I'm pretty
I'm going to be honest... for one coupler that costs between 3-5 dollars, I was expecting a lot. It is made of super sturdy plastic -- which I love! The regular Wilton couplers are a really thin plastic and warp easily. I can't imagine this one would ever have that problem. Also the different parts connect to each other really well. Which is also fantastic, because again, the regular Wilton couplers have messy cross-threading issues. So this is definitely a step up.
The weird part is that this coupler is actually 3 pieces and a cap instead of the normal 2 pieces. There is an easy-to-use diagram on the back of the package showing how to put it together. (But seriously...who wants a coupler that requires a DIAGRAM to put it together?! Nothing simple and quick about that.) Once you put it together the first time though, it actually it simple after that.
The piece with the smaller threads goes into your piping bag. Then you attach the taller white piece with the giant threads to the one inside the bag. Put your tip on top of that piece and attach the open purple piece. The whole point of this coupler is that it's supposed to be easier and faster to switch out your tips. It's not. You have to line the purple piece up with the white connector piece just right before you can twist it in place. I would estimate that it normally takes me about 15 seconds to switch out my tip with my Ateco couplers. And it probably takes about 12 seconds to switch them out with this coupler. (Although... as I'm writing this...I remember how much of a pain it was to switch out my tips when I used Wilton couplers because they constantly cross-threaded. I suppose this is faster than that.) And at 3 in the morning, I'm super grateful for the extra 3 seconds I gain.
I was ready for the cap to make this coupler all worth it. But when I tried to put the cap on, I realized that you can only put the cap on your piping bag if YOU TAKE THE TIP OFF FIRST. That's not helpful at all!! I didn't even want to try it because I knew that my pink icing was going to go everywhere once I took the tip off. I almost talked myself out of it. But then I knew I had to. For science. And for you. And...there is about 1/4 inch between the cap and the rest of the coupler. That's a lot of space for my icing to ooze out into...and down around the rest of the coupler. It was a gooey mess. You're welcome.
I think this coupler set could possibly be useful for cake decorators. They tend to change tips more often than cookie decorators. And maybe if they used it for awhile it could possibly be a quicker change than the 15 seconds it takes with an Ateco tip. And the cap would probably be useful if you had butter cream in your piping bag instead of royal icing. Oooh. Like maybe you could fill up TWO bags of icing and one time and keep the cap on one of them until you were ready to use it.
BOTTOM LINE: Personally, I would never buy another one of these. It's not a bad coupler, but for the price and size... I just can't justify it. I might end up throwing it away because it takes up to 3 times as much space as my Ateco couplers. (But I have to try it with butter cream first!) Unless you are a cake decorator, take your $3-$5 dollars and spend it on Ateco Couplers instead.
I actually have an extra coupler to give away...but I can't bring myself to do it all by itself. So I'm going to give away a grab-bag of cutters and fun decorating supplies with it. Just click that Easy Entry button below by midnight on Friday, May 13, 21016.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
