3 Best Pastry Crimpers Of 2023
Kitchen gadgets are fun to own but, even more importantly, can be incredibly useful if you find yourself baking or cooking the same types of meals frequently.
A pastry crimper can save time and energy in a kitchen that frequently produces pies, dumplings, homemade stuffed pasta, or turnovers and empanadas.
This single tool can not only create a visual impact that is very pleasing, but can also make the sealing and cutting of your pastries much quicker, easier, and more effective.
What are the best pastry crimpers? The best pastry crimper or pastry wheel would be one that can be used for both decorating your dough and cutting it effectively. It should also have a comfortable grip and be easy to clean and maintain.
In this article, we’ll explain what to look for in a pastry crimper and suggest our top picks available on the market today.
What Is a Pastry Crimper?
A pastry crimper is a type of cutting wheel designed to seal two or more pieces of pastry together. They’re usually used for baked goods that have a filling and need a crust of sorts to contain all the inner goodness.
Crimpers do more than just seal pastry, however, they also crimp, as the name implies. They can be used to create decorative fluted or ruffled edges that turn a plain pie into art. They can also be used to cut dough.
Common foods sealed by a pastry crimper may include:
- Pies and tarts
- Ravioli and other stuffed pasta
- Empanadas, pierogies, and turnovers
- Dumplings or potstickers
Crimpers can either be thin, circular blades with scalloped edges that create fluted designs, or hollow wheels with indentations that crimp pastry as it cuts.
There are many different types of crimpers and many of them even have two separate wheels, one that crimps and one that cuts.
How to Choose a Pastry Crimper
There are a few features that you’ll want to pay attention to as you’re shopping for a pastry crimper.
- What will you be using it for most often? Decorative pie crusts may differ from the ruffle of a pierogi, and how you are going to use your crimper may affect your choice because not all crimpers create the same designs.
- Is the handle comfortable? You want to be able to grip the handle comfortably, applying a small amount of force without giving your hand cramps. It should also be easy to maneuver if you’re planning on running it in circles around your pie crusts or working on small bite-sized pieces of ravioli.
- What are the maintenance requirements? Namely, is the crimper dishwasher-safe? These blades can be tricky to clean because of the indentations and sharp edges, so you may also want to consider investing in a cleaning brush set that will keep your fingers safe while still cleaning all the nooks and crannies in the crimper.
Besides these considerations, choosing a crimper really comes down to preference, but we’ve got some ideas you may like.
3 Best Pastry Crimpers
Now that you know what to look for in a pastry crimper, we’ve gathered our top 3 choices for your consideration.
| Rank | Product | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Norpro Grip-EZ Pastry Wheel | Cutting straight and fluted edges |
| 2. | Better Houseware Pastry and Ravioli Wheel | Decorative edges for pastry and pasta |
| 3. | J Lucky Pastry Wheel | Cutting strips of pastry and crimping pie edges |
You’re sure to find the pastry crimper that suits your needs below!
Norpro Grip-EZ Pastry Wheel
This pastry crimper has two blades, one fluted wheel for creating a scalloped edge and one flat wheel for a straight cut.
The handle is made of soft Santoprene which creates a comfortable, non-slip grip, even if the handle gets wet.
The blades are stainless steel and the whole crimper is dishwasher-safe.
Biggest Drawback:
Having two wheels can take some time to get used to. It’s easy to use with both left and right hands, but it can feel slightly less sturdy when you first begin to use it. The fixtures holding the blades in place cannot be adjusted.
Better Houseware Pastry and Ravioli Wheel
Depending on the pressure exerted, this crimper can be used either to add decoration or to add decorative cuts.
The handle is sturdy, thin, and easy to grip, especially with smaller hands.
It’s also made from stainless steel and dishwasher-safe.
Biggest Drawback:
This tool is great for adding decorative touches but it isn’t the best at sealing dough together.
If this is the tool you choose you should always try to work with moist dough and consider using additional binding agents, such as an egg wash to help hold the dough together.
J Lucky Pastry Wheel
This set comes with 2 wheels: 1 decorator for finishing the edges of pies, pastries, or pizza, and 1 decorative cutter for creating strips or decorative edges.
The grips on these wheels are different than the two previous pastry crimpers mentioned but are easy to use and make storage a cinch.
The edges are made from plastic, so while they’re sharp enough to cut through the dough, they’re unlikely to be slicing through your fingers. That means these crimpers are also a safer option for children to use while baking.
In addition, these crimpers are dishwasher-safe.
Biggest Drawback:
They are made of plastic. This does make them light and easy to handle, but not everyone wants to use plastic to prepare their food.
They’re also made in China and there is no safety information about the quality of the plastic.
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