For the Desserts

The 18 x 26-inch mat lines a commercial full-size sheet pan, the size used in bakeries and restaurant kitchens. It is food-grade silicone over a fiberglass mesh, for high-volume cookies, sugar work and roasting that would otherwise use sheet after sheet of parchment.Cooked sugar and caramel lift off the silicone cleanly and the mat wipes clean with a soapy sponge. For the other size, see the 13 x 18-inch half-sheet mat. Learn More

Dusting from a sieve scatters sugar beyond the plate. A small shaker with a fine mesh top puts a light, even layer exactly where you aim it: across a tart, over French toast or on top of a cappuccino.This one holds 4 ounces in stainless steel and fits in one hand at a busy station. We tested it with three distinct textures: ultra-fine powdered sugar, medium-grain cinnamon sugar and all-purpose flour.For flouring the bench or dusting in quantity, see the Ateco 1348 10 oz. shaker, which also has a lid for storage. Learn More

A 12-inch bag holds a modest amount of icing, which is often an advantage. Small batches of colored buttercream for borders, writing or a dozen cupcakes are easier to control in a short bag, and less icing is left behind when the color changes.Ateco’s Flex bags are nylon coated with polyurethane, a combination that stays supple in the hand and does not let icing seep through. A Flex bag has a softer feel and gives better control than a traditional plastic-coated cloth bag.For a full batch of buttercream, move up to the Flex 18-inch. The Flex 14-inch sits between the two. Our pastry bag buying guide compares every reusable material we stock. Learn More

The 12 tubes in this set are the larger pastry tubes used for choux, meringue, cupcakes and cake icing. Most decorating kits are built around small flower and writing tubes, so this one is the better match for pastry work.A Range of ShapesFour plain tubes run from 1/4 inch to 5/8 inch for macarons, choux and filling. Three open stars, two closed stars and two French stars give a choice of ridge styles for rosettes, swirls and meringue. A 789 cake icer completes the set for applying wide bands of buttercream to cake sides.ExtrasA tube cleaning brush and a plastic storage box are included, and the packaging is printed in three languages.For a complete run of a single style, see the Ateco 810 Plain or 830 Open Star sets. Learn More

This 29-piece set suits decorators who have outgrown a starter kit and want a full range of small tubes in one box. It holds 26 stainless steel tubes, two flower nails and a standard coupler, with instructions for each tube.What the Tubes CoverThe tubes span the main families of cake decoration: plain tubes for writing and dots, star tubes for borders and rosettes, leaf tubes, a basketweave tube, and petal tubes for roses and ruffles. The flower nails turn the petal tubes into a full flower station, and the coupler lets you change tubes without emptying the bag.StorageThe set comes in a plastic storage box with a place for each piece, which keeps the small tubes from getting lost in a drawer.For a larger range, including grass and drop flower tubes, see the Ateco 783 55-Piece Set. For large pastry tubes rather than decorating tubes, see the Ateco 786. Learn More

Each side of this triangular comb is cut with a different serrated pattern, giving three textures from one small tool. Hold an edge against buttercream as the cake turns for horizontal ridges, or drag it across the top for lines.At 4.25 inches per side, it suits smaller cakes and cupcakes. The comb is cut from aluminum in the USA and can hang from its punched hole.For a larger comb with a flat smoothing edge, see the Ateco 1447. Learn More

A cake tester is a thin metal needle for checking whether the center of a cake is baked. Insert it and pull it out: wet batter means more time, a few moist crumbs means done. Professional bakers often touch the tip of the needle to their wrist to gauge the internal temperature of the cake.The needle is much thinner than a wooden skewer, so the hole it leaves is barely visible. It also checks fish and roasted vegetables for doneness. A loop at the top lets it hang near the oven, and the tester has the durability and rust resistance Ateco has been known for since 1905.To keep the center of a large cake from underbaking, see the Ateco 1449 Heating Cores. Learn More

Hands leave fingerprints in fondant; a smoother leaves a polished surface. Run this paddle over the top and sides of a fondant-covered cake to press out air bubbles and small dents.The rectangular shape has squared corners that reach the edge where the top meets the side, and the handle gives a steady grip while you work.For textured buttercream finishes, see the Ateco 1447 decorating comb. Learn More

Bread bakers keep a scraper in hand for the whole session: scraping dough out of the bowl, dividing it on the bench and lifting it to the scale. This large plastic scraper is 7.5 by 4.75 inches, big enough for a commercial mixer bowl.The curved edge clears bowls; the straight edge cuts dough and scrapes crusted flour from the work surface at the end of the day.The Ateco 1303 is the smaller size. For tempering chocolate on marble, use the Ateco 1319 metal scraper. Learn More