What you need for baking

A guide to the tools every home baker must have for a creative and stress-free time in the kitchen.

Silicone oven mitt
Heat-and slip-resistant, this mitt is also more durable than cloth potholders or oven mitts. It's easy to clean and comes in many fun colors!

Classic blender
This handy tabletop kitchen machine will take you from beverage to dessert to sauces and dips for main dishes. It's also handy for grinding cookies and nuts, for puréeing vegetables and fruits, and even for crushing ice.

Cream whipper
This tool produces instant topping for desserts, pastries, coffee, and other beverages. The metal siphon is fitted with a nitrous oxide cartridge that makes almost-instant whipped cream without the need for a mixer or a wire whisk. The canister also comes with decorative tips to make perfect rosettes.


Measuring cups and spoons
The cups come in sets of four or five, measuring 1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, and 1/4 cup. There are sets that include 1/8 cup. Spoons come in a set of five or six - 1 tablespoon, 1/2 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, 1/4 teaspoon and 1/8 teaspoon.

Pastry brush
Get one that is made with food-grade bristles. It is used for greasing pans, basting food that is being roasted or for glazing food.

Handheld blender
This small appliance, also called an immersion blender, can be put directly into a pot of vegetables ready to be puréed, can easily emulsify yogurt into a sauce, and whip cream in no time at all.

Kitchen tongs
For baked goods, tongs are good for lifting baked dinner rolls from the pan, for serving slices of bar cookies, and for handling fritters or churros when frying.

Silicone baking mat
Just place it over the tray then pipe out pastry batter or drop cookie dough. No need to grease and flour baking trays anymore!

Microplane
When you need to zest a citrus fruit like lemon or orange, this fine grater with its stiff sharp blades is the best bet. It's also effective in grating hard spices like nutmeg and cinnamon and hard cheeses like Parmesan and Romano.

Glass measuring cup
With a pouring spout, it's clearly meant for measuring liquid ingredients.


Mixing bowls
They can be made of glass, stainless steel, plastic, ceramic, or melamine. Stainless steel bowls are the most used as they are easy to clean, durable, and non-reactive to acids. Get a set that comes in at least four different sizes.

Dough scraper/ dough cutter
The rigid non-flexible type is best for scraping dough from the work surface as you knead it, while the soft, pliable ones can easily scrape any leftover dough or batter from a bowl.

Nonstick bakeware
Lined with nonstick coating, this type of pan is convenient because you can skip the greasing and lining. Be careful, though, as its capacity to retain heat can sometimes lead to too much browning or overcooking of the bottom potion of the product.

Pastry knife
This long knife can be used for slicing breads and cakes as well as for chopping chocolate, nuts, and fruits.

Thick aluminum baking pan
Choose pans that are solid in construction (meaning without too many seams) and sturdy enough to withstand the high heat of the oven and multiple use. Metal pans are often preferred over glass ones as they are easier to handle and release cakes easily when properly greased or floured.

Spatula
The tips are rounded and smooth, with the blade straight or angled (offset spatula). Use it for leveling off ingredients when measuring., and for applying fillings and frosting to cakes and pastries.

Timer
Make sure you don't overbake that delicate souffle or molten chocolate cake by having a timer on hand.

Utility / prep bowls
Colorful, microwave-safe utility bowls made from thick plastic are good for holding ingredients to be used or for short-term storing in the chiller.

Wire whisk
It's the best tool for whipping light ingredients like eggs and cream. The rounded metal wires serve to incorporate air into mixtures to make them light and airy.

Chopping board
Cutting boards have traditionally been made of hardwood, but today thermoplastic boards have become popular. Whatever type you choose, make sure it is big enough for all possible uses, thick enough so it does not warp easily, and nonslip for safety. Color-coded boards help ensure food sanitation. Have a set exclusively for chopping baking ingredients.

Wooden spoon
Great for mixing, beating, and cooking as it is lightweight and heat-resistant.

Rolling pin
Available in wood, stainless steel, marble, plastic and even canvas pastry cloth. The nonstick types are popular today as they don't need flouring like the wood ones, are easy to use and clean, and are lightweight.

Thermometer
An oven thermometer, to be slid in the oven, is handy. The other important thermometer to have on hand is a standard food thermometer for measuring the internal temperature of food when checking for doneness. You can choose between dial type, digital, and instant-read.

Stand mixer
The KitchenAid mixer has been the partner of most bakers for years. It is durable, easy to clean, and ergonomically designed. It's not just for mixing doughs and batters or for whipping frostings and creams though. It can also make pasta, ice cream, and sausages using its various attachments.

Weighing Scale
Serious bakers and cooks are batter off weighing ingredients rather than using measuring cups and spoons. A scale is more precise and easier to use when preparing a large volume of food. A kitchen scale can be mechanical (like the spring scale and balance scale) or electronic (the ones that produce digital readouts).

Silicone baking pans
Pans made from silicone can withstand very high temperatures without warping. Nonstick, they don't require greasing, are easy to use and clean, and very durable. Silicone pans come in various shapes and sizes, from cupcake molds to Bundt pans

Wire rack
Made from stainless steel or nonstick material, racks are needed for cooling freshly baked goods or when pouring glaze or thin icing over baked goods.

Taken from So-easy Sweets | Yummy