Baking is both a joy and an art form. It takes a bit of practice and experience to be successful at it. It also takes excellent tools of the trade. With that in mind, here are a few of our favorite tools a pro baker needs in their arsenal.
Baking Pans
Duh! Baking requires pans, so this one might seem a little obvious. But you should try to have a nice variety of pans so that you have everything you need to experiment with different recipes. You’ll want to make sure you have at least a cake pan, a muffin pan, a square pan, a pie plate and a loaf pan. If you have a couple of each, even better!
Cookie Scoops
Cookie scoops are gems in the kitchen! And you can use them for other things too, not just for baking. That makes them ideal “double duty” kitchen tools that all baking enthusiasts need. Stock your kitchen with a range of sizes, and you’ll have the perfect cookie maker, ice cream scooper and meatball maker all in one.
Cooling Racks
Cooling racks are another must-have kitchen item that also can do double duty for more than just baking. In fact, you should probably stock up with a few different types just to be safe. You can use them for cooling, of course, but also for recipes that require glazing or dipping (put a piece of parchment paper beneath to catch dripping liquid), and even for catching crumbs of breaded fried foods. In terms of baking, cooling racks are essential to help stop the cooking process, so your masterpiece cools properly and doesn’t become overdone.
Measuring Spoons
This is another kitchen tool that might be a no brainer, but measuring spoons are the bee's knees. They can be used for so many things, including baking delicious bread and desserts, tarts and cookies. While it’s fun to experiment with various dishes and eyeball your measurements with certain things, baking requires exact precision. Therefore, you need measuring spoons to help make exact measurements. Opt for a variety of sizes as well as a liquid measuring cup.
A Sifter
Sifters are one of those items you never realized you needed until you have one and experience what a difference it makes in your creative baking endeavors. A sifter is designed to aerate dry ingredients like flour and chemical leavenings, and it can also work wonders on ingredients like cocoa powder and powdered sugar. It helps make your dry ingredients light and lump free, which is crucial for all baked goods.
Whisks, Spatulas and Spoons
There are so many uses for these items it would be crazy not to have a drawer full of different varieties. Baking means lots of mixing, flipping, scraping, spreading, stirring and more. You need the tools to handle all those jobs. Just make sure you look for spatulas, spoons and whisks that are sturdy because they will get a lot of use. Buying cheap, flimsy ones will only be a waste of time and money.
Mixing Bowls
Along with all those mixing tools we mentioned, you’ll want to have a nice set of mixing bowls as well. They usually come in a couple of different sizes, either individually or as a set. Stainless steel mixing bowls are quite nice, but you can mix in others as well, like glass or plastic. Look for bowls that have pour spouts for mixes and batters.
Parchment Paper
Is there any invention out there better than parchment paper? It can handle any job! Parchment paper is nonstick and can be used both in regular cooking as well as baking. You can also get it in pre-cut sheets and use it to keep goods from sticking together when you box them up.
A Hand or Stand Mixer
While both can serve the same purpose, a hand mixer is probably more suited for beginners. Meanwhile, a stand mixer is probably a staple in every pro baker's kitchen. There are times where you’re making something with a lot of batter or dough that requires a lot of mix time
That’s where a stand mixer saves the day and really shines. If you have both a hand mixer and a stand mixer in your kitchen, you’re pretty much prepared to mix anything. Sometimes a hand mixer does the job perfectly, especially if it’s only a small job.
We could probably go on for days about different gadgets to streamline your baking endeavors, but these are the essential baking tools every pro baker needs. Do you have another baking tool that you just can’t live without? Let us know in the comments below!
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