Essential Baking Tools for Home Bakers

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There are so many gadgets and tools for baking but you really only need a handful of essentials. Avoiding filling your kitchen drawers to the brim with all sorts of baking tools.

Most people have a favorite brand or specific type of item they use more than others. I’m the same. I’ve tried various brands of the same tool and always end up going back to my preferred tools.

Each item listed below is the exact brand I own and love. And these are the basic tools needed to help you become a successful baker.

Digital Scale

A kitchen scale allows you to measure ingredients by weight instead of volume. This ensures you are using precise and accurate measurements.

Using inaccurate measurements can throw off the chemistry in a recipe resulting in a failed product. This is the most common mistake when it comes to baking. And since baking is a science and requires precision, a scale is highly recommended for accuracy.

If you can only purchase one item, let it be a digital kitchen scale. The one linked above is my new favorite. I’ve been using it for about a year and have zero complaints. It’s by OXO and has a pull-out screen so you can still see it when using larger bowls. It is on the pricier side but you can find cheaper alternatives on Amazon.

Oven Thermometer

No two ovens are alike. They all vary slightly. This is mostly due to improper calibration. Use an oven thermometer to test if your oven is heating to the set temperature.

This is the second most important tool you need in your kitchen! An inaccurate oven temperature can completely ruin a recipe.

Measuring Cups and Spoons

I always recommend measuring ingredients by weight instead of volume but measuring cups can still come in handy. I’m sure you’ve come across baking recipes that don’t provide weight measurements. In such cases, you have to use measuring cups instead of scales.

Measuring spoons are more convenient for smaller measurements like extracts and spices.

Here’s a great set of measuring cups and spoons to get you started.

Liquid Measuring Cups

There are two types of measuring cups you’ll need – dry measuring cups and liquid measuring cups. Both measure the same amount by volume but are made to work differently. Liquid ingredients can be measured in dry measuring cups. However, it isn’t as accurate if you measure dry ingredients in liquid measuring cups.

Electric Hand Mixer

I can appreciate that some bakers mix everything by hand and if that’s the way you wish to go, then so be it. I get exhausted just thinking about whipping egg whites by hand! A hand mixer is fairly inexpensive and will make things much easier.

Stand Mixer

I often prefer to use a stand mixer. It seems to work best when whipping egg whites or creaming butter without adding too much air. However, this is a luxury item and not an essential baking tool.

Mixer Attachments

Mixers come with different attachments and each one serves a purpose.

The paddle attachment is meant for general mixing and creaming. You will use it for basic cake batters, cookies, frosting, etc.

The whisk attachment adds air to ingredients. It is used for whipping egg whites or heavy cream.

The dough hook is used to knead dough with your mixer. I much prefer using my stand mixer with the dough hook when making bread.

Whisks

Whisks have a variety of uses but because they add air to ingredients, they are not meant for every type of mixing. You’ll use a whisk to emulsify ingredients, add air to flour instead of sifting, whip air into egg whites, or whip heavy cream.

Silicone Spatulas

Unlike whisks, silicone spatulas are multipurpose. You can use a spatula to fold ingredients together, scrape the bottom and sides of a mixing bowl, smooth over batters in pans, scrape batters out of bowls into pans, etc.

I prefer these spatulas from OXO. The head and neck are one piece making it easy to keep clean. The silicone is also heat resistant up to 600 degrees F. And they are dishwasher safe.

Pastry Blender

A pastry blender is used to cut hard fat (cold butter or shortening) into flour. It’s most useful when making scones or biscuits.

Sifter

Sifters are used for adding air to flour and combining dry ingredients. It’s not always necessary to use them, you can usually get away with using a whisk instead. But really delicate cakes, I like to sift the flour a couple of times to ensure the texture of the cake isn’t compromised.

Mixing Bowls

You’ll need mixing bowls for every recipe you make. I prefer to have a variety of sizes as this makes it easy to have all the ingredients prepped and measured. I have four sets of these glass bowls and absolutely love them. You may wish to have stainless steel bowls instead.

Bench Scraper

While a bench scraper isn’t essential, I find it to be helpful. I use it to cut scone or biscuit dough and to scrape sticky doughs off the countertops.

Baking Pans

There are a variety of baking pans needed in every baker’s kitchen.

Baking sheets (cookie sheet): Half sheet pans are multiuse pans. You can use them to bake cookies, biscuits, scones, free-form bread loaves, etc. I highly recommend having at least two of these on hand.

Muffin pan: These pans can be used to make muffins, cupcakes, mini cheesecakes, and sweet rolls.

Loaf pan: A 9×5 loaf pan is standard for most quick bread recipes. You can also use this pan for small pound cakes, loaf cakes, and loaves of yeast bread.

Cake pans: Most of my cake recipes make a 9-inch two-layer cake. These pans are what I recommend. Avoid using nonstick pans as they tend to prevent the cakes from rising to their full potential.

Offset Spatulas

Offset spatulas come in handy when you need to level cake batters or brownie batters in the pan. They work for smoothing over mousse filling or chocolate ganache. You can also use them for frosting cakes. You can get them in a variety of sizes.

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Now that you have all the essential baking tools, which one do you find most helpful? For me, it’s my stand mixer. I honestly don’t know how I ever got along without one. I use it for literally EVERYTHING.

Happy Baking,
– Jen