10 Best Basic Baking Tools

I’m always trying to buy a new tool, piece of equipment or weirdo ingredient to bake my next creation.  There are so many amazing products to choose from and I just want to play with them all! But if you’re a beginner baker, it’s important to know which basic baking tools you should have in your kitchen.  Spend your money wisely and you’ll be able to bake amazing cakes, cookies, and more with just the basics.

 

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This post was originally published on March 25, 2019.  It was republished on February 17, 2022 with updates.

 

Best Basic Baking Tools

 

Bowls

 

There are very few recipes that aren’t going to use at least one bowl, if not three or four.  If you’re only buying one set, I highly recommend this glass one from Pyrex. The set includes three glass, heatproof bowls and their lids!  Yay lids! You want a set of heatproof bowls in case you need to cook anything in a double boiler.

As much as I love the glass bowls, I’ve been using metal bowls, like this set, for longer.  The glass bowls are lovely, but for some recipes I find them too shallow. For example, when I proof dough, like this Cinnamon Swirl Bread, I need a bowl that is deep so that the dough can rise up instead of out.  

 

 

Utensils

 

I’m just going to lump all of the utensils into one big ole group.  These are super important basic baking tools! OXO has always been a great brand that I know and trust, so you probably can’t go wrong there.  I suggest this balloon whisk and this rubber spatula set for your basic kitchen getup. Wooden spoons can also be super cheap and handy.  

 

Hand Mixer

 

Stand mixers are beautiful machines that can make your life sooooo much easier, but if you’re just looking for affordable, basic baking tools, you can probably go without that.  However, I have to suggest you get yourself a good hand mixer. 

I love my yellow KitchenAid because it’s a high quality brand and there are so many fun colors! But, I also used a Cuisinart for a while, so that’s another reliable brand to look into.  One thing that I love about the Cuisinart mixer is the little case that attaches to hold the accessories.  Plus it comes with a handy scraper.

 

 

Food Processors

 

You can use food processors for so many things from making cookies, to pie crust, and even nice cream.  If you’ve got the budget, I suggest going for a large one (about 7- 9 cups) and a small one (about 3.5 cups).  

That might seem a bit excessive for a basic baking tools list, but they will both come in handy.  However, if you only have the budget for one, the big food processor will be the most versatile.

 

Baking Sheets

 

Of course, I’m not going to forget to mention baking sheets!  I used this set of three sheets from Chicago Metallic for a long time and I loved them.  But after several years of abuse, I needed a new set.

Nowadays I use USA Pans and I’m a HUGE fan.  They are highly quality and distribute heat evenly. If you can, go for a half sheet size, but a quarter sheet size is still handy.

 

Related Reading: 8 Cookie Tips & Tricks You Need To Know

 

Cupcake Pans

 

Cupcake pans definitely qualify as basic baking tools.  If you’re feeling a bit liberal with your spending, I suggest having a mini and a regular pan.  A regular sized cupcake tin is perfect for cupcakes (duh), muffins, and Mini Dutch Babies. 

I bought my mini cupcake pan because I wanted to bake finger foods for my son, like these Chocolate Veggie Muffins.  But let’s not pretend that you can’t also make amazing mini cupcakes!

 

Kitchen Scale

 

Don’t look at me like that.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a basic home-baker who only bakes a few times a year.  An electric scale is so important and probably the most commonly overlooked of the basic baking tools.  I won’t yammer on too much about this (read about measuring ingredients for more deets), but a kitchen scale is going to make you a better baker.  The End.

 

 

Scoops

 

Again, you may not think that cookie scoops deserve to be listed as one of the best basic baking tools, but hear me out.  I’ve got a large and a small scoop and they are handy dandy little things. 

Use them to scoop out perfectly portioned cupcakes (regular and mini!), create uniformly shaped cookies, or even to make gorgeous meatballs.  You want a scoop that’s got the release button, otherwise it could just get messy.

 

Bench Scraper

 

Bench scrapers are really handy basic baking tools that can be used in a zillion ways.  Divide up the dough for your drop biscuits, lift the pie crust to prevent sticking, smooth out the frosting on a cake, and the list goes on.  They only cost a few bucks, plus you’re going to feel like a pro with one of these bad boys in your drawer.

You can get one at the Dollar Tree for only $1! I have two and I use them all the dang time. Having flexible bowl scrapers are handy too and they work very well as a bench scraper.

 

 

Best Basic Cookbook

 

Over the years, I’ve collected a lot of cookbooks and I love them all.  But, I think it’s super important to have at least one solid, basic cookbook in the kitchen.  My top choice is The New Best Recipe. But these are my top 5 baking books if you need more choices.

 

Spend Wisely

 

If you’re new to baking, or need to stock up on some basic baking tools, this list is a great place to start.  With so many exciting, and sometimes gimmicky, kitchen tools on the market, it can be overwhelming to create your own functional kitchen.  Shop around to fit your budget, but these are the top ten basic baking tools I would have to have if I was starting from scratch.

 

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