Want to know the secret to creating intricately frosted cakes, detailed pastries, and other stunning sweet treats? Piping tips provide the precision and accuracy needed to craft detailed dessert presentations. If you run a bakery, restaurant, or catering service, investing in a collection of high-quality piping tips is a great way to take frosted cakes and pastries to the next level. Piping tips are an essential baker’s tool because they provide a range of decorating options. Given there are endless options out there, it can be difficult to narrow down which piping tips work best for your business.
Whether you own a successful baking business or are just starting out, there are several buying points to consider when browsing through piping tips. Design, style, size, and materials are all key in determining which piping tips meet the needs of your kitchen. This buying guide provides helpful tips and information so you can make a well-informed buying decision.
Which Kind Of Piping Tips Should I Choose?
Take a look at the kinds of baked goods made each day at your bakery to determine which piping tips you and your employees will find most useful. If you’re pumping out several batches of cupcakes, pastries, and cakes at a time, then it's best to invest in long-lasting piping tips. Piping tips are typically made from metal or plastic, and each material has its own differentiating features.
Plastic Piping Tips
Ideal for at-home bakers or beginner pastry chefs, plastic piping tips are relatively new compared to traditional metal piping tips. Plastic piping tips are extremely durable and won't bend, break, or rust. Some plastic piping tips are transparent for clear visibility of frostings and any air bubbles. Plastic piping tips are great for bakers on a budget and are much less expensive than metal piping tips. However, most plastic piping tips aren’t dishwasher-safe or heat-safe, making it challenging to properly clean or create decorations with hot liquids.
Metal Piping Tips
Great for established bakers at restaurants and catering services, metal piping tips are worth the investment. Metal piping tips are most commonly used by professional pastry chefs and bakers, as they are durable and can withstand frequent use, making them perfect for fast-paced kitchens. These kinds of piping tips are usually made from aluminum or stainless steel. Long-lasting and corrosion-resistant, metal piping tips maintain their appearance throughout daily use. Metal piping tips are ideal for creating defined, precise designs and work well with all kinds of piping bags. Metal piping tips are safe for hot and cold liquids, and can even be put in the dishwasher for quick cleanup after decorating.
Individual Piping Tips Vs. Piping Tip Sets
Once you’ve begun searching for piping tips, you’ll notice that they are usually packaged in sets or individually. Depending on your specific needs, purchasing piping tips in either a set or individually each has its own benefits.
Piping Tip Sets
The number of piping tips found in sets usually ranges from 10 to 100 different kinds of styles. Piping tip sets are ideal for bakers who are looking to own a variety of tips to have several options while decorating desserts. Purchasing piping tips in a set has great financial advantages, but prices can vary so make sure to do some comparative research before settling on a set. If you already own a piping tip set you are satisfied with, it's definitely worth investing in individual piping tips.
Individual Piping Tips
Individual piping tips work perfectly for those looking to complete their decorating supplies with tips that a set might not have or who are simply looking for unique piping tips to make creative dessert presentations. Individual piping tips allow you to get specific in the designs you are looking to make on cupcakes or cakes, while piping tip sets offer a generalized, basic collection of tips to get started.
Different Styles of Piping Tips
Piping tips are often organized into different families or styles, depending on the shape and size of the nozzle. Different styles of piping tips have different purposes, and many bakers determine which piping tip to use based on the desserts they’re working on. Below are several styles of piping tips, and what they are typically used for.
- Round Piping Tips: Great for outlining details, creating dots, lines, and filling in shapes
- Open Star Piping Tips: Create stars, shells, flowers, and rosettes
- Closed Star Piping Tips: Ideal for frosting cupcakes, creating stars, flowers, and fleur-de-lis
- Leaf Piping Tips: Great for creating leaves and complementing flowers
- Petal Piping Tips:: Excellent for creating cake borders, curves, and large frosted flowers
- Ruffle Piping Tips: Create intricate borders, ruffles, scallops, bows, and ribbons
- Drop Flower Piping Tips: Great for making quick, one-squeeze flowers
- Grass Piping Tips: Create grass and can be used for unique designs
- Basketweave Piping Tips: Design smooth or serrated basketweave designs
- Multi-Opening Piping Tips: Can be used to create string, hair, or beads
- Swirl Piping Tips: Great for filling, outlining, and borders
What Kind Of Piping Tips Work For Me?
As you can see, there is a wide variety of piping tips to choose from. Each style of piping tip can be used to create specific designs and patterns. Piping tips are made in a range of sizes, and while larger sizes are ideal for frosting tiered cakes and pies, smaller sizes are perfect for decorating cupcakes and pastries. Be sure to purchase a variety of piping tips in several sizes and styles.
At first glance, you might think that in order to create a particular design, you need a specific piping tip to properly execute it. This isn’t always the case, as you can use one kind of piping tip for several different designs. For example, round piping tips can be used to create dots, but they can also be used to create swirls, lines, or write out words. Star piping tips can create borders, flowers, and completely frost cupcakes, apart from making stars. For the best possible investment, select piping tips that are made with long-lasting materials and are designed for versatile use. Get creative and use several styles of piping tips to decorate a single dessert for a show-stopping presentation, or streamline cupcake decorating with a reliable set of piping tips.
