Whether you're just starting out as a baker or setting up your first kitchen as a new homeowner, having the right tools can make all the difference in your baking journey! We'll walk you through the must-have items that will set you up for sweet success in the kitchen.
Essential Baking Tools and Equipment
What's a balloon whisk? Do I need a rolling pin? Discover some of the must-have baking utensils and equipment that are fundamental for creating delicious baked goods with ease!
Measuring Cups
Measuring cups are indispensable tools in any kitchen. They ensure precision in measuring both dry and liquid ingredients, which is crucial for achieving the perfect texture and taste in your baked goods, like cakes, cookies and more.
It’s recommended to have a set that includes 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup and 1 cup measurements for dry ingredients, and a larger measuring cup, such as a 2-cup or 4-cup capacity, for liquids.
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Mixing Bowls
Mixing bowls are a must-have for bakers! They come in different materials such as stainless steel, glass and plastic, with each one offering unique benefits like durability, heat resistance and convenience.
Mixing bowls are most often used in baking for tasks such combining ingredients such as cake batter and cookie dough. They can also be used to prepare fillings, frosting and glazes. The material of the bowls can also influence what their best use is. Stainless steel bowls are ideal for whipping egg whites or cream due to their ability to keep cold, while glass bowls are perfect if you need to microwave ingredients.
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Whisk
Whisks are versatile tools in any baker's kitchen, designed to mix ingredients smoothly and incorporate air into mixtures.
These utensils can be used to blend ingredients, beat eggs, whip cream and more. Balloon whisks, with their wide, rounded shape, are perfect for incorporating air into mixtures, while flat whisks are ideal for stirring glazes or sauces. A standard 10-12 inch balloon whisk is ideal for most baking tasks, while a smaller 8-inch whisk is perfect for small batches and precise mixing.
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Spatula
An important tool to have in your kitchen, spatulas are great for things like mixing, spreading and scraping.
Spatulas are commonly used in baking for folding egg whites into batter, spreading cake batter evenly in a pan, smoothing frosting on cakes and licking up the last bit of batter from the bowl (yum!). If you’re going to be baking a lot, more spatula sizes for different baking needs might be best for you. A small 8-inch spatula is best for smaller tasks, while a larger 12-inch spatula is ideal for mixing and folding bigger quantities.
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Rolling Pin
Rolling pins are great tools to have for rolling out cookie dough, pie crusts and pastry dough evenly and smoothly. They come in various styles, including traditional wooden pins, French rolling pins and non-stick options, with each one offering unique benefits for different baking needs.
Rolling pins can also be used for things like crushing crackers for crusts. When making our Marshmallow Fondant, a rolling pin ensures the fondant is evenly flattened for a perfectly even end result.
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Cookie Scoop
A cookie scoop is a handy tool that ensures consistent and evenly sized cookies, making baking easier and sweeter!
Cookie scoops are commonly used for portioning out cookie dough, but are also great for other recipes such as scooping muffin batter, cupcake batter and even ice cream. If you’re baking Peanut Butter Blossoms, a cookie scoop helps to make sure that all the blossoms are the same size, so you get in an even batch. This tool comes in several different sizes, typically ranging from small to large. For standard-sized cookies, a medium scoop, about 1.5 tablespoons, works best. Larger scoops can be used for bigger cookies or muffins, while smaller scoops are perfect for bite-sized treats.
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Baking Pans
The baking pan section of the store a bit overwhelming? Let us break it down for you! Baking pans are commonly used for specific baking tasks: sheet pans are perfect for cookies and roasting vegetables, cake pans are ideal for layer cakes, loaf pans are used for bread and pound cakes, muffin tins for cupcakes and muffins, and pie plates for pies and tarts. For example, a standard 9x13 inch cake pan works best for baking sheet cakes and brownies.
It's beneficial to have a variety of baking pans in different sizes to cover all your baking needs. Commonly recommended sizes include a 9x13 inch cake pan, an 8x8 inch square pan, a standard loaf pan (approximately 9x5 inches), a 12-cup muffin tin, and a 9-inch pie plate. Between metal and glass pans, metal is generally better for baking because it heats more quickly and evenly.
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Silicone Baking Mats
Silicone baking mats are thin, flexible sheets typically placed on baking trays or sheets. The non-stick surface makes them good for working with sticky materials like caramel or chocolate. These kinds of mats also reduce waste associated with disposable parchment paper, making them an eco-friendly choice for at-home bakers.
Silicone baking mats are commonly used in baking cookies and pastries, where their non-stick quality prevents your ingredients from sticking and making cleanup easy. They are also perfect for baking delicate items like macarons, ensuring that each cookie lifts off the mat without breaking.
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Candy Thermometer
Candy thermometers are essential for candy making, where the perfect temperature is critical for achieving the desired texture and consistency. These thermometers come in various sizes, typically ranging from 8 to 12 inches in length. The length of the probe should be long enough to immerse fully into the liquid being measured, while the display should be easy to read and positioned away from the heat source for safety.
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Oven Thermometers
An oven thermometer is a great tool to have in any kitchen, but their ability to provide accurate temperature readings inside your oven is good to have while baking.
It’s a small device with a temperature sensor that measures the internal temperature of your oven. You might be thinking, “Doesn’t my oven already tell me what temperature it is?” A separate oven thermometer helps ensure that the oven is calibrated correctly and that it maintains the temperature you need throughout baking. These thermometers are indispensable for baking cakes, breads and delicate pastries where precise temperature control is necessary for achieving the perfect rise and texture.
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Cooling Racks
If you’re baking just about anything, you’re probably going to need a cooling rack, designed to allow baked goods to cool evenly!
Cooling racks are commonly used for letting cookies, cakes, pies and more come to room temperature. They are especially useful for cookies, which need to cool completely to achieve the right texture. For example, after baking Double Peanut Butter and Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies, placing them on a cooling rack prevents them from becoming soggy on the bottom and helps them cool more quickly and evenly. Having multiple or stackable racks can be good for large batches or for cooling different types of baked goods at the same time.
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Pastry Bags & Tips
Pastry bags are key tools for pastry chefs and baking enthusiasts alike use to decorate cakes, cookies and pastries like a pro!
Pastry bags, also known as piping bags, are flexible, cone-shaped bags typically made from plastic, silicone or reusable cloth. Pastry tips are the small metal nozzles that attach to the end of the pastry bag, which dictate the shape and texture of the decoration. They are often used in baking to decorate cupcakes with swirls of buttercream, pipe delicate borders on cakes, fill cream puffs with custard or create detailed patterns on cookies. Get more tips and tricks on how to decorate like a pro with Cake Decorating 101.
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Convenient and Recommended Baking Appliances
Mixer (Handheld or Stationary)
Handheld mixers, also known as hand mixers, are compact devices held and operated manually. They typically come with multiple speed settings and interchangeable beaters or attachments for mixing batter or whipping cream. Stand mixers are larger countertop appliances that offer hands-free operation and are often equipped with a wider range of attachments for various culinary tasks.
Handheld mixers are ideal if you need more flexibility, have a small kitchen space. They’re perfect for things like mixing cake batter or beating eggs. Stationary mixers are good for handling larger volumes and heavier mixtures, making them perfect for whipping up large batches of frosting or mixing dense cookie doughs.
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Food Processor
Food processors are powerful kitchen appliances designed to chop, slice, shred, grind, and puree ingredients quickly and efficiently.
Food processors are used for preparing doughs, such as pie crusts or cookie doughs, where the ability to blend cold butter into flour quickly will give you a flaky texture. You can also use them to make sauces, dips and spreads, as well as chop ingredients to a uniform size or a powder.
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Immersion Blender
An immersion blender, also known as a stick blender or hand blender, is a compact and versatile kitchen appliance designed for blending, pureeing and mixing ingredients directly in pots or bowls.
Immersion blenders are useful in baking for recipes that include pureeing fruits for fillings, blending custards or sauces and creating smooth batters or frostings. They are
particularly useful for blending hot liquids or for baking in small batches. These kinds of blenders can also make whipped cream or mix ingredients for pancake or waffle batters.
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Frequently Asked Baking Questions
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The best pan for brownies is typically a non-stick metal baking pan, preferably square or rectangular, to ensure even baking and easy removal of brownies. If you’re a fan of crispy brownie edges, you can bake your batch in a square glass dish.
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You can bake a cake in lots of different pans, such as round cake pans, square baking pans or even bundt pans! It all depends on the desired shape and size of your cake.
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You can use a rimmed baking pan or even a large, oven-safe dish as a substitute for a baking sheet. Make sure that whatever you use is sturdy and can withstand oven temperatures.
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For round cakes, you typically need a 9-inch diameter cake pan. Rectangular cake pans come in all kinds of sizes, often ranging from 9x13 inches to larger sizes like 12x18 inches for bigger batches. Sheet cakes are baked in rimmed baking sheets, usually around 18x13 inches, for large, single-layer cakes.
