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Everything you need to stock up your kitchen as a home baker. All the essential tools and equipment from baking pans to utensils to mixers.
Welcome to the Baking Basics Series! I have decided to make a series of blog posts dedicated to the basics of baking to help you become a more confident baker! The first part of the series is all about the essential kitchen equipment you need to become a home baker. Before you can start baking anything you need the right equipment. So I have rounded up what I think are the most essential kitchen equipment you need. Read on to find out what they are and download the free checklist at the bottom of the post.
Essential Kitchen Equipment
Baking Dishes/Pans
Glass 9×13” baking dish: You will need a 9×13” baking dish for sheet cakes. I recommend a glass one because it is multipurpose and you can see the outside of what your cooking to check for doneness. You can not only use for sheet cakes but for cooking too such as lasagnas. Bonus if you purchase one with a lid for easy cleanup and convenience.
Glass 8×8” Baking Dish: A smaller version of your 9×13” baking dish for smaller cakes, oatmeal bakes and cooking.
Non-Stick 9-Inch Round Cake Pan: You will need a set of two for a standard layer cake. I recommend metal non-stick for the best results.
Set of 3 Non-Stick Cookie Sheet: Perfect for baking cookies, baking bread, sheet cakes, rolls, roasting vegetables, meat, fish, etc.
Loaf Pan: You will need a loaf pan to bake sweet and savoury breads, meatloaves and more.
Cupcake/Muffin Baking Pan: A standard 12 count pan will do the job for cupcakes and muffins. Again non-stick is the way to go for any metal baking pan.
Glass Pie Plate 9”: If you plan on baking any pies a 9 inch pie plate is the most commonly used for most recipes. The glass makes it convenient to check the outside of the pie plate. And you can serve the pie directly out of the plate.
Kitchen Utensils
Set of Sharp Knives: A set of sharp knives is essential for every kitchen whether your baking or cooking. You’ll want to find a knife set with the following: 1x Chef Knife, 1x Carving Knife, 1x Bread Knife, 1x Utility Knife, and 1x Paring Knife.
Silicone Basting & Pastry Brush: You will need a pastry brush for brushing on egg wash, butter, etc, onto your pastries or pans. I recommend silicone because it is heat resistant up to high temperatures and harbours fewer bacteria than most other materials.
Silicone Spatula’s 2x: Spatulas are a can’t live without item when it comes to baking or cooking. Again, I recommend silicone because it is heat resistant so you can use it in hot liquids and dishwasher safe. You can use a spatula for mixing, scooping, and scraping.
Whisk– You will need atleast one whisk though I recommend having two on hand. Silicone will not damage any non-stick coatings on your baking pans and pots and is heat resistant. Can you tell I love silicone? There are many ingredients that you will have to whisk in baking.
Mixing Spoons 2x: Mixing spoons are key in every baker’s kitchen because you will be doing a lot of mixing. I recommend at least two that are safe for non-stick cookware.
Rolling Pin: Any Standard rolling pin will do. However, marble rolling pins are cooler to touch, which makes them perfect for rolling out pie crusts and sugar cookie dough.
Pastry Cutter: Pastry cutters make it so easy to cut butter into your dry ingredients. Used for homemade biscuits, pie crusts, and other baked goodies.
Miscellaneous
Mixing Bowls 3x:You will need at least three mixing bowls. Small, medium, and large. You can get stainless steel, plastic, or glass mixing bowls. Bonus if they come with lids for convenience like the set linked here.
Cutting Board: You may have to chop up some ingredients and you don’t want to be cutting on your counters!
Grater: You will need a grater for shredding up any vegetables that are in the recipe as you’d be surprised how many good vegetable cakes there are out there! I recommend getting a grater with a fine grate because you won’t get too big of chunks into whatever you’re baking. A box grater will work, however, I recommend a manual rotary grater for convenience and better safety because you don’t have to worry about grating your fingers! Also, if you have a KitchenAid there is a convenient little slicer/shredder attachment you can buy of for it that will grate everything super easily for you.
Colander: A colander is great for when you need to wash any ingredients such as fruits and vegetables.
Sifter– You may need to sift your dry ingredients in some recipes, especially cocoa powder and you will need a sifter to do that. I have an old sifter that works really well. You could also use a Mesh Strainer as a sifter as well.
Cooling Racks: You should always use a wire cooling rack to cool your baking down. Once you take your food out of the oven you want the cooking process to stop and your food to cool evenly for the best results, so placing your bakeware directly on a cooling rack is imperative.
Equipment
Blender: You can find more and more blender baking recipes these days. My Butter Tarts recipe uses a blender as well. I own and love my Ninja Supra Kitchen System. I have a whole separate post on blenders here.
Stand Mixer: Since I bake a lot my husband bought me the KitchenAid Stand Mixer. It is amazing at mixing everything from cookies, to cakes, to frosting, and meringues. If I had to choose between a stand mixer and a handheld mixer I would choose the stand mixer because it is effective at mixing and is also a hands-off tool. I can just set it to a certain speed and let it mix on its own. If you bake a lot I would recommend investing in a good quality mixer such as the Kitchen Aid, but if you don’t bake too often you can go with a less expensive option such as a Sunbeam which works well too.
Measuring
Measuring Cups and Spoons: Measuring your ingredients correctly is very important in order for your baking to turn out.
Liquid Measuring Cups: In order to measure liquid ingredients you will need a liquid measuring cup to get the correct amounts needed for your recipe.
Stovetop
Set of Saucepan’s: Every kitchen needs a set of saucepans for cooking on the stovetop.
Optional Extra Equipment
This equipment is more optional depending on what you are planning on baking as these are specific kitchen equipment used to make specific things. But, if you are not planning on making these then you won’t need to purchase the equipment for them as they are not essential.
9″ Springform Pan: You will need this pan if you are planning to make cheesecakes. A springform pan lets you open up the pan on the sides of the cake for easy removal-no placing the cake upside down!
Bundt Pan: Also called a fluted tube pan these pans are of course made for bundt cakes! Bundt cakes are beautiful round cakes with a design on the outside due to the pan.
Doughnut Baking Tin: You will need a doughnut pan of course if you plan on baking doughnuts. You will be surprised just how easy baking doughnuts can be. I have a delicious and easy recipe here for Lemon Glazed Blueberry Donuts.
Angel Food Tube Cake Pan: Needed to make a standard Angel Food Cake. This pan is round with a hole in the middle like the bundt pan but without the pretty designs on the outside and it comes with a removable centre.
Silicone Baking/Pastry Mat – a great reusable alternative to parchment paper. Some ways you can use these are roasting vegetables, cooking meat, baking bread and cookies. Simply place it on top of your baking pan as you would parchment paper. Also, great for pastry rolling, therefore I recommend purchasing a mat with measurements so you can roll your pastries exactly the size you want them.
Download and print your own Essential Kitchen Equipment Checklist! Just enter your email below and your printable checklist will get sent directly to your inbox.
I hope you enjoyed reading about all my essential kitchen equipment. What are your favourite baking tools? Answer in the comments below!
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