Baking can be a fun and rewarding hobby, but the number of baking tools out there can seem daunting to any beginner. To make it easier for a novice who is baking at home, the team at How Long To Cook put together a list of the 40 baking tools that we believe are the most beneficial to have on hand when it comes to baking all of those sweets and treats you crave. This colorful visual includes the tool names with images to help you identify each one as well as a brief description of how each piece of baking equipment is meant to be used. We hope this list of baking tools and equipment inspires you to get in the kitchen and try your hand at baking something delicious!
Make the baking process easier from start to finish by preparing the tools and equipment you’ll need to complete each step in the recipe. The baking supplies listed below are helpful when it comes to preparing the necessary ingredients or protecting the food (and yourself!) from getting burned during the baking process.
Rolling pin: flattens and rolls out dough
Fine mesh sieve: sifts and separates clumps of dry ingredients; also used to add a powdered sugar dusting
Egg separator: separates the yolk from the egg white
Pastry brush: used to spread egg wash, butter, or oil on dough before baking
Silicone baking mat: fits in a sheet pan to keep it clean while baking food
Parchment paper: prevents food from sticking to the pan; helps to easily invert and remove cake from the pan without breaking
Cooling rack: a wire rack used to cool food taken out of the oven by allowing air to circulate around it
Cake tester: tests if the cake is fully cooked without leaving a large hole. If the needle is inserted and comes out clean, the cake is done.
Oven mitts: protect hands when taking hot pans out of the oven
One of the most important aspects of baking is having the right amount of each ingredient so that the food bakes correctly. Using inaccurate measurements of ingredients like baking soda or flour can drastically alter the outcome of the baked good, such as making a cake too dense or cookies too flat. The following baking accessories will enhance your final product by allowing you to measure the correct amount of each of the baking materials before adding them to the mixing bowl.
Dry measuring cups: measure dry ingredients like flour, salt, and sugar; come in multiple sizes, including ¼ cup, 1/3 cup, ½ cup, and 1 cup
Liquid measuring cups: measure liquid ingredients
Measuring spoons: measure smaller amounts of dry and wet ingredients; come in multiple sizes ranging from 1/8 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon.
Baking scale: measures dry ingredients by weight rather than volume
Kitchen timer: a countdown device that helps with timing while preparing or baking the ingredients
Oven thermometer: measures the temperature of the air inside the oven to ensure that the food bakes at the proper temperature
Once all of the ingredients have been measured out, they will need to be mixed to create the batter or dough. The mixing tools below make combining ingredients much easier, especially when you can use baking appliances like an electric mixer to do a majority of the hard work!
Mixing spoon: stirs and combines baking ingredients
Mixing bowl: used to prepare and mix the ingredients in as well as to store dough while it rises
Whisk: blends ingredients smoothly
Rubber/silicone spatula: scrapes the sides of bowls when mixing or getting the last of the batter out; can be used to gently fold together ingredients
Electric mixer (handheld or stand): blends ingredients quickly and automates the task of stirring; different attachments can be used to mix, whip, or knead
When working with dough, at times, it will need to be cut into smaller portions or shaped to add visual interest. The following baking utensils will make the process of cutting or shaping dough for things like cookies, breads, or pies much easier and more precise.
Cookie cutter: mold that cuts cookie dough into a specific shape before baking
Dough cutter: slices dough into portions
Grater: shreds soft foods like butter or cheese into small pieces
Pastry blender: works solid fats like butter, lard, or shortening into flour to make dough
Pastry cutting wheel: cuts dough and creates patterned dough edges
There are a variety of different baking pan sizes and shapes to use in the kitchen, but which baking pan is right for your recipe? Each of these pans was designed for certain types of food, and each type of pan gives its contents their signature shape. If you’re unsure which is the best baking pan to use, read on to see all the different types of food that can be baked with each of the baking pans listed below.
Pie plate: a round, glass baking pan used primarily to bake foods with a pie or cookie crust
Sheet pan: a metal, shallow baking pan used to bake flat foods like cookies or pizzas
Round pan: a round, metal baking pan commonly used to bake layers of cake
Muffin pan: a metal pan with 12 or 24 wells, primarily used to bake cupcakes or muffins
Rectangular baking pan: a deeper cake baking pan used to bake stuff like cornbread, cakes, and brownies
Springform pan: a pan with removable sides to allow the baked good to be removed without inverting or lifting; commonly used for cheesecake and mousse
Loaf pan: a narrow rectangular pan commonly used as a bread baking pan
Tube pan: a round baking pan with a hollow tube in the middle to allow for more even baking, commonly used for angel food cake
Decorating a cake without using specialized cake decorating tools can be difficult, and the end result often doesn’t look as good as it could. Using the cake decorating supplies listed below will elevate your cakes or cupcakes, giving them a more professional look.
Cake turntable stand: rotates an undecorated cake for ease of applying and spreading frosting
Piping bag: a cone-shaped plastic bag used to consistently squeeze frosting out through a tip, commonly used to decorate cakes and cupcakes
Decorating tip: used with a piping bag to guide the frosting; comes in various shaped openings to create different patterns with the frosting
Cake spatula: a long, narrow spatula used to smooth frosting on the top and sides of the cake
Cake leveler: cuts and levels cake layers to keep them stable when stacking
Cake board: a thick piece of decorative corrugated cardboard used to support and present the cake
The final baking tool on our list is the oven, which is, in our opinion, the most important tool for baking stuff! Without it, you wouldn’t be able to bake cakes, pies, or loaves of bread with the help of these bakery tools.
Related: How long to bake a potato, and how long to bake a ham.