had to be turned in order to push the cookie dough out of the press. It took skill to make each cookie the same size and at the end it was hard to turn. I still have it.This cookie press is so much easier to use. All you do is put the dough inside and press down on a lever.
I bought this to replace a cheaper one I have. The biggest draw was the additional disk sets and storage case. It works wonderfully the designs come out perfect the grip on the bottom is nice for keeping it steady on the pan and its easy to clean. The only complaint I have is as you press out the cookies it seems that a lot of dough gets left behind in the tube. I can usually get enough out to make several more cookies. Other than that slight annoyance its great.
We're still having a little bit of breakage issues with a couple types of designs, namely the butterfly like others mentioned. Perhaps it will just take a little more practice. The holiday designs will be so much fun next Christmas. I'm going to add some red & green to the shortbread dough to make festive cookies.I really like the storage case for the disks, it is so handy. The press is easy to clean and store. I highly recommend it.
Over the years I have purchased at least 2 dozen OXO products, only one of which I've disliked. I've come to associate them with ergonomic design and durability. Quite simply, they take gadgets that are already out there in the market and make them easier and more comfortable to use. This product is no different. It's very comfortable to use and doesn't require a lot of effort or hand strain to dispense perfect, even amounts of cookie dough. It also works reliably.
it is easy to clean and seems easier to fill than other cookie presses I've used. As with all presses, not all the cookies come out perfect and the dough and temperature make a difference in how well it will work.After owning this press for a while and making cookies with it maybe 5 or 6 times, I ended up breaking the handle right off. I was using just the standard dough and it was soft, at room temperature. I don't think I was putting any extra pressure on the handle.
Answer: I don't think the press would work without using one of the design plates. Without one of them, I think you'd just be forcing out a huge cylinder of dough, if anything. I've seen other presses that have 'plain' plates. As far as making things easier, that's not what I think of when I use this press. I've been mostly underwhelmed with its usefulness and performance. My old Mirro and newer Marcato/Atlas are far superior to this piece of flimsy, plastic junk from OXO.