It’s spring! Time to get organized and get our kitchens in tip top shape for all the upcoming baking! Get rid of the gadgets you never use and be sure you have the top 10 baking equipment essentials by following this simple guide.
A good battery of tools is essential to professional pastries in the kitchen. I’m not talking about fancy mold and gadgets – although those are great! – I’m referencing basic tools of good quality that will stand the test of time. If you invest wisely and take good care of your equipment, it will provide you with many, many years of delicious baked goods that you will be proud to serve.
rolling pin
A rolling pin is an absolute must. From pie crusts to cookie doughs to croissants, a rolling pin is a staple in the pastry kitchen. Rolling pins come in many forms and it’s really a matter of finding what works best for you. I tend to like the French rolling pin (far right) but marble, wood with handles, acrylic, stainless steel, bakelite, and silicone are just a few of the available options. Don’t put your rolling pin in the dishwasher or soak in soapy water. Wipe the rolling pin off with a damp cloth and store in a safe place so it doesn’t get damaged.
mixer
A stand mixer and/or a hand mixer are also essential for a serious pastry kitchen. Meringues, sponge cakes, and recipes that need lots of creaming are very difficult to do without a mixer. A stand mixer should be powerful enough to knead bread dough and a hand mixer should be able to cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy without a strain.
measuring cups and spoons
I know I always encourage weighing over volume measurements but if you are going to use cups and spoons be sure to invest in good quality. Heavy stainless steel works well and try to find cups and spoons that are made in one piece. With regular use, simply fastened handles tend to fall off. Spend a little bit more if you can and you will never need to buy measuring cups again. Just make sure the measurements are stamped into the metal rather than printed. After a few trips through the dishwasher you won’t be able to tell 2/3 from 3/4!
kitchen scale
Investing in a digital kitchen scale will help you achieve consistent results every time you bake. There are many good models to choose from  – just be sure to look for one that has a good capacity (5 pounds rather than 5 ounces!) and is easy to clean and maintain. And don’t forget to pick up some batteries!
spatulas
Spatulas come in 2 basic types — what one of my college roommates used to call scrapers or shovels. Rather inelegant but it gets the message across! Rubber spatulas are great for scraping bowls and folding ingredients together while metal spatulas are great for lifting and moving cakes and pastries and flipping items over.
whisks
Absolutely one of my favorite tools. In fact, I even have a favorite whisk — yes, a specific whisk! Whisks do a fantastic job of evenly incorporating ingredients, making sure you rare reaching the corner of saucepans while stirring, whipping creams or meringues, and folding in a similar way to a rubber spatula.
candy thermometer
If you plan to make any type of candy (think fudge, peanut brittle, caramels) or pastries that require a cooked sugar syrup (Italian buttercream, tiramisu) then you absolutely must have a properly calibrated thermometer. Â You can invest in a digital or instant read thermometer if you like but it’s not absolutely necessary. As long as the thermometer has clear markings in the appropriate temperature range that are easy to read and is calibrated you should be all set. I have had many frustrations and failed attempts with the “drop some of the boiling syrup into cold water and see if you can pick it up method”. Trust me, a good thermometer will take your baking up a notch — and help prevent burns!
timer
I never work with a timer. So why do I recommend one? It can be very easy to become distracted while waiting for something to finish baking. The phone rings and the next thing you know black smoke is pouring out of your oven! After many years in a kitchen working with too many people who had WAY too many timers going off, I adapted to working without one. I tend to be extremely focused when I bake and I try not to work on recipes for you when I think something might distract me. I feel comfortable working without a timer — BUT, I have been practicing for a very long time! For now, invest in a simple kitchen timer and use it as a guideline for how long things should be in the oven.
sheet pans
Good quality heavy duty sheet pans are necessary if you want evenly baked pastries. They must also be flat and not dented or warped if you want flat, even layers of cake or pastry dough! Take good care of them and they will serve you well. A standard 1/2 sheet pan ( 13″x 18″) will fit easily in most standard home ovens and can be purchased in baking stores and some warehouse type stores (think Sam’s or Costco).
pastry brushes
Ideal for glazing fruit tarts, brushing on chocolate, or even removing excess flour. A few brushes in the smallish range is a perfect place to start. Natural bristles are what I prefer. They are softer, which means you don’t get brush marks on your pastries and they don’t melt when you use them in a hot pan! Don’t soak them or put them in the dishwasher. Both tend to make the bristles fall out. Wash in hot soapy water and let them air dry and they will last and last.
So! There are 10 pieces of baking equipment that will make your job in the kitchen much easier and are well worth the investment. There are many other items you can add, cookie cutters, cake pans, Silpats, tart rings, the list goes on and on! These are essentials that you will use every time you are in the kitchen and will serve you well. Did I leave out your must have piece of equipment? Let me know!
