I love to make cupcakes, but I hate that I can't get them to be exactly the same size/height. Can you recommend a method for dispensing the batter or a commercially available batter dispenser (sometimes sold as a pancake pen)? I've seen a few advertised but don't want to waste my money.
Ice cream scoop.
Williams Sonoma sells a batter dispenser. I bought one because I had a gift card from my sister for my last birthday. It worked better than I thought it would, but you do have to refill it frequently. It has 3 size settings - used the medium setting but probably would use the smaller setting next time. I've tried the ice cream scoop but I just made a mess 
Scoops too are messy IMHO and aren't super accurate with batter delivery. I am looking into investing into a pancake batter dispenser myself. Getting more cupcake orders here of late.
I have a pancake batter dispenser that was a freebee from buying "the magic pancake" or something like that from TV. Which BTW doesn't work at all! The batter dispenser has worked very well though. So, maybe something that isn't in the cake section of the kitchen store would work?
I have to disagree that a scoop is messy an inaccurate--I've used one for years and years--the same scoop as a matter of fact and have had great luck. Maybe your batter is thinner than mine??
I have used Wilton's Easy Pour Funnel with some success. The batter can't be too thick and you do have to refill a few times but it works.
I always thought using a scoop would take more time and be really messy. I filled a big decorating bag and used that like a pancake batter dispenser type of thing.
one day, I had 150 cupcakes to make and decided to try the scoop thing, since so many had recommended it here on CC.
Wow, I was amazed at how fast and easy it was! While I thought going back and forth to the bowl to fill the scoop would add time to the process, what I discovered was re-filling that messy decorating bag was what was taking up my time!
I was a quick convert! Uniform amount of batter in each cavity, faster and less messy. 
Scoop here, and I weigh it so all of them are the same. However, I have made so many and I am getting so good at eyeballing it that I think the next batch I'll just skip the weigh thing and just scoop it out.
My batter is usually thick too though, so that might make a difference.
I've used a #16 for years. How full does a #20 get your cupcake? Does it rise to the top of the paper?
The cupcakes do rise to the top of the paper with the #20. I have used a larger scoop and the cupcakes flow over a bit. Which is perfectly fine, of course, they are just larger. But using the #20 they rise up to the perfect size (in my opinion) and I am able to get a few more cupcakes out of the bowl.
I'll have to experiment next time I bake some, I'm all about getting more out of the bowl!!
i use a pancake batter dispenser (was < $10 on amazon). it's only good if your batter is runny, as is for regular box cake mixes.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000U6AXDI/?tag=cakecentral-20
I'm with soph917, I use a #20 scooper, and also think they are the perfect size.
I was doing a test the other day to see how much icing I was using for a swirl. So I weighed each cupcake before I iced it. All but one weighed 1 1/4 oz. The off one weighed 1 3/8. So, using a scooper does give you consistent results.
I have the Pampered Chef cookie scoops. 3 different sizes. They work great!
I bought this at HomeGoods for $5.99 and (for box mixes- thinner batter) it does the trick for me:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00395I6JU/?tag=cakecentral-20
In case the link gets lost it's the Tovolo cupcake pen.
I bought this at HomeGoods for $5.99 and (for box mixes- thinner batter) it does the trick for me:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00395I6JU/?tag=cakecentral-20
In case the link gets lost it's the Tovolo cupcake pen.
Hey AKS, thanks for that link. How many cupcakes do you get from one fill-up?
Thanks everyone! I bought this at HomeGoods for $5.99 and (for box mixes- thinner batter) it does the trick for me:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00395I6JU/?tag=cakecentral-20
In case the link gets lost it's the Tovolo cupcake pen.
Hey AKS, thanks for that link. How many cupcakes do you get from one fill-up?
Yes, I too would like to know this. I often make cupcakes from the epicurious recipe for chocolate stout cake, and the batter is very thin and such a mess with the scoop. This looks like exactly what I'm looking for.
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