Baking 101: 21 Essential Tools for Beginners
If you’re a beginner baker who’s just starting out (or a master chef looking to declutter), start with this list of baking tool must-haves. We’ll help you set up a baking kit for beginners with 21 essential tools. For those who already own these tools, this list may finally provide the motivation you need to toss that never-been-used soufflé dish. Building your essential baking toolbox starts here!
1. Measuring Cups (Liquid and Dry) and Spoons
Baking is all about precision, so having a full set of measuring cups and spoons on hand is a must. Don’t think you can get by with just one type of measuring cup, you’ll need both dry and wet measuring cups to measure all your ingredients. Keep these tools in an easy-to-reach spot, because you’ll use them all the time.
Most measuring spoon sets have a tablespoon, teaspoon, ½ teaspoon, and ¼ teaspoon, while most measuring cups come in sets with one cup, ½ cup, ⅓ cup, and ¼ cup. For liquid measuring cups, you can get by with a 1-cup size, but it can be handy to have 2-cup and 4-cup ones in your cupboard, too.
2. Wooden Spoon(s)
One wooden spoon is enough, but this tool is so handy, it can sometimes be helpful to have a couple around. Wooden spoons are great for all kinds of stirring because they’re so sturdy. Just remember to hand-wash them when you’re done so they don’t end up cracked.
3. Rubber Spatula/Scraper
We’re willing to bet you reach for your rubber scraper more often than you think. This tool is ideal for scraping the last bit of batter or dough out of a pan or for scraping all the nooks and crannies out of your jam jar. They’re also super handy for folding together wet and dry ingredients. Silicone scrapers will stand up to high heat better than rubber ones.
4. Spatula/Metal Turner
When you need to transfer fresh out of the oven cookies to a cooling rack or serve a piece of cake from a 9x13 pan, there’s no tool better than a good old spatula. Having one with a thin metal blade can be especially handy, and it’ll be flexible enough to easily slide under anything you’re moving without squishing the dough or crumbling your cookies.
5. Pastry Brush
This handy tool has more uses than you realized. It can be used to grease a pan before pouring in cake batter, to coat dough with melted butter or egg wash, or to “paint” milk on top of a piecrust. Especially if you’re a frequent baker, this is a must-have!
6. Whisk
Sure, you can use a wire whisk to beat together a few eggs, but it’s handy for other things too. In particular, it’s one of the best ways to thoroughly mix together dry ingredients and is also great for stirring together a homemade custard.
7. Kitchen Scissors
Whenever we’re making a recipe, baking or otherwise, we always our have our kitchen shears handy. They can be useful in so many different ways: Snipping fresh herbs, cutting parchment to fit a pan, and even just opening stubborn packages and containers.
8. Rolling Pin
Rolling pins are definitely the most useful for rolling out pie crust, cookie dough, and puff pastry, but there are other ways you can put this tool to work in your kitchen. For example, if you don’t have a food processor and need to crush cookies, chips, or crackers for a recipe, just put them in a sealable bag, then use your rolling pin to smash them to pieces.
9. Fine-Mesh Sieve
You can put a sieve to work in a lot of different ways. For bakers, it’s probably the most useful for sifting fry ingredients or adding a dusting of powdered sugar to a finished pan of brownies or cookies. It also comes in handy for draining wet ingredients (especially small ones, like quinoa, that would slip through a regular colander) and removing seeds from raspberry sauces.
10. Chef's Knife
If you have only one knife in your whole kitchen make it this one. This all-purpose knife is great for slicing, dicing, chopping, and mincing just about any ingredient your recipe calls for.
11. Paring Knife
Yes, you want this knife in your collection. It’s great for peeling and coring foods like apples. It’s also handy for cutting up other fruits and veggies, and for more delicate work that your chef’s knife is too big for.
12. Rectangular Baking Pan
A regular baking pan (13x9x2 inches) is a definite must-have. You can use it for so many sweet things—cakes, brownies, cookie bars—and, of course, it has savory uses as well. If you pick only one baking pan to stock your kitchen with, make it this one.
13. Round Cake Pan
Really, you should have two of these on hand, because you’ll need more than one to make a stunning, layer cake. Round cake pans come in 8-inch and 9-inch diameters, but most layer cake recipes will work with either size (just make sure you have two of the same size).
14. Loaf Pan
Banana bread, pumpkin bread, zucchini bread, all of our favorite homemade bread recipes call for a loaf pan. If you want to bake your own yeast bread, too, it’ll pay off to have two of these pans in your cupboard.
15. Pie Plate
Yes, the most obvious use for a pie plate is baking your own homemade pies, but there are other desserts that make this pan useful to have around. Also, you can make savory pies like meatball pie and taco pie for dinner, plus some frozen icebox pies as well.
16. Square Baking Pan
You don’t always need to make a huge pan of brownies, and when you just want a small batch, you’ll need a square baking pan. Cookie bars, cakes, brownies, and corn bread are just a few of the baked goods you can serve up from an 8x8 or 9x9 pan.
17. Wire Rack
No one wants soggy, overbaked cookies and cakes for dessert, so make sure you’ve got a wire rack on hand in your kitchen. This handy tool allows air to circulate around baked goods as they cool, so they’ll taste just as great at room temperature as they did fresh out of the oven.
18. Muffin Pan
Use this pan to show up at your next brunch with a tray of freshly-baked muffins or use it to make cupcakes for your next birthday celebration. Plus, you can use a muffin pan for lots of savory recipes too, like meatballs, pizza cups, and mini meat loaves.
19. Baking Sheet/Cookie Sheet/Sheet Pan
You definitely need at least one cookie sheet in your kitchen, and you’ll probably benefit from having two. If you do opt for two, we recommend having one cookie sheet with one raised side to bake your cookies, which allows proper air circulation and even baking. This pan is essential for baking most any kind of cookie, but baking sheets and sheet pans with raised sides could also be used for cookies and work best for sheet pan dinner recipes too.
20. Hand Mixer/Stand Mixer
While you don’t need to go all-out on a fancy stand mixer, you do need at least a hand mixer in your arsenal of baking tools. It makes mixing up doughs and batters much easier and quicker, and it’s by far the best way to mix ingredients into a thick, stiff cookie dough without tiring out your arm.
21. Parchment Paper
If you haven’t been baking with parchment paper, start now! Spreading a sheet over your pan before you start baking cookies will make clean-up much easier and prevent your baked goods from sticking to the pan. Avid bakers can also consider investing in a reusable silicone baking mat ($20, Target) to be more eco-friendly.