One of my favorite things is my large sifter that I can stand over my Sunbeam mixer and sift a bag of powdered sugar in no time, sure beats doing it one cup at a time. lol. I also keep a good supply of butter and powdered sugar on hand. I love my disposable bags, and my small angled spatula, the bigger one is too big for me to use comfortably. I've enjoyed reading this thread.

A very understanding husband!

I agree with the turntable and extra fridge...I also like all the extra plastic containers from storebought icing that I save and use A LOT when mixing lots of colors. They're the perfect size!

Lol Loriemoms! You got that right!!!!!

I like to use plastic cups to mix my colors in and a plastic knife. No more washing greasy bowls out for me!!

Also a paper plate to set the spatula on to keep the counters clean!

And my newest favorite must-have. . . my viva paper towels. I have started using them to smooth the sides of my character cakes and I love the way it comes out.

loriemoms . . . I agree with you about the understanding husband. lol

Besides my KA:
1) turntable
2) my Wilton wooden handle spatula that I have had for 20 years...has a bit of a give in the handle /blade junction but so used to it that I don't think I could use another one.
3) featherweight bags--feels good and does not fatigue my hands. Gonna have to repace them, tho, some are 15 years old.

I have a couple of those small measuring shot glasses and never thought about using them! What a great idea!

I love my red digital timer and small beaker for measuring ounces, both from IKEA.
The measuring spoons from Weight Watchers are great, too. They have very handy sized spoons with a slide on top to level with.

I also like my cake tester and correction tool for icing boo boos.

My KA ,my fridge, my oven, my magic line pans, Okay! I'll stop! I love everything that has to do with baking a cake!!!

cutter - what are magic line pans?

I just realized what my favorite tool is. It is tip 10. I use it all the time. I just did a cake and couldn't find my tip it and almost went nuts. I started with 3 of them, one went down the garbage disposal, I stepped on the second one last week and this afternoon I couldn't find the 3rd one. I finally found it after accusing my girls of stealing it.

I use it to ice /crumb coat smaller cakes. I use it to cut fondant circles. I think I've used it on every cake I've ever made.

I'm a big fan of couplers. Even if I don't think I'll be changing tips, I put one in just in case. They also make it easy to squeeze out any extra icing when you finish. But the things I'd hate to do without are my food scale, turntable and my big tip for icing the cake.

lets see...

my wilton large icing spatula.
my pans
tip case
turn table

Loriemoms, I totally agree! If mine weren't so proud and supportive I couldn't do it at all! (And it doesn't hurt that he's fully trained in delivery and set-up! As a matter-of-fact, I think he really enjoys delivering them!)

I use 2 cooling racks, Wilton I think, which are made of crisscrossed wire, making squares a bit bigger than 1/2inch. I set one rack across my sink and then, starting in the center of the rack, I insert tips into the holes, skipping every other hole like on a checkerboard, into the middle 1/3 of the rack. Then I lay the other rack on top and use a big bulldog clip on each end to hold the 2 racks together. I think it can hold about 60 tips in one. More than that and the cover rack won't hold them all in. I rinse the whole thing with water as hot as I can get it and then I stick the clamped racks into the dishwasher. When the dishwasher is finished, I take the rack out and shake it hard to get most of the water off, and stand it in my dish drainer. They come out clean as a whistle and it sure beats using a little brush to clean all those tiny tip openings!

Sugarfrosted--

That is a fantastic idea. Never would have thought of that.

SLK,

Magicline pans are straight sided (no slant) pans. Love, love ,love the square ones! They are proffesional. They are better than the best Wilton pans in my opinion. I have collected most of the ones that my oven will accomodate. I guess I have a pan fetish I love these! I said that already You can find these @ kitchenkrafts.com


http://www.kitchenkrafts.com/product.asp?pn=BP3293


Cutter

Wow! SugarFrosted, that's a GREAT idea! And just in time too. I woke up this morning to last night's mess from a late night decorating session. I'm up for anything that makes clean-up easier.

**Edit**

Nevermind I just saw a microwaving tips post on the helpful hints post.

ummm ....definitely....a clean kitchen.


definitely!

couplers
KA
Rubber scraper from pampered chef
Quiet time after kids go to bed to actually get something done!

Wow!!! It has been so much fun reading all of your responses!!! At first, i could not believe that more people did not mention the VIVA paper towel. But, then someone finally did.

My favorites - remember I just started so I do not have much...

1) toothpicks!!!!!
2) Crisco - I swear working with fondant is so much easier when you have criscied your hands and the counter and your fondant. It helps eliminate so many marks in the fondant
3) Rubber Spactula - man that thing can scrap out every single drop of cake batter!!!
4) CAKE CENTRAL and the people on it.
Obviously, I need a turn-table - any recomendations on a good one??? And no one said cake foil - I think that it really adds color and neatness to a cake. Maybe that is just me and the importance of it. LOL!!!!

I can't believe how much I have learned by reading this thread!! How fun! I'd say my favorites are my turntable, disposable decorating bags, and angled spatula. Also, my good serrated knife for torting cakes. Oh, and my magic line pans. They are fantastic. I think my most favorite thing is CakeCentral.com. This website is amazing. What a wealth of information in one place.

My Favorite item that I can't live without is my metal cake comb! I use it on all my cakes ,it works wonderfully. I am not to great at smoothing out the icing and with the comb, i get a neat finish to the cake, without the hard work of smoothing.

So many good things!

I love Cake Release! I NEVER grease a pan now. Plastic dough scrapers - I use them to smooth my cakes. Work very well, lemme tell ya. The odd-sized measuring cups and spoons are awesome - I also didn't think I'd be using them so I never bought them....well, I learned quickly! I use them all the time. I can't really think of anything else at the moment...but I know there's lots more.

Oh and my favorite tool - for cake and non-cake stuff - my kitchen scale!

(I didn't mention my KA since it said not including....)

Here is the true test as to what I "can't live without"... it's what I pack when we travel with DH's job during the summer. Yes, I take my "business" with me but there is no way I can take everything with so this is what I pack. Three rounds (12, 10, , 1 spring-form, 1- 9x13, 1- 12x18x1, plus a hinged case of standard tips and couplers, two pampered chef spatulas, lg. froster tip, several bags, and a tote of familiar food colors and flower molds. Oh, I also have 2 Wilton cooling racks and of course my turn table. What do I miss??? My convection oven and my KA!!! Thank goodness for those heat strips and the use of friends' kitchens (if needed) but I am back to baking one cake at a time.... I've been spoiled.

You all have mentioned almost all of my "must have things" But I have never used the spray cake release. I must have paper towels. Because, I have always mixed equal amounts of flour and crisco together...it keeps forever...that is what I spread around the sides of the pan, then I mark and cut a paper towel to fit the bottom. You can use it a second and third time. It never fails! And real inexpensive. Also I use paper towels for texture on my cakes.

my are:
KA
measure all
729 tip and bag
and my 3x8" cake pan. I am lazy in my old age and I rather cut 1 in half than put 2 together.