Hey bakers and cake decorators, stop squandering pastry bags!

The Bag Adapter Kit

The Bag Adapter Kit is one of those ingenious products that could only come from the mind of someone who’s intimate with a particular trade. This trade happens to be cake decorating and the inventor is Michelle Hageman.

A baker/decorator for 30 years in the San Diego area, Hageman got tired of having pastry bags that could only accommodate one size coupler. To wit:

“At the end of the week, when you work in a bakery, you’re down to bags that will only get used if you’re putting icing on a cake or cupcake,” she told a the host of a morning TV news program. “When you go to get a coupler to put through the bag itself, you’ll find you have a bag you can’t use.”

“I got tired of that. Who wants to stop what they’re doing and go buy more bags?”

So, Hageman invented the Bag Adapter Kit (“we’ve got your BAK” seems to be company’s motto). It’s a simple, inexpensive device: a conical plastic piece that slides inside any pastry bag allowing you to use any size coupler (and thus decorating tip) with the bag – no matter how big the hole you cut. The BAK essentially returns the pastry bag to its original, uncut form. Here’s a video with Hageman demonstrating the BAK:

You can get a BAK at Chef Tools right now. We’re very excited about it. A long season of holiday baking kicked off last week with Rosh Hashanah, so what better time to try the BAK? Save time, save money, save pastry bags, save a trip to the store. Above all, create awesome baked confections. If you decorate cakes, cupcakes or anything else – whether as your job, hobby or for your grateful family – the BAK was made for you.

(And trying BAK benefits a good cause: Hageman donates 2 percent of all proceeds to the charity, Autism Speaks.)

Halloween Edibles

Halloween Monster Head Minis

Halloween will be here shortly and until it arrives we can't help but think about spooky cookies, cupcakes, cakes and more. You never need an excuse to bake, but when a holiday comes around it is the perfect opportunity to show off your skills. Our Halloween Edible Decorations department is designed to enhance your baked treats so you spend less time decorating and more time baking. The Monster Head Minis (pictured left) are perfect for Halloween cookies. Simply ice a fresh batch of cookies and place these edible images on top of each cookie. It is a quick way to add a little style and fun to a regular old Halloween cookie. We also have sprinkles, edible images for cakes, and sugar dec-ons, everything you would ever need to jazz up a Halloween treat. Shop all Halloween Edible Decorations HERE

New Tools From Pourfect

Pourfect Scrape-A-Bowl Pourfect Whisk-A-Bowl

With the holidays approaching quickly you may have started thinking about what you will be baking. If you have a KitchenAid you know what a great asset it is while you're cranking out batch after batch of dough and mix for your cakes, cookies, cupcakes and other baked treats. But, one draw back of the KitchenAid is that most of the time you have to stop to scrape the bowl down to incorporate all the ingredients evenly. This is exactly why we are proud to introduce the Scrape-A-Bowl (pictured top left) and Whisk-A-Bowl (pictured bottom left) from Pourfect. They are designed to fit the most common KitchenAid models and they do all the bowl scraping for you while your KitchenAid is running. The Scrape-A-Bowl and Whisk-A-Bowl are so effective that the manufacturer recommends you cut the mixing time on your recipe in half. For instance, the Whisk-A-Bowl can whip up meringue in about 2.5 minutes instead of 8 minutes. The Scrape-A-Bowl and Whisk-A-Bowl are truly irreplaceable kitchen tools that once you use them you will wonder how you ever got along without them. Check out the chefDemo videos on each product as well as the "more info" tab where you will find a detailed list of all compatible KitchenAids. Click HERE to see all Pourfect Scrape-A-Bowl and Whisk-A-Bowl KitchenAid attachments

Deco Wraps

We've got some new cupcake wrappers! Deco Wraps come in 18 different styles that are perfect for any occasion. Party Hats & Cupcakes are ideal for birthdays, Party Animals wrappers (shown middle left) make baby shower cupcakes irresistible, and Elegant wrappers compliment wedding cupcakes beautifully. If none of those events are in your near future then focus on Halloween. Adding Jack-O-Lantern wrappers (shown bottom left) to your cupcakes along with something from our Halloween decorations department will make your party unforgettable. Deco Wraps are very easy to use and they adjust to fit any size cupcake. They are made in the USA with high-quality paper and are specially designed to be just the right size, not too tall, not too short, so as not to mess up your cupcake's icing. Another great thing about Deco Wraps is their line of Kid-friendly cupcake wrappers. Available in 4 varieties, Color-Me Cupcake Wrappers (shown below) are made without color, and are the perfect addition to any child's birthday party. Kids love coloring and customizing these cupcake wrappers in their own way with markers, crayons or paint. Happy Creatures Sea Life Cars & Trucks Pets Shop all Deco Wraps HERE

Kaiser Bakeware

Kaiser Bakeware is Europe's largest manufacturer of quality bakeware for the home baker. At Chef Tools, we carry over 150+ Kaiser cake pans, cookie cutters, baking tools and more. If you have never used a Kaiser pan before, one of the first things you will notice is how evenly their pans heat. This gives you beautifully (and evenly) browned cookies, cakes, bread and pizza. Besides offering up quality baking pans, Kaiser is probably best known for inventing the springform pan. They developed the springform concept and, from there, expanded a standard pan into a variety of shapes, sizes, and mold textures. For the home baker, the La Forme Plus line of baking pans may seem a bit pricey, but you have to take into account the results and longevity you will get from a La Forme Plus pan. A Kaiser La Forme Plus pan comes with a 10 year warranty and is made with the latest nonstick technology. They also feature a tough, scratch-proof enamel surface that you can use utensils and sharp knives on without damage. A La Forme Plus pan is a relatively small investment when you compare it to the outstanding return you get each and every day you use it. Another great line of bakeware under the Kaiser brand is the Specialty Bakeware collection. In it you will find Bake & Take pans which feature a tight-fitting, removable lid with handles. These pans are ideal for bringing a fresh loaf of bread, batch of cookies or cupcakes, or a homemade pizza with you to your next event. The Specialty Bakeware line also features braided pans. These pans come with a recipe booklet and will add an amazing "braid" effect to your baked goods. Shop all Kaiser Bakeware here

Have Your Cupcake and Adore It Too

Pirate Paisley Skulls

There are many beautiful styles of Bella Cupcake Couture cupcake wrappers available. We're excited to launch the newest additions to the Bella family: Pirate Paisley Skulls (pictured left), Victoria Celebration, and Noelle Holidays. These three new styles provide the perfect solution to quickly jazz up your standard cupcakes, hiding the crinkled, baked wrappers. Pirate Paisley Skulls are great for birthdays, girl's night out, or you can get really creative and throw a roller derby party. Victoria Celebration wrappers offer a more general way to "celebrate" any occasion like a birthday, office party, retirement, or graduation. Noelle Holidays are ideal "Happy Holidays" wrappers to give to your friends and family during the upcoming Christmas and holiday season. Be creative, have fun, and let Bella Cupcake Couture add simple style and elegance to your cupcakes. Victoria Celebration Noelle Holidays

New Bella Cupcake Couture

Check out the NEW It's a Girl Cupcake Wrapper from Bella Cupcake Couture. It features Bella's popular pink Hannah design and is available in a 12 pack and 50 pack. It's a Girl wrappers are a simple, yet elegant addition to your baby shower cupcakes. With 16 current options available and more to come, Bella Cupcake Couture is your best bet to quickly beautify your cupcakes. Shop Bella Cupcake Couture now.

There's a Tip For That

Whether you're an experienced decorator or just an avid home baker/decorator, you know how important a good selection of pastry tips are to your cakes, cupcakes and other confections. With a little help from your coupler you can easily pump out icing in a whole different design than just before. Using a standard pastry tip you can write "Happy Birthday" then switch to a rose pastry tip and fan out a few rose leaves. The possibilities are endless with the 180+ new pastry tips we've just added to our website. Stop by and browse them all. Or if you know exactly what you're looking for use our search box and type in the "#" symbol followed by the pastry tip's number.

Valentine's Day 2010

Cuisipro Red Hearts Cookie Cutters Set, 5-Piece

Valentine's Day is only a little over 5 weeks away, which goes by so quickly these days with our busy schedules. It is a special and unique kind of day where you can celebrate the love you have for your "Sweetheart" by making them a romantic dinner for two and baking something delicious and festive. Now is the perfect time to get ahead of the game and make sure you're ready for Valentine's Day by planning your meal which can include:    · researching recipes    · making a grocery list    · having the necessary tools & cookware We have created special departments at ChefTools.com to help make sure you are well prepared for your Valentine's Day. If you are in need of some new tools, gadgets, bakeware or more shop HERE. For your desserts and baked goods, shop our Valentine's edible decorations department HERE. Finally, if you are looking for some good recipes consider these options from various reputable sources. Chocolate Soufflé Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Valentine Candies Tiramisu

New, Fun Activity Kits For Kids In The Kitchen

sugar cookie baking kit

Looking for some kid-friendly fun? Look no further than Zebra Mix kits available now at ChefTools.com. Each activity kit comes chalk full of 100% organic ingredients and a fun foldout, step-by-step instruction map. Zebra Mix kits encourage children to use critical and conceptual thinking skills all while having a blast in the kitchen making some delicious treats. Four different kits available. cupcake activity kit rainbow cookie activity kit cupcake studio activity kit

Post-Holiday Baking

Your baking doesn't have to end with the holidays. Come visit ChefTools.com and browse our bakeware and decorating departments for all your baking needs. Whether you're hosting dinner parties, celebrating birthdays or just getting together with friends, a baked treat always ends up being the highlight of the edible spread.