20 Essential Tools For The Home Baker

I’m often asked which mixer is my favorite and which cookie sheets I can’t live without. And my favorite question of all….how do you get those perfectly round, Pinterest-worthy cookies? Today I’m rounding up my top 20 Essential Tools For The Home Baker.

Pretty and practical, stylish and functional, each one of these kitchen essentials is a tool I use in my own kitchen. Read on for a list of all the gadgets and goodies every baker needs.

1. Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer

The KitchenAid brand is pretty much the gold standard of kitchen tools and not a day goes by that I don’t put my mixer to good use. Whether creaming together sugar and butter, whipping up a batch of cookie dough or whisking together a meringue, you can’t go wrong with this expertly crafted appliance. And can we talk about that pretty vintage blue…it’s my favorite! This timeless style will last a lifetime and be treasured for years to come.

 2. Baking Sheet + Cooling Rack

If there is one item I cannot live without in my kitchen, it’s my cookie sheets and cooling racks. I bake a lot, and I mean A LOT of cookies, and a good quality baking sheet is a must. It’s the most essential pan you’ll ever have. I love this baking sheet from Nordic Ware made of pure aluminum for perfectly baked, golden brown cookies. And the cooling rack is the perfect place to rest those fresh from the oven cookies, cakes, muffins and more.

3. Assorted Mixing Bowls

These OXO mixing bowls are made of stainless steel and they are perfect for mixing and prepping doughs and batters. Bakers will love this simple and practical design and they easily double as serving bowls. The set includes three sizes that nest together for easy storage and I think we can all agree they get bonus points for being dishwasher safe. Plus they have a handy non-skid bottom. Winning!

4. Square Baking Pan

This square pan made of aluminized steel serves up perfectly baked cakes, brownies, and blondies every time. It’s thick material and ridged design allows for even heat distribution and easy release. If you’re wondering why your brownies and cookie bars don’t turn out like the ones you see on the internet, get this pan! It’s hands down my favorite baking pan ever.

5. Whisk

This pro quality French whisk from Sur la Table was a stocking stuffer for Christmas a few years back. I love the beechwood handle and the long, narrow shape is perfect for beating eggs, mixing batters and stirring ganache. It’s such a pretty, classic whisk and I love using it in my photo shoots too!

6. Cake Pans

If you’re going to bake a cake it pays to invest in a set of quality cake pans. This set of two 8-inch cake pans from Wilton will last a lifetime and the two inch depth is perfect for baking taller cake layers. Pro-tip: buy two sets so you can whip up a three layer cake in no time.

7. Kitchen Scale

Put this kitchen appliance at the top of your list and take the guesswork out of baking. A kitchen scale is a must-have for precise and consistent baked goods. This one from OXO is super user friendly, easy to clean and the price is right. Plus you can charge it quickly, no batteries required!

8. Oven Thermometer

If there is one thing I’ve learned in all my years of baking, it’s that no two ovens are created equal. Every oven runs differently and no two are the same. Some run hot. Others run cold. I highly recommend investing in an oven thermometer. Position it on the center rack of your oven and adjust your baking temperature as needed.

9. Cordless Hand Mixer

This cordless, rechargeable hand mixer is THE best invention ever. I love that I’m not tethered to a cord and I can move about the kitchen as needed. It makes baking a breeze and cleanup is a cinch!

10. Cookie Scoop

One of the questions I am asked the most on Instagram is how do I get such perfectly round cookies? The trick is to use this cookie scoop from OXO. I love the ergonomic design with the comfy, soft grip handles which makes scooping cookie dough easy peasy. Just scoop your dough, weigh it and bake it. It’s that easy!!

11. Silpat Mat

I use this handy non-stick mat to bake perfectly baked cookies of any kind. No butter, grease, oil, or parchment needed. And this sleek, washable surface makes clean up a breeze!

12. Measuring Cups

True story…I actually collect measuring cups. Yep. I’m obsessed like that. I have new ones and old ones, vintage ones and ultra-modern ones. A busy baker can never have too many measuring cups if you ask me. These stainless steel measuring cups have Italian olive wood handles that are {almost} too pretty to use. Each cup is designed to be sturdy in your hand and has a clean edge for easy leveling.

13. Cake Stand

This commercial quality turntable is so profesh!! Let’s face it…frosting the perfect layer cake is hard to do. So, make your life a little easier with this sturdy cake stand. Just center your cake on the rotating top and then turn it with one hand as you frost or decorate your cake. Game changer!

14. Pastry Tools

Speaking of frosting cakes, I use the offset spatula from this Williams-Sonoma pastry tools set for perfectly frosted edges. It works like a charm every time! Every good baker needs a reliable set of tools for everything from prepping pie dough to filling and frosting cakes and pastries. Made from durable stainless steal with beautiful olive wood handles, these tools are a must have for the well-equipped kitchen. I love that these classic pieces grow a patina over time and just get better with age.

15. Rolling Pin

No doubt about it, every baker needs a good rolling pin. It’s tough to roll out sugar cookie dough, cinnamon rolls or pie crust with one. Perfect for crushing Oreos and graham crackers too! Simple and functional, I adore this French style rolling pin with tapered ends.

16. Bundt Pan

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of a pretty little bundt cake. They are easy to make, delicious to eat, and so beautiful right out of the pan. I love the classic curved ridges and elegant design of Nordic Ware bundt pans. Nordic Ware pans are crafted of cast-aluminum with an exclusive nonstick finish which means your bundt won’t stick to the pan.

17. Spatulas

Get your hands on these super sleek silicone spatulas!  This trio from GIR is my fave!! Durable, flexible and heatproof. What’s not to love? And the best part is their one piece design makes them so easy to clean. Perfect for scooping and spreading all of your favorite doughs, batters and buttercreams.

 18. Sifter

I’m probably the world’s laziest baker but I will say that sifting your ingredients is worth the extra effort. Whether you’re making macarons, a fluffy vanilla cake, or dusting your brownies with powdered sugar, these fine mesh sieves make the job easy.

19. Parchment Paper

This is probably the most used {and cheapest!} kitchen tool I use on a daily basis. I use parchment to line cookie sheets and cake pans.

20. Biscuit Cutters

This set of 5 stainless steal cutters are ideal for making biscuits, and my personal favorite, sandwich cookies! The rims are extra sharp for even cutting and I love that they nest together for easy storage. I use a non-fluted version of this to spin around the outside of warm from the oven cookies to make them perfectly round and uniform. This kitchen tool gets a 10 out of 10 from me!

Happy baking!

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