Essential Baking Tools: The Top 10 You Need in Your Kitchen

More than 15 years ago, I embarked on my baking journey with everything being completely new to me. Coming from a family that mainly relied on processed and prepackaged foods, I was well-versed in preparing box cake, box pancakes, minute rice, canned cinnamon rolls, and more. However, in 2008, a significant event occurred that I will always remember - the Great Recession hit the country. With a 1-year-old child and limited financial resources, I faced challenges in affording the usual groceries I used to buy. I had to quickly cut down on expenses to make ends meet.

During a trip to the grocery store, I noticed that every food item in my cart had been duplicated. To clarify, I bought all the essential baking ingredients and various boxed foods. Among the items I purchased were flour, eggs, milk, salt, sugar, vanilla extract, as well as boxed cake and pancake mixes. The only things absent from my cart were baker's yeast, baking powder, and a clue on how to bake from scratch.

Not all baking ingredients purchased for my home were actually used for baking purposes. Flour was utilized for frying, milk for cereal, sugar for sweet drinks, salt for seasoning boxed foods, and vanilla flavor for boxed cakes and pancakes. While this practice may seem impractical, it is a common cooking method in American households. Fortunately, I recognized this early on and promptly changed my cooking habits.

By altering the way I shop for groceries, I was able to cut my grocery costs in half by removing pre-packaged items from my shopping list and learning how to bake some of my favorite treats. The difficult economic conditions during The Great Recession necessitated drastic measures. As a result, I quickly learned how to bake from scratch, regardless of my initial inclination. The money saved on groceries was then invested in durable yet affordable baking tools and equipment. Now, let's jump right in and discover the tools required to begin your baking journey.

Start Your Baking Journey

If you are new to baking, I will share with you some important things to keep in mind before you begin your baking adventure.

Determine your food preferences precisely. There is no need to try new things at this stage of your baking adventure. Keep experimentation for later, once you have acquired knowledge and feel self-assured in your baking skills.

Don’t make big purchases for equipment you may not use often (ex. Heavy-duty electric mixer). Baking can be a wonderful experience but only if you’re willing to take time to learn baking principles.

Start small by only baking something once a week.

Begin with quick breads as they allow you to combine the ingredients with a whisk and bake the dough or batter right away. Avoid making baked goods that require extensive preparation time, as it may lead to a loss of motivation and interest in baking.

Forget about using fancy baking dishes and make baked goods using basic baking ingredients like flour, eggs, milk, sugar, salt, and baking powder.

Top 10 Tools You'll Need for Baking

If you're not someone who bakes regularly, chances are you don't have baking tools readily available in your kitchen or pantry. Save yourself the trouble and visit a nearby home store or shop online to buy these necessary baking tools.

One: Mixing Bowls

When I first started baking, I recall mistakenly using a cereal bowl instead of a mixing bowl to make pancake batter. As a result, more batter ended up on my countertop than on the pancake griddle. That incident prompted me to visit a nearby home store and buy several mixing bowls. Mixing bowls are crucial for baking as their size is sufficient to hold all the recipe's ingredients and ensure that they can be combined without any spillage during preparation.

Instead of buying individual pieces, consider purchasing a set of mixing bowls. Certain recipes may call for wet and dry ingredients to be prepared separately before being combined in a single bowl or container. In such cases, a set of mixing bowls would be useful.

Two: Measuring Cups

Measuring cups are crucial for every baking recipe. Unlike in savory cooking, where spices can be added to create a range of flavors in each bite, using accurate measurements is key to achieving the desired texture, taste, and shape of a baked item. Just like mixing bowls, it's recommended to buy measuring cups as a set rather than separately, to guarantee precise measurement of all ingredients specified in the recipe.

Three: Pyrex® Measuring Cup

A glass measuring cup is another tool for measuring. I prefer using Pyrex® for measuring liquids like milk or water when baking. Pyrex® measuring cups have both imperial (US) and metric markings, making them user-friendly. They are microwave-safe and suitable for hot or warm liquids. When making yeast bread, I warm the milk or water in a Pyrex® measuring cup to the specified temperature before adding the yeast.

Four: Mixing Spoons and Silicone Spatulas

When it comes to mixing baking ingredients, eating utensils such as forks, spoons, and knives are not suitable. To properly combine ingredients, it is necessary to use mixing utensils with a large surface area and/or a non-stick feature. Therefore, I recommend getting a set of silicone spatulas before you begin baking. Unlike wood spoons or mixing spoons, silicone spatulas are more flexible and efficient in transferring the entire batter or dough out of mixing bowls. While wood spoons can be used for preparing yeast bread, yeast bread recipes specifically call for the use of the wood spoon handle or a dough hook to mix ingredients. For all other recipes, silicone spatulas and/or whisks are ideal for mixing ingredients.

Five: Whisks

A whisk is a tool with balloon wires used for quickly blending ingredients or incorporating air into a mixture. Quick bread recipes require swift mixing of ingredients prior to baking. These breads rely on trapped air in the mixture to expand and lift the batter/dough while baking. Excessive mixing of quick breads can lead to a flat baked product. Hence, whisks are highly beneficial for preparing quick breads. Additionally, whisks are handy when making whipped butter or eggs.

Six: Cake Pans

If you are on a baking adventure, you might feel motivated to bake a cake. The majority of classic cakes are made as a 2-layer cake using two 9 x 13 in (229 x 330 mm) cake pans. Each layer of the cake is baked separately in its own pan before being stacked and frosted. You can usually buy cake pans in sets of two pieces.

Seven: Bundt Pan

Bundt pans are a type of baking pan that is utilized for baking various food items. These pans are available in common sizes ranging from 10 to 12 cups (2366 to 2839 mL). Cakes and quick bread recipes that are made using the muffin method can be baked in a Bundt pan.

Eight: Bread Loaf Pan

Bread loaf pans, similar to Bundt pans, are versatile for baking both cakes and quick breads. They are also suitable for making yeast breads like sandwich loaves or dinner rolls. These pans are typically sold individually and are commonly available in the standard size of 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches (216 x 114 x 64 mm).

Nine: Ceramic Baking Dish

When it comes to baking, ceramic dishes are my preferred choice for making cinnamon rolls, bread rolls, cake, cornbread, brownies, and more. If you're aiming to cut costs on essential baking tools, opting for a ceramic pan could be the ideal first purchase. Ceramic pans come in various sizes and can be bought individually or as a set. There's no need to splurge on the priciest option available; any durable ceramic pan will suffice. I bought several from a nearby home discount store and have always been satisfied with my choice.

Ten: Cookie Sheet

Another indispensable baking tool is the cookie sheet. Unlike pans with rolled edges, cookie sheets have flat surfaces and a spacious area that can accommodate a high quantity of cookies. Since the typical cookie recipe yields 12 to 30 cookies per batch, cookie sheets are ideal for making large quantities of cookies.

BONUS BAKING TOOLS

Pastry cutters are indispensable tools for baking, especially when preparing recipes like biscuits or pie dough that involve the biscuit method. Investing in a pastry cutter is essential for effectively blending butter into flour, serving as a convenient alternative to using forks or hands.

If you aspire to become a proficient baker, you can consider acquiring additional tools like a balance or heavy-duty stand mixer at a later stage. However, for now, focus on the items listed above, which should suffice to meet all your baking requirements as a beginner.

List of Easy Baking Recipes

Start your baking journey with three easy recipes.

1. Pancakes

2. Biscuits

3. Muffins

In Summary,

With the right tools, starting your baking journey can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. From mixing bowls to cookie sheets, each essential item plays a role in creating delicious baked goods while making the process smoother and more efficient. Whether you're a beginner or looking to enhance your skills, these tools set the foundation for a successful baking adventure.

Hungry for more tips, product reviews, and recipes? Visit our website to explore additional articles designed to help you elevate your baking skills and expand your recipe repertoire. Let’s bake something amazing together!S