The 10 Baking Tools You Need in Your Kitchen
I’ve spent countless hours in the kitchen baking, and over the years I’ve found my holy grail list of tools and gadgets that have made my life easier. Here are my 10 must-have baking tools to have in your kitchen - they also make great gifts!
I’m going to start with the most expensive thing first, because it really is that important. I’ve used my stand mixer for over 12 years and it’s still running like the first day I got it. This is absolutely essential for me when mixing dough or making my Italian Meringue Buttercream Frosting for cookie sandwiches. I have a lot of the extra attachments too, which I use for making pasta and spiralizing veggies. It also comes in a wide range of colors and looks excellent sitting on your counter top as part of your kitchen decor.
Half sheet pans are the perfect size to bake a dozen cookies. They are sturdy but easy to maneuver in your oven at the same time, plus they’re pretty cheap! I have so many of these pans and use them daily.
These can be a bit of a splurge for some, but trust me, they’re worth every penny. These silicone mats fit perfectly in a half sheet pan and helps cookies and other desserts cook evenly in the oven. They eliminate the need to spray or grease a pan, so one less ingredient you’ll need to use in your recipe!
I love a cooling rack because it is actually a multi-purpose kitchen tool. Of course you can use them to cool a set of cookies right out of the oven. But they’re also great for setting on top of a baking sheet and providing air circulation underneath the foods you’re baking, giving a crispy texture to things like chicken wings, egg rolls, pastries, etc.
I’ve gone through (and somehow lost) a few measuring spoons in my time. Which is why I love this set because it’s magnetic and they stay together in a drawer! I also love that there are two sides to each one, so in case you need two different 1 teaspoon measurements, you don’t need to wash it between ingredients - just use the other side! (the lazy side of me loves this). And I also like that this set comes with a little leveler, so handy!
Cookie scoops are essential in my kitchen to making sure I get evenly-portioned dough onto my baking sheets. I’ve linked the medium size cookie scoop here since that’s what I use most often, but I also use the small and large sizes, depending on the type of cookie I’m baking that day. These scoops are easy to use and don’t hurt my hand after hours of scooping dough.
A food scale was a more recent purchase for me in my kitchen, but I honestly don’t know how I lived without it for so long. This is definitely the most accurate way to measure your baking ingredients. When recipe testing, I need to be very precise with my measurements, and this is the only way I can know for sure how much of each ingredient I’m putting in to my recipe.
Stackable mixing bowls are great because they come in several sizes and can stack for easy storage. These bowls are even better because they have silicone bases which prevent sliding when mixing ingredients. I use these bowls to portion out my wet and dry ingredients, hand mix add-ins to my cookie dough, or seal and chill cookie dough overnight.
Spatulas are definitely a more common kitchen tool, but it should not be overlooked on this list. I use spatulas daily in my baking. They’re perfect for grabbing up that last bit of dough in a bowl or gently stirring in ingredients to a mixture without over-mixing. Side note - they’re the best tool to make scrambled eggs with!
Airtight Food Storage Containers
I love these storage containers for my bulk ingredients like baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, etc. The lids have a pop up that you can click down when you close it to lock in an air-tight seal. I love that they’re see-through and stack nicely on top of each other too! I’m a big fan of containers and these may be my absolute favorite.