HI,

I'm hoping some of you can help guide me in the right purchasing direction.

I'm looking for these 3 items. 

A  printer with edible ink  and frosting sheets

I've been reading info, post on this topic and to be honest I'm confused. I am a home baker  but need to make my caking faster altogether. I'm tired of cutting everything out free hand already Lol

Next are alphabet cutters. I have the small ones that are about 1" to 1 5/8 or so. I have the Funky ones, larger 2/3/4  to 3 " ones and my cricit

 All of these to me are not very user friendly. I spend too much time trying to dig them out .I've tried cornstarch, shortening , everything I can think of to make this process smoother and faster. What I'm looking for a cutters probably 2'  and actually come out .This may be a tall order but thought I'd ask

And last is a pasta machine ( for fondant of course ). I really don't want one you have to screw down with a vice. Looking for one that is heavy enough to free stand and doesn't break  the bank. Something around 150 -200 price range. 

If you have any advice please share. It shouldn't take me all day to work on a small 8" cake . I've spent more time on letters I could scream lol

thank you 

Wendy

Hi there, I got my food printer a number of years back so others might have more current information but for what it's worth...I bought my printer from PhotoFrost and get my icing sheets from Icing Magic. Easy and friendly to do business with. ne note I'd make is make sure after you use your printer that you clean it so you don't get build up on the printer head. I have a Canon printer and have had to replace the printer head twice which is a little pricey. Maybe the newer printers are technologically better! Can't help with the cutters as it sounds like I have the same things you do but as for the pasta machine I use my KitchenAid with the pasta roller attachment. Works good for the small jobs. Hope that helps. Good luck on your search!

I have the canon edible printer from Inks 4 cakes and I use deluxe icing sheets.  I love it and I have had no problems except I had no success with wireless from my previous macbook pro.  I recently got a new macbook pro and wireless works fine.  It also copies.  I love it.

I think that unless you've a KitchenAid, in which case you can get their pasta attachment, then clamping is what you'll have to do with any pasta machine you get. I got mine at GLOBALSUGARART.COM, and I've clamped it to a corner of my -really small-workspace (i.e kitchen counter) and it's hardly a problem.For letters, CLIKSTIX is the way to go.And ICING IMAGES here on CC has a printer bundle that's pretty decent, though a friend of mine recomends using wafer paper instead.

What is Wafer paper? I've heard of it but not sure how it compares to the icing sheets. The only icing sheets I've ever used are the wilton one that are premade then then run them through my cricit.

Thanks everyone for the ideas and advice

...........What is Wafer paper? I've heard of it but not sure how it compares to the icing sheets...........

Wafer paper is also known as rice paper.  It was used long before icing sheets came about.  Snice I have never used icing sheets I can't say for sure how it differs but I think I.S. would be better.  They are thinner and bigger :)  Wafer/rice paper is thick(ish), tough and not smooth.  (One side is somewhat smooth, the other rough).  I have used it in a edible ink printer, but in another one it gummed up and really caused a mess :(  The sheets are only about 5"x7" or come in 7" rounds (not very common).

Hi, I also am a home baker.

I have a Marcato Pasta Maker with the electric motor attachment.  I find that the weight of the motor attachment is enough to keep it firmly on the bench without having to clamp, though the instructions tell you to.  I had a hand crank one for a lot of years but absolutely love this electric one as it leaves both hands free to guide the icing or pasta.  My only regret is that I did not know that there were wider models around than the standard as I might have liked one of those.
 

I decided on what sort of printer I wanted and then rang around the local computer shops and electrical shops till I got the best price.  Because of the weight I found this cheaper for the Canon iP3600 that I bought to play with, than if I had bought it online, but that will depend on where you live.  I then went online to source the inks and icing sheets.  I then sold all the ink cartridges that came  with the printer, quite cheaply, but this paid for half the cost of the printer and I was not going to be using them.