If you want your process of baking to be easier and more structured, using the best tools for baking will do just the job. Baking is a delightful process and the resulting product should even be more delightful to you and those who are consumers. Thus, it makes sense for you to find ways to hone your baking skills. This is where ingredients, baking techniques, and baking tools may play a role.
We all know that the most essential ingredient you should have in bakery products is flour. But is that all you need? Definitely not! You will agree that you need butter, sugar, baking powder, and so on.
However, in addition to this, you will also need baking tools to aid you in the process of baking. The truth is that you may need help deciding on which baking tools to buy in 2022. Some baking tools are worth investing in while some aren’t. And so, the best feedback to get in this regard is from professional bakers or pastry chefs.
Their recommendations on the best tools for baking in 2022 are suitable and budget-friendly. A lot of them are basic and affordable but these utensils can go a long way. Your use of the best tools for baking will aid in producing the best pastries and confectioneries for the upcoming holiday season. If this interests you, then keep reading this article. Why? Because in this article, you will get to know about the 10 best tools for baking in 2022.
Why Do You Need A Baking Tool?
Making use of the right utensils when baking will give you a higher expected output. You and your friends or family members will enjoy the perfect taste of the baked product you’ve made. Also, using the right baking tools will make it easier for you to
(1) apply your favorite baking technique,
(2) measure out the ingredients you need,
(3) and produce something delicious at the end.
This will prevent your biscuits, cookies, buns, bread, pizza, and cakes from being too sweet or too dense. Baking tools are designed to aid your baking, therefore, saving you time and energy.
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Essential Baking Tools And Their Uses
- 1. Mixers
A bakery mixer is important in blending dry (flour) and wet ingredients together to produce batter or dough. You can use a hand mixer or stand mixer but the perk is that you can perfectly mix things without easily getting your hands tired.
- 2. Baking sheet
A baking sheet is otherwise called a baking tray or sheet pan. It does the job of a container and/or platform used for baking bread, biscuits, cookies, etcetera unto which you can now slide into the oven. It has multiple functions aside from baking. You can also use it to put in the chicken before roasting or cups of tea before serving.
- 3. Spatula
Bakers use a spatula to rub icing or other toppings on the surface of your freshly baked product. It can sharpen the edges of a loaf or cake as well as a slicer for cake when served.
- 4. Pan
A regular baking pan (13x9x2 inches) is a definite must-have for any serious baker. You simply can’t achieve much without one of these baking tools. A loaf pan or cake pan holds your mixture in place and is put into the oven.
- 5. Whisk
A whisk or cooking whip is cookware that enables you to blend batters, whipping cream, and other ingredients especially if you want to aerate them in a situation where you don’t have a sifter handy.
- 6. Mixing bowls
Starting the baking process will most often require you to pour out the flour (dry ingredient) and other additions (wet ingredients) into a sizable bowl. That bowl is simply known as a mixing bowl.
- 7. Pastry brush
This baking tool is quite underrated, especially among amateurs. It is important and can be used to grease the empty pan with melted butter or egg wash before pouring the main dough or batter.
- 8. Rolling pin
Rolling pins are certainly useful in rolling out pie crusts, cookie dough, and puff pastry. You need this except you can creatively improvise.
- 9. Measuring cup
You’ll definitely need a measuring cup set because the different cups will measure out the different quantities you require. Thus, both dry and wet measuring cups are a necessity in accurately measuring all the ingredients you’re adding.
- 10. Oven thermometer
An oven thermometer is used to consistently take the temperature readings of the oven. You need this information so that you don’t end up overheating your pastries and confectioneries.
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How to Choose The Best Baking Tool For You
What to consider when choosing the best baking tools is crucial to every baker. Now that you have known the essential baking tools, how should you choose the right type of baking tool? When choosing the best tools for baking, you should bear these 3 main factors:
The type of baked products you intend to bake frequently
It will be wise to get baking tools that will fit the type of baked good you will frequently be baking. For instance, whisk, mixing bowls, pastry cutter, rolling pin, and mixer will be appropriate if your baking delight is making pizza. The best tools for baking aren’t the ones that will gather dust in your kitchen but ones that will be functional whenever you bake your favorite pastry.
Your level of experience
Remember that if you’re an amateur or beginner, you may not even know how to use a lot of baking tools. You may not know the best tools for baking specific products yet. So why buy or borrow a lot of baking tools when you don’t yet know how to use them? A beginner should start with must-have baking tools such as before advancing to special tools for special pastries and confectioneries.
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The purpose of baking
If the purpose of baking is for personal and family consumption, you may need all baking tools at your disposal. You may even improvise on some of the baking items if you don’t have them. However, if you’re baking for commercial reasons either for a client’s birthday or wedding cake, then you need to lay your hands on the best tools for baking to improve your outcome.
If you’re a professional baker or pastry chef, check out how you can get more people to patronize your goods and services. See 10 Best Tools for Lead Generation
10 Best Baking Tools 2022
- 1. KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer (KSM150PS)
This is one of the best baking tools out there in the market. It is a perfect stand mixer that every baker must have. Although priced high at about $430, its merits outweigh the cost.
One of the advantages of KitchenAid’s stand mixer is that the brand is reputable and its products are often durable. Users praise the ease at which you can put on, remove, and clean the attachments on this stand mixer baking tool. The machine has a tilt head that locks the bowl well and a bowl that is easy to install and uninstall.
This mixer has a quiet motor and stirs your baking mixture at a consistent speed. Please note that you can alternatively go for the Braun Electric Hand Mixer ($73) which is inexpensive compared to the KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer.
- 2. Cuisinart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls with Lids, Set of 3, $28.95+
If you want a mixing bowl that is efficient and long-lasting, then add the Cuisinart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls with lids to your wishlist. This is one of the best mixing bowls used by baking chefs nationwide. Stainless steel makes is preferable to plastic or glass material, and the reason is not far-fetched.
There’s nothing to shatter or chip, plus it is compatible with hot mixtures; for melting butter and chocolate on top of a pan. The only setback we know about this baking tool is that it is not safe to use with a microwave. Other than that, the tall wall guards your mixture while you whisk and it provides you with a good grip on the bowl.
- 3. Cuisinart HM-90 Power Advantage Plus 9-Speed Hand Mixer, $110+
This hand mixer is made from the same Cuisinart brand highlighted above. After being tested and reviewed by thousands of users, Cuisinart HM-90 Power Advantage Plus is truly one of the best hand mixers for baking any recipe. The speed of the rotator increases slowly and so there won’t likely be incidences of you getting splattered with your baling mixture.
The instrument features safe attachments and storage, especially the one for the dishwasher. Although having a slightly different function, having the Cuisinart Elemental Food Processor may not necessitate the purchase of a Cuisinart hand mixer since that one handles mixing as well.
- 4. Bellemain Stainless Steel Measuring Cup Set, $14.95
The Bellemain Stainless Steel Measuring Cup Sets excel as one of the best dry measuring cups. It has short handles joined by a loose chain. The manufacturers used their discernment to insert both American (cup) and European (ml) calibrations for easy reading of measurements of cups. The cups come in a set of different sizes (1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/4 cup, ⅔ cup, and ¾ cup) that will be suitable for your current baking needs.
The Bellemain measuring cups are made of stainless steel and yet they are inexpensive compared to other brands. Plus, there contain additional sizes ⅔ cup, and ¾ cup which even the more expensive competitors do not have. They come in a set and thus storing them won’t be a problem as they will take up a small space where you would simply compile all of them in the set box.
- 5. GIR 11-inch Ultimate Whisk, $13.95
GIR Silicone-Grip Whisk is sold as a set of 2 with a cost price of $25. As aforementioned a whisk is a baking tool used to blend ingredients or to infuse air (in form of bubbles) into a mixture which increases the volume of the baking flour mixture. A good whisk is quintessential for blending batters, whipping cream, and other ingredients especially if you want to aerate them in a situation where you don’t have a sifter handy. Some bakers love to own two whisks a small one for mixing small quantity recipes and a larger whisk for larger quantities.
- 6. Ateco Offset Spatulas, $6.94
Offset spatulas are one of the best tools for baking because it is inevitable that you’ll need a spoon or spatula. There are like the baker’s extra-long hand – doing all things transfer. It can be used for wiping off some excess icing on your cookies, cakes, and cupcakes when it cools a little. Or it can be used for transferring cookies to a baking sheet.
The Ateco Offset Spatula goes for more than $5.69 in most retail stores. This stainless steel spatula comes in different sizes. Some bakers love to own two spatulas; a small one (4.5in) and a medium spatula that has about an 8-inch blade. Users have affirmed that the spatula is easy to use and its wooden handle gives you a firm grip and is designed to keep your hand from touching the hot surface of your baking product.
- 7. Escali Kitchen Scale, $24.95
This is one of the most important baking tools every baker should have however some amateurs underrate it. As a newbie, you may hesitate to buy and use a kitchen measuring scale. But a good one like the Escali Kitchen Scale won’t set you back more than $30.
Once in your possession, it will certainly help you prevent measuring mistakes that may ultimately ruin your baking. You can measure the weight of your ingredients and mixtures more accurately with a scale. So far they have been nothing but positive user reviews and ratings for the Escali Kitchen Scale. This instrument is of plastic material, its lightweight, its portable, and easy to store.
- 8. J.K. Adams Plain Maple Rolling Dowel, $19.99
This wooden rolling pin is perfect for rolling out any dough you make. It’s really a must-have for any baker who wants to get perfection in the texture and quality of dough produced. You can choose how thick you want your dough by pressing it in either firmly against it or with a light touch.
A rolling pin is just a sturdy wooden bat and so the brand make shouldn’t be a priority. The J.K Adams branded rolling dowel, costs about $28. Three little advantages of this pin are (1) it holds the flour well while rolling, (2) it’s easy to clean it because of its simple plain design, and (3) it’s long with no inefficient handles.
- 9. Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Half Sheet, $24.99
This is the best baking sheet that has topped charts around the internet. It’s made of thin Aluminum and thus is lightweight. It is large enough to fit more than a dozen cookies, cakes, and a bread loaf (I’m not saying it will fit all at once).
It measures 12 x 17 inches which is spacious for cooking or baking in large quantities. This is one of the few baking sheets that claim to distribute heat and actually do so like a dream come true. The small issue with the Nordic Baker’s Half Sheet is that food doesn’t slide off as easily as it is expected to.
Some foods may require you to soak before cleaning the residue off the baking sheet. Because of this, a parchment paper or a Silpat mat placed underneath will help to ensure that nothing sticks.
- 10. KT Thermo 3″ Dial Oven Thermometer, $6.80
The importance of oven temperature can not be over-emphasized in the baking process. If your Thermo isn’t well regulated and at the optimum temperature, your baking product may turn out badly. KT Thermo is just right for the job of stabilizing oven temperature.
It features a temperature clock that beeps when at a custom-set temperature. However, this thermo reading ranges from 100° to 600°F, implying that it begins registering at a cool room temperature, and keeps the good work even in the most scorching hot oven conditions. The KT thermo comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee as well as a 2-year warranty.
How Do You Take Care of Your Baking Tools
If you want your baking tools to last a long time, your sure bet is to learn how to clean and store them. This is the principal way to ensure the longevity of your baking tools in 2022. Cleaning the baking tools properly will ensure that they are ready and always in a good working state. You should note that the cleaning agents would depend significantly on the baking tool you want to clean.
As earlier stated, nearly all baking tools may be cleaned with soap and water, however, some tools may require special oils, cleaning solutions, and materials to keep them in good working order. Either way, when cleaning your baking tools, remember that excessive scrubbing and improper storage might weaken them.
Conclusion
If you’re new to baking, working with some of these tools may be daunting at first especially if you’re a self-learner. But within a short time, you will be skillful at using the essential tools, and then later advanced baking tools will become your friend.
As a rule of thumb, beginners should start with the basic (must have) baking tools like pans, mixers, rolling dowels, whisks, measuring cups, mixing bowls, and thermometer. These will cost you some money but there’s an adage that says “anything worth doing is worth doing well”.
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FAQs
There isn’t a single best baking tool for any baker. You will need all of the 10 baking tools discussed above for making pastries and confectioneries.
Yes, you should keep them in good condition thus, increasing their durability.
Pan, whisk, rolling wood, mixer, and measuring cups.
Washing with soap and water
You should store on a clean dry kitchen shelf. Ensure that the cookware is washed and stainless before storage as food on it might attract insects
References
- thekitchn.com – 10 Baking Tools All Home Cooks Should Have, According to Pro Bakers
- Reviewed.com –- THE BEST BAKING TOOLS OF 2022
- food52.com – The Very Best Baking Tools for Every Level of Baker
- Cover image URL – Adoniya Academy baking tools