Every baker, whether hobbyist or professional, needs basic kitchen tools to work with to achieve their goal in the kitchen. Thanks to advances in technology and innovations, other kitchen tools have come to the market that make the work at the kitchen super easy and quick.
Why Do You Need Baking Tools
For this post, I will be sharing the most important basic baking tools for beginners and their uses in the kitchen. These are basic tools that I use very often when baking. I also store some of the small tools in the front drawers of my kitchen, so that they are easy to find and I can have access to them anytime I need them. These tools include mixer (hand or stand mixer), measuring tools, sieve, grater, baking trays and pans, oven gloves, whisk, cooling racks, oven thermometer, timer, spatulas, mixing bowls, pastry brushes, rolling pins, silicon mat or parchment paper, scarpers, and cling wrap/twist tie bags/zip lock bags, foil.
Examples Of Basic Kitchen Tools And Uses
1. Mixer And Uses
Hand mixers are the most basic tools among the mixers used in the kitchen. They can be used to cream or mix cake batter, whisk eggs and kneading bread dough. This tool will save you a lot of time and labor in the kitchen. Even though, there are other powerful mixers like stand mixers, these can be expensive. The hand mixers are cheaper and they are perfect for beginners. Believe it or not, they actually do a great job which is almost similar to what the expensive mixers do
2. Measuring Tools, Types And Uses
These include measuring scale, measuring cups, liquid measuring cups and spoons. These tools are used to measure ingredient when baking. If you want to achieve perfect baked goods every time, then you will need to measure your ingredients. Some recipes need precise measurement and those will need digital measuring scale. Most cake recipes need precise amount of ingredient to produce a perfect product every time. So when you do not measure your ingredients accurately every single time, then you will get different result all the time.
Measuring Scale
I usually use digital measuring scale to measure the weight of the ingredients and the best ones will have measurement in grams (g), ounces (oz), and pounds (lb.). It is easy to change the measurement to suit those specified in whatever recipe that you are using. Digital measuring scales tend to give you more accurate measurements compared to cup measurement
Liquid Measuring Cups
These are usually used to measure the quantity of fluids such as milk, water, oil, syrup, etc. They also come in different sizes and unit of measurements. They are sold in different sizes as well as in sets of threes.
Measuring Cups for dry ingredients
These are used to measure the volume of dry ingredients such as flour, sugar, oats, rice and many more. Sometimes, the amount will vary depending on how you measure your flour. For instance, when you scoop with another instrument to fill the measuring cup the volume will be different compared to when you scoop with the measuring cup itself. The best way to use measuring cups is to scoop and fill the cup and then level it. This helps you get accurate measurements of your ingredients.
Measuring Spoons
They are usually used to measure small quantity of measurement and can be used for both dry and liquid ingredients such as salt, flavoring and extracts, spices, herbs and etc.
3. Sieve/ Sifter And Uses
I like to have sieve in varying sizes so that I can use them for different purposes. The larger ones are often used for sieving flour to get rid of any unwanted particles as well as help aerate the flour to act as a rising agent, in addition to baking powder. I prefer to use the medium sized ones to strain fruit puree and use them for cake filling or add it to cakes and muffins. I tend to use the smallest size of the sieve for straining juices from fruits such as lemon and orange.
4. Grater And Uses
My number one spice for baking is nutmeg and I usually like to grate my own nutmeg and use it. For this, and many other reasons, grater is a basic tool for me, and I think it will be a basic and most used tool for you too. It is also used to grate lemon, orange, or tangerine rind to use in baked goods.
5. Oven Gloves And Uses
As a baker, if you do not want any burns aka ‘baker’s mark’ then oven gloves that are durable and long will be your best friends. As a food and kitchen safety instructor and a baker, I have experienced and seen many burns to say that oven gloves should be in every baker’s home.
6. Cooling Racks And Uses
As I was put together the tools that I consider basic and important for every home baker to have, I wondered if cooling rack should be part of the basic tools. I immediately said yes and yes. Why? Because any time I plan to bake, it is one of the tools I bring out to be used. It helps protect your kitchen or working surface and importantly it is used to cool cakes, cookies and more. Sometimes, some baked goods need to be moved right from the baking sheet and be put on the racks to prevent further baking by allowing air to circulate around it to cool it down.
7. Oven Thermometer and Uses
Previously, I thought when you set your oven at 350 °F or 176 °C, then you are set but that is not always true (I used 350 as an example because it is the oven temperature that I use frequently when baking). I have to learn this the hard way. Inaccurate oven temperature affects the end product of the baked goods. So it is important to have an oven thermometer to help determine the right temperature of your oven.
8. Timer And Uses
When baking, setting the timer is a priority for me. As a mother and home baker, I cannot bake without distractions. I don’t bake without one since I always have about 100 other things going on at the same time that I’m baking. When the timer rings, no matter what I’m doing, I have to go check on the product. This is very important to me as a baker because without the timer, I will always have over baked or burnt baked foods.
9. Mixing Bowls And Uses
These are must-have tools in the kitchen for every baker. Don’t just get one, but get sets of mixing bowls that come in different sizes. It is also good to have bowls for ingredients so you can prepare for your baking in advance to allow you to spend less time in the kitchen.
10. Spatula / Whisk And Uses
Another multipurpose tool used in the kitchen is spatula. I used it to scrape sides of the bowl when creaming cake batters, cookie dough, muffins and more. It is also used for stirring/mixing ganache for spreading icing or frostings on cakes. Therefore, every home baker or cook needs at least one. It is a good thing to have different sizes for mixing and baking.
whisks come in various sizes to perform different tasks. it is used for whisking eggs, blend sauces and to make lump- free batters.
11. Bowl/Bench Scraper And Uses
They both have similar and difference uses. Bowl scrapers, because of their curved sides, are good for scraping the sides of bowls. The bowl scraper can be used for kneading sticky dough and for dividing dough or pastry. I have both and I usually use the bowl scraper for everything during baking. However, I only use the bench scraper for icing cakes. The bench scraper is made of stainless-steel metal and very sturdy, so it is easy to use in cake decorating for sharp edges and straight sides. Bench scrapers can also be used to either transport baked goods from baking trays to cooling racks or they can be used for chopping ingredients.
12. Pastry Brushes And Uses
This is also a good set of tools to have in the kitchen. I use different brushes for glazing, basting, egg wash, and preparing cake pans as well as other activities. Pastry brush will transform your food. For example, when you egg wash your pastry, it gives it a golden-brown color which makes it more pleasing to the eyes.
13. Rolling Pins And Uses
Just like the pastry brushes, there are different types of rolling pins as well. I have two types that I use, wooden rolling pin which is mainly for all thing’s pastry, cookies, etc. The other type which I own is usually used for cake decorating. It is non-stick polyethylene rolling pin with guide rings. which is perfect for rolling fondant, modelling chocolate and gum paste for making decorations.
14. Parchment Paper/ Silicon Mat And Uses
Which one is best for baking? Both can be used for baking, but silicon mat has more advantages when you work with very hot sugars. I prefer lining baking trays with the silicon mat for baking. It saves time and money, it is reusable, ready to use anytime and food does not stick to the trays or pans making the pans easy to clean. On the other hand, parchment paper is also for lining baking trays, but you must change it more frequently compared to the silicon mat. Parchment paper is also used for lining cake pans for baking cakes. It helps prevent cake sticking to the bottom of the pans after baking. It is used for blind baking especially when making pie.
15. Pastry Wrap/ Twist Tie Bags/ Zip Lock Bag/ Foil/ Wax Paper And Uses
I call these items “baking tools additives”, because they are not tools for baking per say but very important items to have in your kitchen for better kitchen experience during baking.
- Plastic wrap or cling film is used to cover bowl to help prove bread dough, it is also used to cover sauces and frosting to prevent them from drying out or crusting. Sometimes it is used to wrap dough for chilling.
- Twist tie bag/ zip lock bag are used to package baked goods, for wrapping cookie dough for chilling and storing, wrapping frosting, and even for wrapping cakes for storing.
- Wax paper can be used just like parchment paper but do not use them in the oven. But rather use it for lining pans for uncooked recipes, cover counter tops for rolling pastry dough or cookie dough. It can be used in between food layers for cold storage.
- Foil is used for baking and storing food in freezer to retain freshness. It can be used in blind baking but more for storage. Foil when used for baking can stick to the food and becomes difficult to take them out.
I hope these tools will help you get started on your baking journey successfully.
Thank you for reading. As always, know that God loves you and stay blessed
[…] When baking and decorating cookies, there are a few basic tools that will make the work easy. you can read more on baking basics and tools here Basic Baking Tips For Beginners and Basic Kitchen Tools For Every Baker. […]