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Top 5 tools or equipment for new decorators? - Page 2

post #16 of 32
6/8/11 at 7:16am
Sparkle25 mentioned a clay extruder.

I was at Michaels yesterday and wondered over to the clay modeling aisle. There were a lot of tools that seemed like they would be useful for cake decorating, like molds and cutting/shaping/texture tools, and a clay extruder.

Do you guys use clay tools also? Are they food safe?

The clay extruder looked great for shaping fondant. Is it?

I
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post #17 of 32
6/8/11 at 8:01am
Everyone else has pretty much covered the "essential" basics, but I thought I'd add a couple of comments. First, I know that the Magic Line pans are more expensive, but get them. I wish that I would have bought them from the start. If you don't, you will find yourself, down the line, replacing your Wilton pans with ML and kicking yourself that you just didn't buy them in the first place.

Second, a lot of people have mentioned a bench scraper, and I totally agree. Bench scrapers come in all plastic and also a metal "blade". I never use my plastic one, but I use the metal one every time that I make a.cake, so I'd recommend a metal bench scraper.

HTH!
Check out my cake blog at: http://adventuresofacakediva.com
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Check out my cake blog at: http://adventuresofacakediva.com
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post #18 of 32
6/8/11 at 8:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by AmbitiousBeginner

Sparkle25 mentioned a clay extruder.

I was at Michaels yesterday and wondered over to the clay modeling aisle. There were a lot of tools that seemed like they would be useful for cake decorating, like molds and cutting/shaping/texture tools, and a clay extruder.

Do you guys use clay tools also? Are they food safe?

The clay extruder looked great for shaping fondant. Is it?

I



I use a clay extruder that I got at JoAnn's for like $15. I love it. It is perfect for making hair for fondant figurines, tassels, ropes, etc. I use mine quite a bit.
Check out my cake blog at: http://adventuresofacakediva.com
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Check out my cake blog at: http://adventuresofacakediva.com
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post #19 of 32
6/8/11 at 8:58am
Can someone share how they use the Viva Paper towels to make buttercream icing smooth? I am very intrigued!

Also a sidenote about the clay stuff: I am actually enrolling in a sculpting class through a community college in Fall to better perfect the molding and sculpting aspects of cake decorating.
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post #20 of 32
6/8/11 at 9:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by amygortoncakes

Can someone share how they use the Viva Paper towels to make buttercream icing smooth? I am very intrigued!

Also a sidenote about the clay stuff: I am actually enrolling in a sculpting class through a community college in Fall to better perfect the molding and sculpting aspects of cake decorating.



If you google "Viva cake decorating" all kinds of articles and videos will pop up.
Check out my cake blog at: http://adventuresofacakediva.com
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Check out my cake blog at: http://adventuresofacakediva.com
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post #21 of 32
6/8/11 at 9:11am
1. Piping bags
2. Spatula
3. Round Tip
4. KitchenAid
5. Rolling Pin
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post #22 of 32
6/8/11 at 11:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by AmbitiousBeginner

Sparkle25 mentioned a clay extruder.

I was at Michaels yesterday and wondered over to the clay modeling aisle. There were a lot of tools that seemed like they would be useful for cake decorating, like molds and cutting/shaping/texture tools, and a clay extruder.

Do you guys use clay tools also? Are they food safe?

The clay extruder looked great for shaping fondant. Is it?

I



I use my clay extruder for all kinds of things, everything from hair for figures, rope, borders, etc. It does a lot. The one I have I picked up from Michaels, not sure what brand it is. I also use a lot of the Makins clay items in my decorating. I love their texture sheets (way cheaper than embossing sheets) and some of their cutters.
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post #23 of 32
6/8/11 at 1:02pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coral3

I think it depends...are you planning to work with just buttercream, buttercream & fondant or ganache & fondant...are you planning to make flowers?...model figurines? or a bit of everything? The tools I'd recommend for someone wanting to work with ganache and fondant would be slightly different to those you'd want if you only plan to work in buttercream.

Having said that everyone needs a good turntable. (If you already have a good, strong, LEVEL lazy susan then that would do), a couple sizes of spatulas (cranked is good) and a good scraper (minimum 4" wide)

The thing I use most of all are my modelling tools...if modelling people/animals etc is your thing then definitely get a set of good basic modelling tools.


I'd skip on the leveller...you can do the same job with a long knife, using your cake tins as cutting guides if necessary. (And the cheaper levellers are all junk anyway)



I am hoping to do a bit of everything really. I have been baking since I was little with my Nana and have inherited her tools and (count myself lucky)a little bit of her talent!
I have the basics for baking, kitchen aid artisan, ka blender and ka food processor. I have my Nan's ancient but high quality tins and crockery.
I have taken everyone's advice and got myself a turntable and bench scraper.
I really want a nice set of tips and couplers etc but don't know what I should look for? I don't mind about cost and they will be a pressie from my lovely hubby anyway. What would you all recommend I go for? I can see myself using some of the specialised tips like the grass one and I have seen some lovely cupcakes lately with a large piped rose like swirl so I would like to know what tip that is. If I was to buy a good set what should I get?
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post #24 of 32
6/8/11 at 3:03pm
You can buy the tips, couplers & bags as a set, often that comes in a storage box or chest of some sort. There are smaller basic kits with something like 5 tips (round, star, petal, leaf, maybe basketweave) and larger deluxe ones with multiple sizes of the basics plus some variations of the star shape, multi-opening and other more specialized shapes, and it's a great way to get started. Then you can add more specialized tips individually as needed or at whim. The big cupcake swirl is usually done with a 1M tip -- basically an oversize star.

On the clay modeling tools, I think they are fine to use on food as long as you keep them for use only with food. It's not as if they have prolonged contact with the food like storage containers or cake boards do. But I wouldn't use them one day with Fimo or Sculpey and then the next day with fondant! I chose plastic tools because I figured they'd be easier to wash/sterilize than ones with wooden handles.

You can also extrude fondant/gumpaste/candy clay using a garlic press, or a colander, or other kitchen tools that are actually meant for a different application. icon_smile.gif

Holly
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post #25 of 32
6/8/11 at 3:29pm
Just on the clay extruders - the ones that you wind to push out dough are easier to use if you have to do a lot of extruding for a cake. I have a green aluminium(?) Makins one which works well, holds a good amount of dough, and is easy on hands.

I initially bought a Sculpey one (I *think* it was sculpey) which was a little silver metal one, very simple, which you had to push on the plunger at the back. It's fine for little things, but for bigger jobs it's pure torture on hands. Owch!
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post #26 of 32
6/8/11 at 3:48pm
Kitchen Aid stand mixer and KA roller attachment, heating core, metal ball tool, metal cookie cutters, cosmetic sponges, Wilton gumpaste modeling kit.
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post #27 of 32
6/8/11 at 4:04pm
Thread Starter 
Cosmetic sponges? That's interesting. How do you use those?
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post #28 of 32
6/8/11 at 4:24pm
I use cosmetic sponges to press gumpaste into leaf or flower veiners.
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post #29 of 32
6/8/11 at 6:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alfiesmom

a must-add to cakemaking basics is Dawn dishwashing detergent. nothing gets rid of the butter, shortening, etc

Debbie



I have to agree with the Dawn, especially for cleaning bags and tips, I like the one with bleach or the anti-bacterial.

the other things:

*a goood smooth turning turntable, mine is a 12" round on one side and about 3/4 sheet cake rectangle on the other, so you can pick what you need

* good off-set spatula

* cooking spray - use with waxed paper and you don't have cakes that stick, and you can use it to wipe on fondant for a shiny look

* various paint brushes for painting, and a wide flat one for brushing off powdered sugar

*my grandmother's rolling pin
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post #30 of 32
6/8/11 at 6:23pm
I have to agree with Cakesmith.... I use my Wilton sculpting tool set for pretty much each cake I do. Thats the set that comes in the hard clear plastic case with the multi coloured handles. LOVE IT! And my bench scraper is my best friend too icon_smile.gif
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