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Best Cookie Cutter Sets

Updated August 2022
Bottom line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
K&S Artisan Heavy Duty Cookie and Biscuit Cutter Set
K&S Artisan
Heavy Duty Cookie and Biscuit Cutter Set
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Superior Quality
Bottom Line

These premium, stainless steel products might be simple, but their quality is superb.

Pros

Made of robust, food-grade stainless steel. Features smooth, welded seams and rolled tops. Thin blades cut through all dough consistencies with ease. Oven-safe construction. Clearly marked sizes. Comes with an attractive storage tin and a free recipe ebook.

Cons

Some have complained that the seams aren't as smooth as expected. Metal can bend or dent.

Best Bang for the Buck
RIHAI Stainless Steel Round Cookie Cutter Set
eee
Stainless Steel Round Cookie Cutter Set
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Bargain Choice
Bottom Line

We love this set not only for its easy use and clean-up, but that it also offers a variety of sizes at a reasonable price.

Pros

A 12-piece set of circular cookie cutters made from stainless steel. Diameter sizes from 1 inch to 4.4 inches. The rounded-top edges are easy to hold and prevent a sharp or painful grip. Stainless steel is rust-resistant and dishwasher-safe, making for an easy clean.

Cons

Some sets have arrived damaged. Steel is thin and can be accidentally bent or dented with normal use.

RSVP International Endurance Round Biscuit Cutters
RSVP International
Endurance Round Biscuit Cutters
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Thick & Sharp
Bottom Line

Our cooking expert loved the durability and ease-of-use of these cutters.

Pros

Arched double handles allow firm grip to punch through thick dough. Strong, durable, heavy-gauge steel blades are 3 1/4 inches high. Collection of four ranges from 1 1/2 inches to 2 and 7/8 inches and nests neatly for storage. Dishwasher-safe.

Cons

Handles can come loose from the blades with use. Blades can be sharper than expected. Hand-wash preferred.

Progressive International Biscuit Set of 7 Cookie Cutters
Progressive Health Store
Prepworks Biscuit Cutters
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Brightly Colored
Bottom Line

A brightly colored pack of 7 that is great for pastries, biscuits, and even garnishes.

Pros

Pack of 7 in bright individual colors for easy differentiation and attractiveness. Double-sided rings have both flat and fluted sides. Pieces range from 1.5 to almost 4 inches wide. Blades are sharp enough to cut through sandwiches.

Cons

Edges can be painfully sharp when using. Occasional flaws in the fluting.

Ateco 4 Piece Stainless Steel Plain Edge Round Cutters
Ateco
4 Piece Stainless Steel Plain Edge Round Cutters
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Good Basic Set
Bottom Line

A quality set from the go-to brand for professionals, according to our expert.

Pros

Made of smooth, polished stainless steel to cut through thick doughs. Four nesting pieces range from 1.5 to 4.5 inches in diameter. Each piece is 1.75 inches tall for thick cuts. Rolled lip is easier to press down on. Can be used nested to create rings and borders.

Cons

Some reports of pieces coming apart after use.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

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Buying guide for Best cookie cutter sets

There are few treats as tasty as homemade cookies. If you’re making some recipes at home, such as sugar cookies or gingerbread men, you need a high-quality cookie cutter set to cut the cookies into fun shapes.

Cookie cutters are tools with an edge just sharp enough to cut through cookie dough. They’re available in various shapes from circles to animals and designs from simple to holiday themed. Some cookie cutters also imprint fine details on the dough. You can also use some cookie cutters to cut tea sandwiches and small pastries.

cookie cutter set1
If a piece of dough breaks off as you try to remove a cookie cutter, you can carefully press it back into place with a moistened finger.

Key considerations

Type

Cookie cutter sets are available with a few different types of cutters, and the one for you will depend on the kind of cookies you want to make. The following are the most common options.

Cutout cookies use the commonest and simplest type of cookie cutter. These can have all sorts of shapes like circles, leaves, animals, or stars. You press the cutter into the dough to shape the cookies.

Stamped cookies are another common type, but these cutters create cookies with more detail. The cutter cuts the dough in a general shape like a circle, but the surface of the closed top of the cutter has an embossed design that gets imprinted into the dough for more intricately designed cookies.

3D cookies typically require a set of two or more cutters. You cut the cookie dough into individual shapes and then assemble each cookie to create things like a tree that can stand up or a dog with legs.

Molds for cookies work in a similar way to a muffin tin. You press the cookie dough into the mold, and the mold imprints the cookies with designs. Some of these can be quite ornate.

Material

Cookie cutter sets are made from several different materials, each of which performs a little differently.

Metal cookie cutters are one of the most common and popular options. Aluminum cutters are inexpensive and rust resistant, but they’re somewhat thin and bend fairly easily. Stainless steel cutters are sturdier and more durable. Tin cookie cutters should be avoided because they rust and bend very easily.

Plastic cookie cutters are also extremely common. They’re very affordable and durable. Their edges are sharp enough to cut through dough but won’t hurt kids’ delicate hands if they’re helping you make the cookies.

Silicone cookie cutters are highly durable and easy to clean and store.

Wood cookie stamps are highly durable, but they can be challenging to clean and are prone to moisture damage.

Expert TIP
If you’re using tin or other metal cutters, wash and dry them well. Then, to eliminate residual droplets of water in the seams and edges, pop them in a warm fry pan on the stove for 3-5 minutes. This evaporates any small bits of water left behind, but be careful. The cutters can get hot.
BestReviews Cooking and Baking Expert

Features

Quantity

Cookie cutter sets contain multiple cutters in various shapes and/or sizes. Sets typically include at least 3 or 4 cutters, but you can find some with as many as 100. Unless you’re an avid cookie baker, you probably don’t need a set with more than 10 or 12 cutters. However, if you’re baking with kids, they often enjoy having plenty of shapes to choose from.

Shapes and themes

The most exciting part of looking for cookie cutters is choosing the shapes or themes.

You can find cookie cutters in a wide array of general shapes like circles, squares, diamonds, flowers, stars, and butterflies. You can also find sets that include all dinosaurs or all farm animals, for example.

Holiday-themed sets are some of the most popular cookie cutters. These include Christmas, Halloween, and Valentine’s Day, but you can also find Easter cutters, as well as flags and patriotic shapes that work well for the Fourth of July.  You’ll also find lots of fun pop culture themes like Stars Wars or favorite comic book heroes.

Size

Cookie cutter sets can include cutters that are all the same size or various sizes. Small cutters are usually used to make cookies for decorating other desserts, while medium and large cutters are more common. Choosing cookie cutter sizes is a matter of personal preference. Select a cookie cutter set with cutters that match the size of the cookies you want to make. A set with a mix of small, medium, and large cutters is the most versatile.

Expert tip
Cutters with sharper edges can also be used to cut shapes for decor out of orange peel, vegetable slices, fruit, and more. Experiment and get creative.
BestReviews Cooking and Baking Expert

Convenience

Nonstick: To prevent your dough from getting stuck in the cookie cutters, look for a set of nonstick cutters. If your cutters aren’t nonstick,  tap the cutting edge in flour, corn starch, or powdered sugar before pressing them into the dough or you might have trouble getting the cookies out of the cutters.

Handle: Most cookie cutters don’t have a handle, but you can find some sets with professional-grade cutters that have handles. This makes the cutters easier to use because you can press them into the dough without having to touch it.

Care: Cleanup is much easier if you opt for a set of dishwasher-safe cookie cutters. Small bits of dough can get caught in the cutters, particularly very intricate or detailed ones. You’ll need to scrub them carefully if you’re washing the cutters by hand.

cookie cutter set2
Expert TIP
Stiffer cookie dough recipes (low butter, low liquid) tend to hold shapes better.
BestReviews Cooking and Baking Expert

Accessories

Experienced bakers may have quite a few baking tools on hand, but if you're just starting to bake, there are a few tools and supplies you'll probably want to add to your kitchen:

Cookie pressIf you sometimes prefer a simpler approach to shaping cookies, a cookie press is the perfect complement to your cookie cutter set.

Baking sheet setOnce you cut your cookies, you need to put them on high-quality baking sheets to bake them.

Mixing bowl set: A good set of mixing bowls is an indispensable staple in the kitchen.

Parchment paper: Often used to line baking sheets to prevent cookies from sticking and for easy cleanup.

Cookie cutter set prices

Cookie cutter sets vary in price based on material, type, quantity, and size of the cutters. Most sets cost between $6 and $68.

Inexpensive

The most affordable cookie cutter sets contain four to ten plastic or aluminum cutters in medium to large sizes. Most of these sets are dishwasher safe for easy cleanup. You can also find some sets with small stainless steel cutters in this price range. You’ll generally pay between $6 and $15 for these sets.

Mid-range

These cookie cutter sets contain ten or more plastic or aluminum cutters that are medium to large in size. You can also find sets with four to ten stainless steel cutters in this price range. Most sets are dishwasher safe too. You’ll generally pay between $15 and $30 for these sets.

Expensive

The most expensive cookie cutter sets contain ten or more medium to large stainless steel cutters. You can also find some sets with novelty or pop culture shapes or themes in this price range. You’ll typically pay between $30 and $68 for these sets.

Tips

  • Chill the dough first. You will get better results with your cookie cutters if the dough is rolled flat between two sheets of wax paper or parchment and chilled with its paper. Then, remove the dough from the fridge and peel the paper off before you cut it. If it warms up and becomes sticky, re-chill it and try again.
  • Roll dough to a uniform thickness. It’s important to roll the cookie dough to a uniform thickness so all the cookies bake evenly. Roll the dough from the center to the edges. To make it easier, look for a rolling pin that has a disk on each end to control the thickness, or you can get the disks separately and add them to a rolling pin you already have.
  • Cut out the cookies as close together as you can. This makes the most of the dough you’ve rolled out and prevents you from having to reroll the dough too many times.
  • Keep the scraps of dough. Once you’ve cut all the cookies from a portion of the dough, gather up the scraps and add them to the dough in the fridge. This helps you make as many cookies as possible out of the recipe.
cookie cutter set3
For easiest release, tap the cutting edge of your cookie cutter in flour, corn starch, or powdered sugar each time you press it into the dough.

FAQ

Q. Do I need to flour or grease cookie cutters before using them?

A. It depends on the type of cookie dough you’re working with, but it’s generally a good idea to dip your cookie cutters in flour, corn starch, or powdered sugar before pressing them into the dough. That’s particularly important if you’re using very detailed cookie stamps, which have lots of nooks and crannies. Some bakers prefer to use a nonstick cooking spray to grease the cutters to make sure none of the dough sticks.

Q. How should I store cookie cutters?

A. Cookie cutters can be difficult to store because they’re oddly shaped and can’t be stacked. It’s important to take some care when storing them because you don’t want to bend or damage them. Shoving them in a drawer is usually a bad idea.

Instead, try storing them in clear plastic bins or a cookie jar. Plastic containers work well because you can label them with the theme or shape of the cutters inside. You can also hang cookie cutters from pegboard if you have space on a wall.

Q. How do I get the clearest details from my cookie cutters?

A. If you want extremely clear details, opt for metal cookie cutters, which tend to have sharper edges than plastic cutters. It’s also essential that you flour or grease the cutters to make sure the dough doesn’t stick and ruin the outline and details. Also, the firmer the cookie dough, the more likely it is to hold a shape during baking.