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See why.The Best Biscuit Cutters
Do biscuit cutters really matter?
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See Everything We TestedWhat You Need To Know
Crafty home cooks punch out biscuits with old aluminum cans, overturned glasses, and even Mason jar rings. But using a makeshift cutter with rounded edges can compress the sides of dough, leading to misshapen biscuits. We prefer to use biscuit cutters, round cutting tools with sharp edges that make even cuts and thus produce tall, symmetrical biscuits. We tried eight sets, priced from about $10.00 to $60.00, all containing between four and 11 different-size rings. We used the cutters on a buttery biscuits dough, a wetter cream biscuits dough, and an elastic pierogi dough.
Though we tried every cutter in each set, most biscuit recipes call for a 2-, 2 1/2-, or 3-inch biscuit cutter. Oddly, none of the sets in our lineup hit these sizes on the mark when we measured them ourselves, but as long as they came close (within ⅛ inch), we didn’t dock them points. One smaller set missed the 3-inch mark by 1/4 inch, making pierogi that were far too small and overstuffed—a definite problem.
Sticking wasn’t an issue; all the cutters easily relinquished the doughs, especially when we dipped the ring in flour before cutting (as we usually call for in our recipes). Cutting integrity was a bigger concern, especially when working with elastic, stretchy pierogi dough and wet cream biscuits. Flimsier cutters made from thin, malleable metal or plastic easily warped under the pressure of our hands, making lopsided, misshapen biscuits and pierogi. Two sets with handles initially seemed like they’d give us a sturdier grip, but the handles forced testers to grip the cutter with a closed fist, limiting our range of motion and leaving us struggling to turn the cutter in the dough. Double-sided cutters were also out: Their sharp edges pushed painfully into our fingers as we used them. We preferred single-sided sets made from thicker metal or strong plastic, which allowed us to apply sturdy, even pressure for perfectly round biscuits.
Durability proved a high hurdle for some cutters. After just three rounds in the dishwasher, one set’s handles broke off. Another set that was made from tin rusted. Our favorite sets were made from stainless steel or tough, durable plastic. In the end, we returned to our old standby, the Ateco 5357 11-Piece Plain Round Cutter Set, which is made from tough stainless steel and didn’t warp or rust. This set comes with 11 sizes (a bit of overkill, perhaps) nested in a handy storage case and produced biscuits that were tall, even, and perfectly round.
Everything We Tested
Highly Recommended
- Cutting: 3 stars out of 3.
- Handling: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Usefulness: 3 stars out of 3.
Our old favorite, these stainless-steel cutters once again won over testers for their crisp, sharp edges and strong, durable metal. Biscuits made with these cutters were the tallest and most pristine of the bunch, and the cutters stood up to multiple washes without warping or rusting.
- Cutting: 3 stars out of 3.
- Handling: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Usefulness: 3 stars out of 3.
These cutters, made from a blend of resin and fiberglass, felt secure in testers’ hands and glided through dough effortlessly. They didn’t warp as we cut with them, and they still looked immaculate after multiple runs through the dishwasher. This is a great set if price isn’t an issue, but there wasn’t any performance improvement over the winning Ateco set.
Recommended
- Cutting: 3 stars out of 3.
- Handling: 2 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Usefulness: 3 stars out of 3.
These plastic cutters were perfectly sharp and easy for most to hold, though a few testers complained that the slicker plastic prevented them from getting the sturdiest grip. Still, they made tall, uniform biscuits and shapely pierogi and cleaned up easily in the dishwasher.
- Cutting: 2 stars out of 3.
- Handling: 2 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Usefulness: 3 stars out of 3.
Testers loved that this colorful set of double-sided plastic cutters had measurements printed on the outside of each ring, making it much easier to pick out the right size. Though they glided easily through buttery biscuit dough, these cutters struggled on elastic pierogi dough. A few testers found it painful to press against these cutters’ second edges while cutting.
Not Recommended
- Cutting: 3 stars out of 3.
- Handling: 2 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 1 stars out of 3.
- Usefulness: 3 stars out of 3.
This set looked like a clone of the Ateco cutters, and at first we were fooled— they cut easily and felt sturdy in our hands when shaping buttery biscuits. But we noticed that they were a little flimsier on elastic pierogi dough and, to our shock, they emerged from the dishwasher coated in rust.
- Cutting: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Handling: 2 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 1 stars out of 3.
- Usefulness: 2 stars out of 3.
The handles on these hefty metal cutters got in the way as we shaped biscuits and impeded our ability to cut elastic doughs. One of the cutters in this set lost one its handles after just three rounds in the dishwasher.
- Cutting: 2 stars out of 3.
- Handling: 1.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Usefulness: 1 stars out of 3.
Since the largest cutter in this set was only 2¾ inches in diameter, pierogi emerged too small and overstuffed. Testers struggled to get a strong grip on the thin, flat handles of these cutters, which slipped around as we cut and distorted the dough.
- Cutting: 2 stars out of 3.
- Handling: 1 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 1 stars out of 3.
- Usefulness: 1 stars out of 3.
These double-sided cutters required testers to push down on their sharp edges, which was painful on our hands. Worse, they were made from flimsy, thin metal that warped with only little bit of pressure, making lopsided, misshapen biscuits. By the end of testing, these cutters were dented and dinged all over.
Reviews you can trust
Reviews you can trust
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