The range of Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter machines is designed to automate some of the more fiddly crafting tasks.
If you've never heard of them before, then read on to discover how to take your home crafts to the next level.
If you have heard of them, you may be wondering how to decide which of the cutting machines is most suitable for you.
In this article, I will be helping you to decide which of the four Cricut models is the best fit for your requirements.
In the process, you'll see the pros and cons of each machine, to help you make an informed decision.
The four models we'll be looking at are the standard Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter, the Cricut Create, the Cricut Expression and the Cricut Cake.
The easiest model to look at first is the Cricut Cake.
This is different to the others, because it is designed with one purpose in mind.
That is, to create professional looking decorations for cakes.
It can cut shapes from dough, fondant, gum paste and other edible materials.
It is very similar to the Cricut Expression machine, except that the working parts have been altered to make them suitable for processing food.
That means parts that need to be cleaned can be easily removed.
If you are looking to create edible decorations, this is your only option in the range.
This model retails from around $270.
The other three Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter models are all suitable for home crafting.
They all cut from the same materials, which include paper, card, vinyl and vellum.
Which model you go for is going to depend on your budget and requirements.
Budget

1. The standard Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter is the cheapest in the range, costing a minimum of around $100.
   
2. Next up is the Cricut Create, coming in at $160 and upwards.
   
3. The top of the range model is the Cricut Expression, which will set you back over $225.
   

Requirements All models are compatible with the full range of Cricut Cartridges.
This means that you have an almost never-ending supply of cutting designs, as you can always purchase more cartridges.
So there are two key factors in your requirements to drive your decision.
These are the size of machine and cuts, and the range of cutting options.

• The standard Personal Electronic Cutter and Create machines are small and portable.
  They will cut shapes up to around 11.
  5 inches.
  The Create has a much wider range of cutting functions.
  
• The Expression is a larger machine, designed for a permanent place on a desk or workbench.
  It will cut shapes up to around 23.
  5 inches, with a wide range of cutting functions.
  

By taking into account these considerations, you should be able to decide which Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter is the one for you.