We’ve talked a lot about how, but not a lot about with what. And that’s been kind of intentional. There are so many different tools out there these days to make baking easier. Do you need all of them? Nope! But some of them are nice to have and fun to play with. Let’s take a look at what I think are the most basic tools that you need to be able to bake effectively.
Measuring Cups/Spoons
We’ve talked before about weighing your ingredients, but most of us don’t have a kitchen scale in the US. Instead, we use measuring cups and spoons. You can use any standardized measuring devices that are available to you. There are fancy ones. Stylized ones. Aesthetic ones. Very basic ones. As long as they are the right size, then use the one that is available.
Mixer/Mixing Bowls
For baking, you need some sort of mixing bowl. I recommend a couple different sizes if possible, but if not, then medium/large is likely going to be more useful. You also need a mixer, but that’s up for interpretation. You can use hand powered mixers (a la ye olden days), you can mix by hand using a wooden spoon, you can use a handheld mixer, you can use a stand mixer, and anything and everything in between those options.
Baking Pans/Sheets
You have to have something to bake your goodies on and in. Baking sheets are pretty universal, just pick the size you like. Same for baking pans, pick the size that works best for you and the recipes you are most likely to make. Usually a 8×8 or 9×9 square pans and a 9×13 rectangle pan are going to be the most common sizes, but you may find other sizes work better for you. I would also like to suggest that you get a couple of each, especially baking sheets. If you are making something like cookies, you are going to want a few pans to rotate with, otherwise it will take you forever to bake your batch if you are waiting on a pan to cool enough to reuse.
You’ll notice in these recommendations that I’m not giving specifics. That’s because there are so many variations that it’s impossible to include every option. Some options are extra fancy and can be expensive, but you don’t need expensive equipment or tools to be a good baker. You can always start with the basics and then upgrade when you see what is actually important to you. For example, I love my stand mixer, but I made cookies by hand mixing or using a handheld mixer for many years. I really want baking to be accessible to everyone, and recommending expensive products is not the way I feel that it is accomplished.
What are your thoughts? Do you have any other basic baking tools that you would recommend to a beginner baker?