Cutting Tools in Baking Every Baker Must Know
Calling all home bakers, novice cooks, and pastry chefs! Do you want to bring your A-game to the baking world? Then take a closer look at the unsung heroes of the kitchen: cutting tools in baking.
From knives to cake slicers, having the right cutting tool makes a stellar difference in baking. In this post, we’ll dive into the most common cutting tools for baking and their benefits.
Cutting Tools in Baking
- Chef’s Knife
- Paring Knife
- Serrated Knife
- Bench Scraper
- Pizza Cutter
- Pastry Wheel Cutter
- Dough Cutter
- Melon Baller
- Cake Slicer
- Biscuit Cutter
- Egg Slicer
- Cheese Cutter
- Pastry Blender
- Cookie Cutter
- Kitchen Shears
- Julienne Peeler
- Grater
Here are the cutting tools in baking every baker (amateur or pro) must know:
1. Chef’s Knife
Whether you’re a professional chef, a home cook, or a novice baker, a chef’s knife is a must-have cutting tool.
Also known as a cook’s knife or French knife, you can use this knife for tons of food preparation tasks.
The blade of a chef’s knife usually ranges from six to 14 inches, with a curved or straight edge that tapers to a sharp point. It also features stainless or carbon steel― strong enough to withstand regular use.
Lastly, its handle usually features wood, plastic, or other materials that provide a comfortable and secure grip.
2. Paring Knife
Cooks and bakers use a paring knife for precision tasks, like peeling, trimming, and slicing small fruits and vegetables. The paring knife blade measures two and a half to four inches long, with a pointed tip that lets you do detailed work.
Additionally, its features high-quality stainless steel or carbon steel, giving it a sharp and precise edge. Like a chef’s knife, its handle features wood, plastic, or metal designed to provide a comfortable and secure grip.
You should have a paring knife in your baking arsenal for many reasons. For one, it lets you do delicate tasks, like hulling strawberries, pitting cherries, or peeling apples. Baking recipes call for these tasks.
Additionally, tons of baking recipes require knives small and agile enough to navigate the contours of fruits or vegetables.
You can also use a paring knife to cut out shapes from pastry or trim pie edges. Its small size and sharp blade make it easy to control stuff for more intricate and detailed designs.
3. Serrated Knife
With a saw-like edge, bakers and cooks use a serrated knife to cut through items with tough exteriors and soft interiors. These items include wheat bread and citrus fruits.
The serrated edge allows you to cut through the food without crushing it, which can be difficult with a straight-edged knife.
The blade of a serrated knife measures longer than a paring knife, ranging from five to ten inches. The serrated edge includes a series of teeth angled and sharpened to cut through tough exteriors, leaving clean cuts.
4. Bench Scraper
This cutting tool features a flat, rectangular blade with a straight or slightly curved edge. Its handle is attached to the top or bottom of the blade.
Use bench scrapers to cut or portion dough, scrape leftover ingredients from a cutting board, and transfer chopped items to a baking pan or pot. You can also use them to smooth out the surface of minimalist cakes or cherry brownies.
In addition, you can use it to divide dough into equal portions. When making bread or pastries, you must do this to produce consistently sized and shaped products. A bench scraper makes this process easy and efficient.
It also works well for cleaning your work surface. When rolling out dough or pastry, baking ingredients accumulate on your counter. A bench scraper makes it easy to remove debris, keeping your workstation clean and tidy.
5. Pizza Cutter
As you may have guessed, you use this cutting tool for pizza. It typically has a circular blade attached to a plastic, metal, or wood handle.
In addition, its sharp blade can come in small and large sizes, depending on the pizza size.
Pizza cutters work best for cutting through pizza quickly without messing with the toppings or the crust. You can also use them to cut through other foods, such as quesadillas, flatbreads, or sandwiches.
6. Pastry Wheel Cutter
Also known as a pastry wheel or pastry cutter, bakers use this cutting tool for dough and pastry. It usually has a round, rotating blade attached to a handle, like a pizza cutter.
The only difference? A pastry wheel cutter is smaller. Plus, its blade can be straight or fluted, depending on the desired pattern of the cut.
7. Dough Cutter
Bakers use this tool to cut and handle dough. It features a flat, rectangular blade with a straight or slightly curved edge and a handle attached to the top or bottom of the blade, just like a bench scraper.
The usually subtle difference? A dough cutter typically uses rigid plastic, while a bench scraper uses metal.
8. Melon Baller
Bakers and cooks use melon ballers to scoop round balls of fruit, such as melons, watermelons, apples, and pears. It features a small, scoop-shaped metal tool with a sharp edge used to cut into the fruit. It also comes with a handle used to grip and twist the tool.
The scoop of a melon baller comes in different sizes, depending on the fruit balls’ size. Some melon ballers have two different scoop sizes on each end of the tool, while others only come with one.
In addition, people use melon ballers to make fruit salads and fruit platters since they produce more enticing fruit presentations. You can also use them to make small round portions of other foods, such as cheese or butter.
When using a melon baller, choose ripe but firm fruit since overripe or soft fruit may not hold its shape well when scooped. You must also apply firm and consistent pressure when scooping to ensure the fruit balls come in uniform sizes and shapes.
9. Cake Slicer
A cake slicer is a cutting tool specifically designed for cutting and slicing cakes. It usually features a triangular blade attached to a plastic, metal, or wood handle.
In particular, a cake slicer lets you seamlessly cut through layered cakes, sheet cakes, round cakes, and more.
In addition, a cake slicer lets you cut precisely and evenly― something important when serving cakes to guests. With a cake slicer, you ensure that each slice comes out with the same size and shape.
10. Biscuit Cutter
A biscuit cutter is a small cutting tool that cuts dough into small, round shapes. Bakers use it to make biscuits, chocolate chip cookies, or scones.
It has a circular, sharp-edged metal ring with a plastic, metal, or wood handle. The cutter comes in many sizes, depending on the baked goods’ desired size.
You can also use it to cut through other foods, such as sandwiches or pancakes. When using a biscuit cutter, use firm and consistent pressure. Doing so ensures the baked goods have the same sizes and shapes. You must also flour the blade and your working surface to prevent the dough from sticking to it.
11. Egg Slicer
As its name implies, this cutting tool slices boiled eggs into thin, uniform slices. It features a small, rectangular, or oval-shaped frame with a hinged wire or blade used to slice through the egg.
Its blades are usually made of stainless steel. Cooks place the eggs in the frame and press down the slicing mechanism. Doing so cuts the egg into thin slices.
When using an egg slicer, make sure your boiled egg has cooled to room temperature. This prevents the egg from breaking or crumbling. You must also clean it thoroughly after each use to avoid bacteria build-up.
12. Cheese Cutter
Manufacturers specifically designed the cheese cutter for cutting and slicing cheese. It features a triangular blade with a hole in the middle.
However, some cheese cutters have a wire instead of a blade, which lets you cut softer cheeses more precisely.
A cheese cutter is handy when serving cheese as part of a platter or a cheese board or using it to garnish a cake.
13. Pastry Blender
A pastry blender or dough blender cuts fat into flour. Bakers use it to make pastry dough. It has a handle with several curved, stainless steel blades used to cut and blend the ingredients.
Bakers use it to cut cold butter or shortening into flour, resulting in a crumbly mixture that serves as the base of many pastry recipes. The blades are sturdy enough to cut through the fat but flexible enough to blend the dough evenly.
In addition, its blades feature stainless steel that can withstand blending fat, no matter how hard it is.
14. Cookie Cutter
As its name suggests, a cookie cutter cuts dough into different shapes to make beautiful cookies.
Cookie cutters come in small, metal shapes with sharp edges pressed into the dough to create the desired look. They also come in many shapes and sizes, such as hearts, stars, and animals.
Additionally, a cookie cutter saves you a lot of time and energy (compared to shaping each cookie by hand).
15. Kitchen Shears
Also known as kitchen scissors, kitchen sears cut and trim tons of food items. Their blades feature stainless steel or another durable material.
They also come in many sizes and shapes. Some shears have serrated edges, while others have specialized blades for specific tasks, like cutting through poultry bones or opening packaging.
16. Julienne Peeler
A julienne peeler is designed to cut vegetables into thin, uniform strips. It usually includes a handle with a blade set at a 90-degree angle.
The blade is sharp and has small teeth used to cut vegetables into thin, uniform strips. This helps you do recipes that require cutting ingredients into julienne strips, including salads and baking garnishes. The thin and uniform strips also ensure that the ingredients cook evenly.
17. Grater
Bakers and cooks use a grater to shred food items, like cheese, vegetables, and fruits. It usually features a metal surface with sharp, raised teeth and a handle used to grip and hold the grater in place.
Some graters have many surfaces for different types of grating. The smallest teeth are used for fine grating (e.g., grating parmesan cheese). On the other hand, the larger teeth are for coarser grating, like shredding carrots or potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The five baking tools are measuring cups and spoons, spatulas, baking tins or molds, whisks, and mixing bowls.
A bench knife or board scraper is a cutting tool used for cutting dough. It has a handle designed for one hand and a flat metal blade extending from the handle.
The seven baking tools are spatulas, oven mitts, beaters, air-tight cake containers, baking trays and molds, mixing bows, and measuring jugs.
A chef’s knife is the kind of tool used in cutting and shaping food. It’s a must in any kitchen. Use a chef’s knife to quickly cut, chop, slice, dice, and mince ingredients. Plus, regularly sharpen your knife to keep it working all the time.
Conclusion
From cake slicers and pastry blenders to cookie cutters and chef’s knives, having the right cutting tool can make a huge difference.
Plus, whether you’re a professional baker or a home cook, investing in durable cutting tools will take your baking game to the next level. It will also leave your guests and customers in awe of your treats.
So what are you waiting for? Print or bookmark this guide and start hunting those grocery (or online) aisles for cutting tools now!
About HICAPS
Over the years, HICAPS has helped bakers and businesses make delicious products by offering ingredients like ChiffonAide Cake Oil, Magic Whizk Whipping Cream, Red Velvet Flavor Emulco, and Instabake Brownie Mix.
HICAPS also provides tools and resources to valued partners, such as the free “How to Increase Your Sales Amidst the Pandemic” E-book and free dealer locator that helps look for baking ingredients near me.
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