Dish Out Perfectly Portioned Cookies and Cupcakes

Ever wonder how professional bakers turn out perfectly portioned cookies, cupcakes, and muffins time and time again? It's not magic, nor does it require years of professional training. Rather, many rely on a simple tool: a spring-loaded ice cream scoop, otherwise known as a disher. Think of a disher as a measuring cup or spoon and silicone spatula in one handy package. All one needs to do is utilize an appropriately sized disher for the task at hand, fill it to the brim, and use its spring-loaded metal band to scrape out the contents into a waiting muffin tin (for cupcakes and muffins) or onto a baking sheet (for cookies).

Why you should care: Not only do evenly sized baked goods look more appealing, but they'll bake up evenly as they'll all be the same size and cook at the same rate.

Our top pick: Norpro's set of small, medium, and large dishers ($35).