Why use the pastry cutter: the advantages

We live in the century of food and we are constantly surrounded by numerous TV shows that talk about cooking. Today it is normal to want to experiment more and more at home, cooking new dishes and improvising starred chefs for our friends and partners. The beauty of cooking for those who love us is that we will not be judged, but above all that complex tools and mind-boggling tools are not needed.

One of the tools most often seen in amateur television shows is the pastry cutter (original name coppapasta or pastry ring). If this tool intrigues you and you want to learn more about its functions and benefits, read this guide and follow our tips to learn more about the pastry ring.

What is a pastry cutter

More and more often you see this strange but interesting utensil on television or at a friend's house, you know it's called pastry cutter (or coppapasta) but you don't know what it is? Let's talk!

Put simply, we can define a pastry cutter as a kitchen tool that has the shape of a mold - generally metallic - and without a bottom, with an upper and sometimes even lateral opening. The pastry cutter were created with the aim of modeling any type of cooked dish and preparation: from pasta with sauce to risotto, from vegetable flans to tartare, and so on. These tools are often also called rings given their shape very similar to that of a cylinder.

In reality, there are not only round pastry rings: there are models created in different shapes and with the most disparate sizes (heart-shaped, rectangular, triangular, square and many more). Despite this, the best-selling and best-known one is certainly 7 cm circular pastry ring in stainless steel.

There are many differences between the different models: a model can have a larger diameter or a smaller depth, the manufacturing materials and the shape, as well as the quality, change. However, the pastry cutter is considered a useful and fun tool for experimenting in the kitchen and for preparing interesting dishes not only for taste, but also for aesthetics and presentation of the same.

How to properly use a pastry cutter

This interesting tool turns out to be a truly versatile and multifunctional tool: it really has tons of uses! The possibilities for those who cook using a pastry ring are many, which is why it is really worth buying it. What are the main uses of a pastry cutter? Let's find out together in the next few lines.

Use a pastry ring to serve

While it's not the purpose for this kitchen tool, it's now definitely the main reason people buy it. In fact, with a pastry cutter it is really easy and immediate to serve any dish or food in a precise, elegant and rigorous way. Thanks to this simple tool you can give a dish a round, square, rectangular, drop shape and many more. How to do it?

It's really simple: the tool must be placed on the plate and, inside, must be inserted until the food is filled. This can be pasta, rice or risotto, vegetables, creams, mousses, mashed potatoes, doughs or more. The shapes are infinite and depend on the type of model.

Once the pastry ring has been filled with food, the metal tool needs to be removed. To do this, you must first press lightly on its contents (for example using the back of a teaspoon).

After that, you have to quickly remove the tool: the dish can now be served! A trick to remove the pastry ring more easily is grease it with a little oil or lightly butter it: you can thus minimize any accidents along the way!

Use a pastry cutter to cut the pasta

It may seem crazy, but the pastry cutter was created to cut fresh pasta. In fact, to create magnificent ravioli or perfect tortellini, the pastry rings are the ideal tool. The very name of this kitchen tool derives from this purpose: in fact, "coppare" is an (antiquated) synonym of cutting. It was used by housewives and cooks as the main tool for shredding and shaping egg pasta.

Its size is suitable and its normal dimensions allow to obtain the mold for pasta, ravioli and tortelli. Some pastry rings are used to create biscuits and small sweets of various shapes, as well as small cut out sponge cake decorations.

Use a pastry ring to prepare some desserts

There are some desserts, such as the delicious and traditional American apple pies, which can be made from a pastry ring. However, not only the classic dessert covered with layers of dough and apples, but also the chicken pie and the delicious strudel can be prepared with this tool. Many and different crust recipes, which have an abundant internal filling or a filling with a lot of humidity, require small surface openings.

These openings are necessary to allow all the water vapor created during preparation to escape from the cake during cooking. If it stays inside the cake, the steam could make the preparation excessively moist. In some cases, simple cuts on the top surface of the cake may be sufficient, while in many other cases it may be essential to create a vent in the shape of a chimney.

For this function pastry rings are perfectly suited: these tools, round or square, as long as they are small, can be used to create the water vapor vent. It will be enough to insert them on the top of the cake before cooking, so that they cut out an opening. After that, they must be held in place while the cake is cooking and finally they must be removed when the cake is cooked and ready to be placed on the table.

Benefits and advantages of using a pastry cutter

We have explored the topic and now we know that the pastry cutter is a versatile, economical but with enormous potential. It can be used for cooking, for serving or for simple operations such as cutting pasta.

The search for a excellent pastry cutter to create perfect dishes can be difficult if you are looking for different shapes to serve. Classic plating requires a round shaped stainless steel pastry rings 9 cm or 12 cm in diameter, while the pastry rings ideal for cutting pasta must be smaller in size, but we always recommend the stainless steel for the high quality of the material. The most popular on the market are the round pastry rings.

An added benefit of this product is that it can easily be made at home. In fact, there are many tutorials on how to make - from the comfort of your own home - a DIY pastry cutter. These tools therefore prove to be essential allies for those who want to start their career as a home and amateur chef.

Prepare wonderful dinners and serving delicious dishes will become child's play thanks to this small but essential kitchen tool!