12 Tools Every Home Baker Needs
I don’t think it’s a secret that I love baking. I grew up baking and it was always a way to bond with my mom and in turn have items we could gift to others or enjoy as a family. It doesn’t matter the time of year or time of day, I’m always making something (yes even at midnight sometimes). We have a few family favs that we bake often but I love to experiment with different recipes and because I love to do that I have a list of tools that every amateur baker needs (this is based on my experience and personal taste - other baker’s thoughts on some of these may vary).
So when going through my guide you will notice that each item is noted in a colour, this means it’s hyper-linked and if you click on it and it will bring you to the website where you find the item and purchase it from if you so choose… now, here we go!
Spring Form Pan - I use this often enough for when I make cheesecake or other unorthodox style cakes. I like the ones that have a non-stick coating on them as it helps when you take the outer rim off.
Lemon Zester - Not going to lie, I love anything lemon or citrus and a good zester makes things so much easier! I like this style one as you can get long strokes in and it’s long enough to sit over top of a bowl or a cutting board.
Whisk - I have probably about 4 whisks and they are all in varying sizes which I find is a great addition for not only baking but for cooking. I like my whisks with a comfortable style handle and one that is lightweight so if you’re whipping stuff by hand your arm doesn’t get too tired (or maybe it does, I’m just used to it)
Dutch Oven - I make a lot of homemade bread and I also use my dutch oven for cobblers and crisps. I recommend looking for one with a lid because it makes for easy re-heating or putting away as leftovers. There are so many options on the market, I personally love picking them based on their colour as they can also be used as an accessory for your kitchen (if you’re into that sort of thing).
Decorating Tips and Icing bags - You never know when the mood strikes and you feel like making your baked items more decorative. I often make homemade birthday cakes and try to make them a little bit more special by jazzing them up with homemade piped buttercream.
Pastry Cutter - I come from a big “pie” family, so a pastry cutter makes my life a lot easier when I’m making a pie. Alternatively if I’m feeling lazy, I’ve also made pastry in my food processor (recipe here).
Dough/ Bench Scraper - This helps with cleaning up your flat surfaces in your kitchen after making anything that sticks to your countertops. I also like the one with the measurement scale aspect as it helps me make sure things are around the same size for consistent baking.
Cookie/Muffin Scoops - If you like to make things look a bit more professional and uniform, I recommend getting some scoops of varying sizes. By keeping things a consistent size, your baked items cook more consistently and I also find these scoops are great for easy placement of your mix/dough onto a cookie sheet or muffin tin.
Stand Mixer - I don’t think the stand mixer gets enough praise. I love mine and use it for a ton of things such as kneading/mixing doughs, whipping items, combining ingredients, shredding meat (try your pulled pork in here), and I even started getting into the mixer attachments (I was gifted the pasta attachment for mine… and love it!). There are so many brands on the market, I have a KitchenAid one and I love it.
Measuring spoons/scoops - Not calling anyone out here but your dry ingredients and wet ingredients should be measured differently. A nice set of measuring spoons and scoops is great for your dry ingredients. In baking consistency is key!
Scale - The scale is the next big upgrade when it comes to your baking. I use my scale to make sure things are as accurate as possible and I love it because it’s compact and tucks away nicely.
Fine Mesh Sieve - Avoid lumpy batters (unless that’s what you’re aiming for) with a sieve. I like using this to ensure that my dry ingredients going into my recipes, are sifted thoroughly before adding into wet ingredients. I also like my sieve for removing seeds or pulp from fruit additions to my recipes (I like a good jam thumbprint cookie but my teeth don’t like the seeds).
I could literally go all day with this because there are so many useful tools but this would be a great addition to any of your baking adventures. I’m thinking of doing a blog post for cooking tools as well as I feel like there are so many great ones on the market that make a huge difference in cooking habits… so if that’s something you’d be interested in let me know!
I would like to note that none of these products are part of any partnerships or ads - this is all just items I personally use and love (brands may vary from what I have but similar in style and function).
Now that you’re feeling excited and maybe have picked up a few things on my list, go and find a new recipe, bake some stuff and have fun (and enjoy eating it of course!)
PS. Parchment paper isn’t on my list because I assume everyone uses it but if not… DO IT!
Bye for now!
Markie.