How to Choose Confectionery Tools

Quality tools make candy design a snap.

A confectionery chef specializes in small treats made with sugar or sugar substitutes. Most confections are finger foods, such as candies, truffles, petit fors and meringues. Beautiful designs tempt the eye as well as the palate and as your knowledge of making confections grows, you will benefit from tools designed to help you create sweet masterpieces. Read on to learn how to choose confectionery tools.

Things You'll Need

• Copper pot with spout
• Fondant funnel
• Dipping tools
• Chocolate molds
• Confection guitar
• Cutting frame

Instructions

1. Invest in a set of heavy copper cookware. Because copper conducts heat evenly, it is preferable for cooking sugar formulations. The most popular size of copper pot for a confectionery cook is 8 inches in diameter. Look for pots with a pour spout.

2. Find a good fondant funnel when you start making petit fors and ganache-covered treats. Fondant funnels take the mess out of covering confections and filling candy shells. With an off/on valve at the bottom, you can easily control the amount of liquid dispersed. Purchase a fondant funnel that will hold at least 1 quart to keep from refilling often.

3. Collect a variety of dipping tools. With forks, prongs or swirled loops, dipping tools provide a stable surface to hold delicate confections while minimizing the damage to the finish. Choose dipping tools with wooden handles for easy maneuvering and heat protection.

4. Form specialty chocolates in molds made of polycarbonate. Designed to provide a glossy surface for gourmet chocolates, these molds come in many shapes and sizes. Less expensive versions, made from pressed plastic are available when you need a specific mold for a shorter duration.

5. Play the guitar but not to make music, instead, use a confectionery guitar to cut small geometric shapes from large slabs of semi-soft confections, such as fudge, caramel or ganache. Purchase a cutting frame to use with your guitar for uniform edges.

6. Select quality confectionery tools and they will last you for years.