When I first started started the business, I spent a fortune on tools and equipment. Of all the wonderful things I now have, these are the ones I HIGHLY recommend any new cookie lover purchase and the best places to get them. In total I think everything should cost around 100$ and this will last you a good amount of time.
1. Adjustable Rolling Pin - Bed Bath & Beyond - 20-25$
I love this thing because it makes all my cookies a uniform size. I think I use the 1/4th in thick discs when I roll my cookies. At this point I don't even know were the other ones are. While there are a ton of methods for rolling even cookies, this one is easy for me to buy at the store and works great.
2. Cooling Rack - Bed, Bath, and Beyond - 9$
I would recommend any type of rack but what makes this one great is that I can use it for multiple things. It not only cools my cookies but I can decorate directly on it and it's stackable so my cookies dry evenly.
3. 1 Silicon Mat - Ikea - 10$
When I first started baking, I would get icing and flour EVERYWHERE. And the worst part is that dry icing is a B*%@CH to get off things. Therefore I am soooooo glad I found this silicon mat during an Ikea trip. It's as big as my worktable and when I need to clean it, I rinse it off in the sink. Since it's silicon, icing doesn't stick to it and if I accidentally get food colouring on it, my husband won't murder me.
4. Tipless Piping Bags - Grunderfully Delicious - 5$ for 100
When I first started cookie decorating, I used tipped bags with those little metal piping tips and couplers. They are a pain to clean and they get expensive over time. So when I found these tipless bags, I thought why not. I LOVE them. They fit perfectly in the hand and you can snip the tip as big as you need it without worrying about clogging or using nylon to thin out your icing.
5. 1-2 Pointy Tools - Grunderfully Delicious - 6-10$
While there are a bunch of fancy ones out there, they're not necessary. Any turkey lancer or scribe tool works for cookie decorating as long as it has a nice point. This was the beginner one that I had.
6. Americolour Student Set - Grunderfully Delicious (individual) or amazon (set) - 6-12$
I HIGHLY recommend anyone who is interested in cake/cookie crafts to buy one of these. It comes with 12 basic colours and lasts an extraordinarily long time.
7. Large and Small Rubber Spatulas - Grocery Stores - 5-12$
The large ones are great for scooping icing and dough from your mixer and the small ones are great for mixing colours. Regardless which ones you buy, make sure they are a single piece (the top doesn't come off) and that they feel solid in your hand. Otherwise they'll break.
8. 1-2 Squeeze Bottles - Your local craft or dollar store - 1-2$ each
I only use these when I'm frosting a large order because the icing tends to be so liquidy that if you put it in a piping bag, it'll leak out. That being said, they do help your hand from getting fatigued and makes flooding super easy.
9. Spray Bottle - Your local craft or dollar store - 1-2$
This is a must. Without this, I wouldn't be able to accurately mix my icing consistencies. Any spray bottle will work just make sure it's not from your laundry room or bathroom. Otherwise it's probably coated in a layer of hair particles and dust.
Good Luck Baking! Send me pics!
-Ashley