Fixing Hard to Use Cookie Cutters

February 9, 2013 | 46 Comments »

One of my biggest cookie let downs are great cutters that for one reason or another, are hard to use.  Don’t you hate that?

1

One of the biggest offenders on my list are push and print cutters.  They work well for their intended purpose {printing a design on a plain cookie} but for decorating, not so much.

Luckily, making them more functional is a pretty quick fix.  It’s easier than unscrewing a light bulb, really.  Twist the the knob at the top of the cutter counter clockwise until it is loosened completely. Next, remove the spring and the press should fall  right out.  Easy breezy, huh?

The little hole on top is perfect because it keeps the cutter from forming those pesky air pockets, which we’ll talk about more in a sec.

2Every once in a while the knobs on top of push and prints are glued rather than threaded.  In this case all you need to do is pull hard enough on the handle to separate it from the press.  I’m not strong enough to do this myself, but my husband can do it without a problem.

Remember, though, if you do this to a glued cutter it’s pretty much permanent so make certain you’re cool with this before destroying your cutter.

3 If you think at some point you might want to use your cutters as originally intended, save the springs and presses.  If not, don’t throw them away.  They make perfect play dough stamps for the kids.  Mine use them all the time when they play with gingerbread play dough.

4

Now that we’ve covered push and prints, lets talk about these mustache cutters from Fred and Friends.

I was was super excited to use them, but immediately I noticed a HUGE flaw.  Since the cutters are not vented they form an air pocket when you cut.  If you don’t use a ton of flour and press down very slowly at an angle {and most times even then}, the air will actually push through from the bottom of the cutter resulting in a misshapen cookie {if it’s not hopelessly stuck inside}, which is not ideal for a fifteen dollar set.

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Once again, husband to the rescue! {Girls are perfectly capable of handling power tools of course, but for personal safety I don’t mess with them.}

Anywho, since the cutters are made of very sturdy plastic, he used a small bit to drill a couple of tiny holes through to top of each cutter.

6

Problem solved.  Perfectly shaped, dishwasher-safe mustache cutters that won’t cause you to have a brain aneurism.

7

My last little cutter fix is for cutters that have weird little angles and connections that are so thin and fragile that they inevitably break.  This tip usually only works for plastic cutters, but it comes in handy from time to time.

Don’t I have a nice husband fixing all these cutters for me?

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To fix cutters like this, use tin snips {a remnant of the days when I wanted to make my own cutters}, strong scissors, or maybe a very sharp knife {CAREFULLY} to open up weird little spaces that don’t work well when cutting.  See the difference?

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The one drawback to this type of fix is that it leaves a small gap, which has to be trimmed.   A tiny bit annoying, perhaps, but better than ditching an otherwise great cutter over one little flaw.

PS-I tried melting the ends together once but decided {after a nasty burn} to stick with trimming.

9 With a little creative of manipulation all of these cutters went from trash to treasure.

11If functionality keeps you from using your cutters don’t be afraid to modify them so that they work for your needs.  Afterall, an unused cutter does nothing more than waste valuable storage space.

Have a safe and relaxing weekend, cookie friends!

Sweet Sugar Belle, Tips
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