Six Baking Gadgets to Try Now

There’s no shortage of baking gadgets infiltrating the market every year. Sorting through gadgets that truly offer something new or add convenience versus the ones that are just old classics with new colors is the difficult part. Here are six gadgets for baking that offer innovative features to take on all of the latest baking trends.

Baking is all about custom flavors and colors right now and Cupcake Dividers from Bakelicious allow home bakers to achieve this with ease. The dividers are placed in the cavities of a cupcake pan prior to baking or pouring the batter so that a single cupcake is split into four sections. Once the divider is in place, the batter is poured into the four sections as desired, then removed, and the cupcakes are ready to bake. This allows for up to four different flavors or colors in one cupcake. Users can color coordinate the cupcake colors to their events, or make custom flavor mixes. The Cupcake Dividers are each two separate pieces that slide apart for easy cleaning. A set of 12 Cupcake Dividers retails for $9.99.

The Color Swirl™ Tri-Color Coupler from Wilton also lends well to baking customization. The coupler interlocks three decorating bags and allows users to swirl two or three colors together with one simple piping motion. Just connect the coupler pieces, cover with a decorating tip and secure with the included ring. The ring holds the decorating tip secure while piping. Wilton has also come out with the Color Right Performance Color System to make custom colors easily and the Treatology Flavor System for creating custom flavors, combine the Color Swirl with these products and the personalization options are endless and sure to be striking.

Pastrio™ and Sugar Coat™ from Chef’n give home bakers essential tools without taking up too much room. The nesting tools each combine three tools in one and have matching red, orange and white colors. Pastrio is a twist on the classic bench scraper, combining a metal bench scraper, a plastic bench scraper, and a plastic bowl scraper. Users can cut evenly with the metal scraper that has ruler markings along the edge, and use the plastic one on sensitive surfaces, like a silpat. The bowl scraper has a rounded edge to reach all areas and collect ingredients. The three pieces nest together by sliding under the hand grip of the metal scraper. Pastrio has a suggested retail price of $9.99.

Sugar Coat 3-in-1 Offset Spatula Set combines a large and small spatula with a reusable cake tester in a nesting design for compact storage. The large offset spatula is 7.75 inches long so it can frost large areas of cake at a time, lift cake layers, or move warm cookies. The smaller spatula is 4.5 inches long and is flexible for detailing. Both spatulas have sturdy nylon handles and stainless steel blades. Since the cake tester nests right into the smaller spatula it will always be easy to find among other tools and utensils. Sugar Coat has a suggested retail price of $9.99.

Norpro’s Linzer Cookie Cutter 8-Piece Set is a classic baking tool that helps making linzer cookies quick and easy. Norpro’s version of the cookie cutter is notable because in addition to the scallop cutter, it has eight different interchangeable middle shapes (star, heart, club, diamond, triangle, hexagon, hexafoil, and curved square), plus a storage container to keep all the pieces together in one place. The set is not limited to making linzer cookies either. The cutters can be used for fondant and decorating pastries, as well as for sandwiches, cold cuts, cheeses, fruits and vegetables, and basically making bento box lunches that look like they are ready for a close-up.

The Confectionary Funnel from Rösle is another tool in the kitchen that makes a range of baking tasks easier. The stainless steel funnel has a 1.3-quart capacity and comes equipped with a mount to hold the funnel and two interchangeable nozzles. The funnel allows home cooks to achieve the decorative finishes created by chefs in restaurants for exact portioning of sauces, preparing desserts and filling pastries. A home baker can control the flow and quantity of the filling, icing, or garnish released by adjusting a dial on the handle. The desired amount of liquid is dispersed with a simple push of a button at the top of the ergonomic handle. The funnel can be dissembled and placed in the dishwasher for cleaning. It can even be used for pouring soups drip-free and garnishing savory meals with sauces. The Confectionary Funnel has a suggested retail price of $135.

This story was originally published in the August 2015 issue of Kitchenware News, a publication of Oser Communications Group.