The Most Overpriced Pastry Tool Ever

[chefpeon]

So I was shopping around online this morning, and I came across this cool rolling pin type pastry strip cutter......I was thinkin' "Hey, I could really use that..." and then I looked at the price.....

FOR THAT??????

It can't be right.....can it??

Edited September 10, 2005 by chefpeon (log)

[cherimoya]

Maybe it is made of platinum

[Patrick S]

Think long-term. Use it every day for 300 years, and it more than pays for itself in labor savings.

[Apicio]

It is a lot less here:

http://pastrychef.com/Catalog/universal_ad...tter_612543.htm

But still pretty stiff. Check out the three other adjustable cutters, they are a lot less.

Cheaper still is a metal ruler and a pizza cutter.

[Carrot Top]

This is obviously what a person needs to buy to hang on their front door if there is a Sub-Zero refrigerator in the kitchen.

Just to set the right mood, you know.

A little touch of autumn leaves twisted alongside, some pine tree bits, maybe a touch of heather or gorse or fraise de bois in the summertime et voila! One knows Ones Place in Life.

[CanadianBakin']

WOW!! I googled it and found one as high as $908.99 on sale! I looks like an awesome tool but oh my goodness! It looks like the pastry chef one is the best price.

[chefpeon]

Cheaper still is a metal ruler and a pizza cutter.

Well, duh....that's what I use NOW. I'm talking time savings here. I STILL think that's too much, even though it might pay for itself over maybe.......10 years.

[chefpeon]

Hey, the one at Pastry Chef Central is a much better deal...."ONLY" $219 AND it's adjustable!

The other one isn't adjustable at all!

I'm still not buyin' it though. I wouldn't use it often enough to make it worthwhile. But maybe if I had it I would make strips more often.......oh God....here I go.......

[chefpeon]

This is obviously what a person needs to buy to hang on their front door if there is a Sub-Zero refrigerator in the kitchen.

Have you ever noticed that people with "to die for kitchens" rarely ever cook? At least the people I know don't. I have this next door neighbor, Phil, who has the AWESOMEST kitchen....including a commercial gas cooktop/oven. But he doesn't even KNOW HOW TO COOK. He comes to my deli for takeout......all the time.......

[Carrot Top]

This is obviously what a person needs to buy to hang on their front door if there is a Sub-Zero refrigerator in the kitchen.

Have you ever noticed that people with "to die for kitchens" rarely ever cook? At least the people I know don't. I have this next door neighbor, Phil, who has the AWESOMEST kitchen....including a commercial gas cooktop/oven. But he doesn't even KNOW HOW TO COOK. He comes to my deli for takeout......all the time.......

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Yeah. It's a "style thing". I have known people like this who use the excuse that putting together a kitchen of this sort "improves the real estate value". Okay.

Who needs real estate value when you can have a good home cooked dinner is my feeling, but. . after years of things like this bothering me, at some point I just gave up.

Really, I am getting spooked though on eG today. Just after reading this thread, I went on to the "supermarket duh's thread" and the world is beginning to take on Twilight Zone dimensions.

I had intended to go grocery shopping then cook, but now I think I'll take a nap and hide in the house instead. AND avoid on-line shopping!

[Apicio]

In time it will roll off your work table and instead of cutting a straight line it would leave perforations that you have to separately cleanly with your metal ruler and pizza cutter.

Before that happens, the time you saved repeating a procedure will all be eaten up with

cleaning your special tool. I am playing the role of devil's advocate here.

[Apicio]

Actually, not the most expensive. I just saw a thread on guitar cutters and J B Prince carries one for $5,000.00. Now, how many pounds of chocolate do you have to sell to recover that cost?

[chromedome]

I use this kind, and it works just fine for almost anything I could think of.

Wheel cutter

I thought that croissant cutters were a pretty neat idea, too, until I priced them out.

[Trishiad]

Oh dear, I have to admit I have one very similar. I bought it for slicing slabs of caramel because I couldn't afford a guitar slicer. It wasn't quite as expensive, around $120, I think. It is really heavy duty and slices anything with enough elbow grease and it is a real B...H to clean!

[chefpeon]

Yeah, I know those Guitar Cutters are major expensive, but I sort of thought it MIGHT be justified with the precision metal "strings" that are threaded on it.....even so, ridiculously pricey.

I thought the rolling pin strip cutter was even more ridiculous, just because, although it's a great idea.....it's just so.......low-tech.

I do like those wheel cutters that Chromedome mentioned, but I've used them more for light scoring than actual cutting......it's hard to apply even pressure over a wide area to get a complete cut. That's if you're doing brownies or some such......thin doughs though, it works pretty well. Nice reasonable price too!

Man.....$119 for a croissant cutter....gimme a break!!!

Why is it that the equipment that truly makes our jobs easier is marketed to people like me who hardly make enough to afford it????

[jgm]

Don't we have any enterpreneurs among us?

Seems like this is a golden opportunity to build a simple, very good tool, and sell it for a reasonable price.

Anybody...?

[freddurf]

But did you notice the shipping is free.....so that makes it worth it.....yeah right.

[ladyyoung98]

Actually, not the most expensive.  I just saw a thread on guitar cutters and  J B Prince carries one for $5,000.00.  Now, how many pounds of chocolate do you have to sell to recover that cost?

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im thinking about a million pounds.....

But did you notice the shipping is free.....so that makes it worth it.....yeah right.

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funny you should mention that one.. ... there have been many times when my fiance will tiptoe through the internet for kitchen gadgets..hit on a high price one and sit there and try to justify its possible purchase by telling me that the shipping is free..at which point i have to sit there an question his sanity..... .... im trying real hard to curb that sort of thing as it just makes my scotts blood shudder.....

Edited September 11, 2005 by ladyyoung98 (log)

[Pam R]

I use this kind, and it works just fine for almost anything I could think of.

Wheel cutter

I use these too. .. also known as a pasta cutter according to this site. I have a couple and use them mostly for cutting puff pastry.

For things like brownies or squares, I use something closer to this - though mine is somewhat rounder.

For tools that are that expensive, it often pays to go to auctions - we've picked up lots of stuff over the years that we'd never pay for new!

[andiesenji]

Check out the ones at Fantes

The one happens to have wavy wheels, but it works quite well.

A baker friend made a multiple strip cutter using a threaded steel rod and the large Olfa rotary blades - probably the 60 mm size - made for cutting fabric. To make the handles at each end he simply drilled holes in two pieces cut from a large wood dowel. I think those particular replacement blades come in a package, 5 for 15.99.

I thought it was pretty clever. His wife is a quilter and he got the idea watching her use the rotary cutter to cut multiple layers of fabrics into small squares.

He uses it to cut long thin strips for braiding Danish dough that are formed into rings. This is not a regular three-strand braid, the ones he does are multiple, very complex braids. I have watched him do them several times and have never been able to duplicate it.

[chefette]

J.B. Prince

B918 30 - MULTIPLE DISC CUTTER-ROD ONLY

Price $26.80

B919 - ROLLER CUTTER FOR B918 30

Price $14.70

[CanadianBakin']

Anne, chefette is definitely on to something. Here's the link. I think I might even get one. Thanks chefette!

J.B. Prince

B918 30 - MULTIPLE DISC CUTTER-ROD ONLY

Price $26.80

B919 - ROLLER CUTTER FOR B918 30

Price $14.70

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[alanamoana]

the one pictured initially has 12 blades which if calculated at the JB Prince price is 12 blades @ 14.70/ea + the handle = 203.20 + tax + shipping...

although the one which started this thread is almost twice as much, it still isn't cheap. on the other hand, the one described by andiesenji actually sounds reasonable and pretty easy to put together.

[chefpeon]

the one pictured initially has 12 blades which if calculated at the JB Prince price is 12 blades @ 14.70/ea + the handle = 203.20 + tax + shipping...

Ooooh.....chefette.....I had my hopes up there for a while.....but alanamoana brought me down again..... Good catch!

However it's STILL far cheaper than the initial link I posted to Kitchen Universe. Given the huge range in prices on those things, I do believe someone's in the business of ripping us poor PC's off.

I can actually see maybe paying $200 for one.....but $499? Outrageous.

If I ever had the great fortune to get one, I'd NEVER let the dishwasher TOUCH IT!!!

Edited September 11, 2005 by chefpeon (log)

[alanamoana]

chefpeon:

i thought we pc's were dishwashers?! i never send anything to the dishwasher for fear of: losing expensive molds/cutter, destroying cake rings (oval from round anyone?), etc, etc.