Alexandra Ramirez
1. Wilton
Best Overall Cookie Cutters
5/5 Product Rating
They contain a 1/3” comfort edge and a deep blade for easy use. These cutters can be used for cutting out all kinds of foods including cookies, sandwiches and more. They are a lot of fun for crafting as well.
Included are different shapes for all the holidays including Halloween, Christmas, Fourth of July, Valentine’s Day and for all the diehard football fans, Super Bowl Sunday.
There is also a complete alphabet set of cutters that enables you to bake “name” cookies. Add in sports, animals, flowers and numbers and you have an array of cookie cutters that will please everyone.
These fun, brightly colors cookie cutters are easy to clean and can be washed in the upper part of the dishwasher. This set makes a beautiful gift for a new baking graduate or an avid baker that bakes for enjoyment.
– Sarah Lytle
2. Norpro
Best Overall Cookie Cutters – Runner Up
4.7/5 Product Rating
Each cutter is made from tin plated, heavy duty steel that is perfect for using as a pancake mold, cutting cookies, soft fruits, cheeses, breads, sandwiches and much more. These cutters are not dishwasher safe and should be hand washed and dried immediately.
These Ann Clark cookie cutters are made in Vermont and include a snowflake, star, snow covered tree, angel and a gingerbread man. It is the perfect holiday cookie cutter set with each cutter measuring over 3” square.
When you purchase a set of Ann Clark cookie cutters you can rest assured that you are getting exceptional quality cookie cutters from a family owned company that prides itself on durability, quality and competitively priced cutters that have been manufactured from certified metal and that meet the safety requirements that can give you peace of mind as well.
– Sarah Lytle
3. Ateco
Best Budget Cookie Cutters
4.5/5 Product Rating
There are 10 different animal shaped cookie cutters in this set. Each one is made of durable stainless steel and measures about 1 ½”. They are the perfect size for small, child-size cookies that even little fingers can hold easily.
Ateco is known for their high quality restaurant and bakery tools. These professional quality cutters will last a long time so every year you can make your beloved animal shaped cookies.
These steel, durable cookie cutters are an excellent gift for any avid baker and will become a favorite with kids of all ages. The animal cookie cutters are packaged in a tin making them convenient to store in a drawer or on a shelf.
– Sarah Lytle
Cookie Cutters Buying Guide
Cookie Cutter Materials
Cookie cutters are made from many different materials. They are most often made from plastic, metal, silicone and even wood. We have listed the most common materials below with some characteristics of each type.
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Metal – cookie cutters can be made from copper, stainless steel, aluminum or tin. Some have handles that make using them much easier especially if you are cutting out large batches of cookies. Handles do make storing the cutters a little more difficult. We have provided a little information about each of the metals used for cookie cutters.
- Tin – Tin cookie cutters are pliable and very inexpensive. They should not be washed in the dishwasher and you will need to dry them by hand immediately after washing to prevent the cutters from rusting. Store tin cookie cutters in a container that allows room so they don’t get bent.
- Aluminum – This metal is also inexpensive and pliable but aluminum cutters won’t rust like tin will. You should also store these in a container that allows for extra space.
- Stainless Steel – This sturdy metal won’t rust as easily but you will need to be mindful of keeping them dry after washing. Stainless steel cookie cutters are much stronger than tin or aluminum so you won’t have the bending that can happen with the more pliable metals.
- Copper – This is the most expensive of all the metal cookie cutters. They are very beautiful and make great collectibles. Although copper cutters can tarnish over time, they won’t rust.
- Plastic – Plastic cookie cutters are very inexpensive and popular with many bakers. They have a ton of different shapes and sizes available. Some plastic cookie cutters have handles so if this is something you want, be sure to look for cutters that have them. They can make cutting easier. Other benefits to plastic are that they are perfect for young children to handle and easy to wash by hand and store. (after drying) Make sure that you don’t use the dishwasher since the heat of the dishwasher can warp or melt the plastic.
- Wood – Wood cookie cutters are much less common and are designed more for decorative or collectible use than functional use. They are beautiful but much harder to find nowadays.
Cookie Cutter Shapes
There are hundreds of different shapes of cookie cutters. Even if you can’t find a particular shape there are crafters available that can probably make a cookie cutter in the shape you are looking for. We’ve listed some of the more popular cookie cutter shapes and the seasons that are most often celebrated by making specialty cookies. Making cookies is an activity that is enjoyed by adults and kids alike so having many different types of cookie cutters means that you can enjoy this fun activity a lot more than just at Christmas.
Easter – Adding Easter themed (and shaped) cookies to your child’s Easter basket is an addition they will love. Common cookie cutter Easter shapes include eggs, bunnies, flowers, crosses and even kites.
Fourth of July – Summer cookouts, barbecues and picnics are the perfect reasons to bake cookies. Fourth of July is a popular holiday where you can get some terrific themed cookies cutters. Popular shapes include flags, stars, and fireworks.
Halloween – Add some fun spooky shaped Halloween cookies to your Halloween parties. Cookie cutters are available in all kind of fun spooky shapes including witches hats, cats, ghosts, skeletons, witches, and spiders.
Christmas – Christmas is the most popular time to bake loads of cookies. There are many wonderful cookie cutter shapes to use at Christmastime. These include Christmas trees, stars, round ornaments, gingerbread people, candy canes and more.
Other Types of Cookie Shaping Tools
Cookie Presses – A cookie press makes cooking large batches of cookies a lot easier. A cookie press looks like a gun that has been loaded with cookie dough. The baker presses the trigger and the dough is squeezed through the press into the shape you have selected. It is another way to make shapes although the size and variety of cookie press shapes is not as expansive as cookie cutters.
Cookie Stamps – Cookie stamps are another common cookie shaping tool. A cookie stamp is a rolling pin style tool with shapes on the sides of the roller. Once the dough is spread out, the baker rolls the cookie stamp over the dough and the shapes are pressed into the dough. There are also separate stamps that can be used. Again these have a lot of choices but do not take the place of a quality set of cookie cutters. Most bakers end up having several cookie tools in their baking supplies.
Vintage Cookie Cutters
Vintage cookie cutters are very popular as collectibles and decorative items. You can find antique cookie cutters all over the place. When you are shopping for your own set of cookie cutters, keep in mind that by spending the time to find exceptional quality cutters, you could be purchasing cookie cutters that you will want to pass down to your own children or grandchildren. Quality vintage cookie cutters can still be functional if they have been taken care of and are free from rust.
Storing Your Cookie Cutters
When you are looking for the perfect cookie cutters for your kitchen make sure you keep storage in mind. Cutters with handles will not usually fit into a kitchen drawer so you will need to put them in another place. Purchasing a plastic container with a lid with plenty of room for all your cookie cutters is a great choice and can be stored in a cabinet or on a pantry shelf.
Conclusion
People have been using cookie cutters for hundreds of years. They are still just as popular now as they used to be. Using cookie cutters enables you to bake cookies in a large variety of shapes that can be decorated and given as gifts at the holidays or can be used to celebrate picnics, birthdays and other special events.
There are tons of different cookie cutters available in so many different shapes there are too many to list. Choosing the right materials for your cookie cutters and having a large array of shapes can make using them even more enjoyable. Not only will you have perfectly shaped cookies every time, you will have beautiful foods to serve at your gatherings, parties, and holiday events that will make people feel good and smile.
The three top cookie cutter sets that we have featured above are excellent sets that are made from durable materials that will last when taken care of properly. These choices and any other cookie cutters you are considering will be much easier to research and sort through so you choose a set that will be perfect for your baking needs.
Resources
- Ateco – http://www.atecousa.com/
- Wilton – http://www.wilton.com/
- Ann Clark – https://www.annclarkcookiecutters.com/
