Pro Quality Pastry Tools from an Unexpected Source
By Lorrie Baumann
In an unexpected move for a company best known for its Chop & Scoop cutting boards and recently for its Snack-DuO dual chamber and H-DuO single chamber hydration bottles, Dexas is launching a new line of professional-quality baking and pastry prep gadgets under the imprimatur of Italian pastry master Chef Iginio Massari. Massari has won more than 300 competitions, awards and national as well as international recognitions since 1964, including a 2007 gold medal for Best Italian Sweet in a Naples contest, a 2011 gold medal for his tiramisu and 2003 recognition as Italian Pastry Chef of the Decade 1993 to 2003. Chef has coached medal-winning teams in numerous pastry competitions over the years, and the tool collection in his La Pasticceria di Precisione line includes more than 20 tools that will put his signature tools and gadgets into the hands of American home bakers this year.
“The great chefs of Italy have provided all of us with vivid food memories and sensory experiences,” said Jeff Logan, Dexas’ Director of Marketing. “And there is no finer pastry artisan in the world than Chef Massari. He sets the standard in creating the world’s most delectable and beautiful creations.”
The tools were designed in Italy by Ghidini Cipriano and imported into the U.S. by Dexas. The tool collection “was born from the fusion between passion, technique and Italian design, a blend that created the collection of instruments developed and signed by the Master of the Masters in pastry art,” according to Ghidini Cipriano.
The La Pasticceria di Precisione line includes a Frustina/Spring-Whip, a whisk in which a silicone ball spins inside the whip and acts as a force multiplier while the coiled spring whisk structure increases the contact between whip and ingredients. Bastardelle/Mixing Bowls are deep, curved bowls made of brushed and polished stainless steel. A rubber-edged base creates ideal mixing angles and lends stability. The Bicicletta/Expandable Pastry Cutter is a precise, expandable set of five pastry wheels. This set delivers outstanding uniformity and professional results.
There’s also a Mandolina/Mandolin Slicer for cutting julienne strips, cubes, diamonds, wavy and waffle slices of fruit or vegetables. Six stainless steel blades give home cooks a wide variety of choices. The Spatole/Spatula is the pastry artist’s main tool for finishing tarts and spreading uniform layers of icings, chocolate, fruit fillings and meringues. The long and flexible stainless blade lends precision for an elegant finish.
Finally the line includes Setacci/Mesh Sifters. No true pastry artisan would dream of skipping or skimping the important step of sifting flour, baking powder, confectioner’s sugar or cocoa to lighten the ingredients for consistent texture and superb whipping and blending, and Massari is known for his insistence on thoroughness with this step, Logan said.
Dexas launched the new line at the International Home + Housewares Show, and it is expected to be ready to ship soon. Alongside the La Pasticceria di Precisione tools, Dexas displayed new options for the core products that we expect for the company. The Funnel Chop & Scoop is the latest evolution in form and function from the original Chop & Scoop, an American-made cutting board with distinctive curved edges, raised handle and scooped shape. The new Funnel Chop & Scoop provides even more surface area for a variety of knife techniques, curved edges and an even more pronounced funnel shape on the exit end of the board. The Folding Chop & Scoop is designed to transform from a flat cutting board surface into a scoop shape with a simple squeeze of the handle. Each of the two will retail for $9.99 to $14.99.
This year’s new options for H-DuO and Snack DuO dual chamber bottles are made with Eastman’s Tritan copolyester, which is BPA-free and known for its clarity and durability. The Snack-DuO Dual Chamber Bottle has two chambers with different lid functions. One chamber has a watertight screw-top lid for beverages, while a second chamber has a wide-mouth snap lid and is useful for transporting a healthy snack to go along with the beverage. Protein or energy bars, granola, trail mix or nuts can all be transported and dispensed easily. There are two sizes available: the regular size has a liquid capacity of 12 ounces and a dry snack capacity of 1.5 cups. The small size has an 8-ounce liquid capacity and will hold 1 cup of dry snack. A built-in long ring allows the bottle to be snapped onto a backpack or gym bag with a carabiner or other clip, and the bottle is top-rack dishwasher safe.
