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To bake the majority of desserts, you don’t need a sieve, special baking scissors, 7 different knives, a pie plate, a loaf pan, a stand mixer, a pastry blender and every other gadget in the baking aisle of the store. These tools are all incredibly useful, especially for people who bake frequently, but they are not essential.
To bake almost any dessert, you only need 5 pieces of baking equipment: an oven, a mixing bowl, some measuring equipment, a mixing utensil and a baking pan.
An oven
Ovens are used in almost every baking recipe, so if your home doesn’t have one, I’m sorry. That’s really sad, but I’m glad you’re still reading this blog post and creating delicious desserts! Try finding no-bake recipes that set in the fridge, cook on the stove, steam or grill. You can also buy a toaster oven instead of an oven since they’re more affordable. I’ve found that some don’t bake as evenly as a conventional oven, so opt for the highest quality you can afford.
A mixing bowl
To mix ingredients, you need a mixing bowl. Revolutionary right? Just use any large bowl you own, there’s no need to buy anything special.
If you want a set of nice mixing bowls though, these ones are great. They’re nesting (for easy storage), plus they have spouts, handles and lids.
Measuring equipment
Unless you’re one of those talented people that bakes by feel (in which case, please know I think you’re the coolest person ever), you need a set of measuring spoons and cups, or a kitchen scale. (If you’d like to know when scales are necessary, check out this post!)
I like using stainless steel measuring spoons and cups that are engraved, as over time, ones with painted labels fade and scratch off.
A mixing utensil
Ideally you’ll have more than one mixing utensil, but if that isn’t possible, here are your options.
- Whisks are great for mixing and eliminating clumps in any batter. Opt for metal whisks over plastic or silicon, metal ones last ages.
- Rubber spatulas mix and scrape off batter and dough stuck in the bowl. They can even help frost cakes (but an offset spatula is still best).
- Spoons, forks and chopsticks are a great budget-friendly option you probably already own.
A baking pan
The ideal would be to own at least one round cake pan or springform pan, a square pan and a baking sheet. However, if you have none and need to pick just one, I’d recommend a 8×8 or 9×9 pan (or a 9×13 if you like making larger portions at a time). You can make cakes (and trim them to be round if desired), bars, and even pies (if you’re okay with square ones). Plus, it’s big enough that you can use it as a baking sheet to bake cookies, scones and other individual desserts.
If a recipe uses a pan size you don’t have, check baking pan conversions online to scale recipes to fit your baking pan. Just note that bake times can vary!
I recommend using light-coloured aluminum baking pans because they conduct heat evenly.
Nice to haves
- A knife is great for cutting butter, fruit, and your baked goods into portions (and cooking, of course). I use a chef’s knife, a serrated knife, and a paring knife most frequently.
- A rolling pin is good if you make a lot of doughs
- A wire rack helps cool baked goods
- An electric hand mixer or stand mixer (my KitchenAid one has been working well for years) makes baking large batches faster. They also very helpful for easily creaming butter and sugar. If you’re not baking huge batches all the time, get an electric hand mixer because a stand mixer won’t be able to properly mix small quantities.
These 5 tools are all the baking equipment you need to bake cookies, cakes, bars and other desserts. Use this post as your baking shopping list, or as a reminder not to buy that random gadget you don’t need. Whatever works for you!
With love,
Your baking friend Sherene ❤️