If you love baking and want to try your hand in creating the best cakes, cupcakes and brownies, the easiest way is to – just dive right in! Baking need not be a complicated affair – with the right tools at hand, you can create amazing, yummilicious baked treats and impress your friends and family!
But, the biggest hurdle for any beginner is finding the right equipment. With so many baking tools out there, which one should you buy? What’s the difference between an offset spatula and a silicon spatula? Which pan size should you buy? Do you need measuring cups or a digital scale?
At Gurgaon Bakers, the no.1 online cake booking store in Gurgaon, besides delivering cake in online, we also offer interesting tips and hacks to help you grow as a baker. So, make sure to bookmark our page and check often for the latest posts. Also, you can check out our online cake site for details on baking classes for beginners!
Wonder no more – we’ve collected the list of baking essentials that are a MUST for every home baker. We’ve kept the list to the bare minimum, so you don’t have to spend a fortune as you get started. You can add to this list and invest in other expensive tools and equipment, as you gain more expertise.
Must-Have Baking Tools for Every Baker
These are the absolute must-have tools. It doesn’t matter whether you’re whipping up a quick batch of brownies, rolling out sugar cookies or baking a birthday cake from scratch, these tools are a must. Investing in these tools is an excellent idea, as we can guarantee that you’ll be reaching for them several times.
1- Measuring Cups and Spoons – For Liquid & Dry Measurements
Baking is a science – so you need a full set of measuring cups and spoons to accurately measure your ingredients. Invest in two sets of measuring cups and spoons, one for dry ingredients and one for wet ingredients.
- Measuring spoon sets usually have 1 tablespoon, ½ tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, ½ teaspoon, ¼ teaspoon and 1/8 teaspoon.
- Measuring cup sets come in 1 cup, ½ cup, 1/3 cup, ¼ cup and 1/8 cup.
- Liquid measuring cups are marked in both cup-size and ml.
2- Silicone Spatula
This is one tool that you’ll be reaching out for often. A silicone spatula helps you scrape out even tiny bits of batter or dough from a mixing bowl or jar. They are super handy for mixing together dry and wet ingredients. You can invest in a couple of silicone spatulas so that you always have one in hand.
3- Pastry Brush
Even if you don’t plan to make complicated pastries, this tool is a must have as it can be used for several other purposes. It can be used to grease a cake pan, give bread dough an egg or melted butter wash.
4- Balloon Whisk
A balloon whisk is another multipurpose tool. It can help you whisk eggs and mix wet and dry ingredients thoroughly.
5- Kitchen Scissors
Even if you don’t plan to bake regularly, having a pair of kitchen scissors is a great timesaver. Instead of chopping pudina, coriander, ginger and garlic – you can cut them into tiny bits using the scissor.
6- Rolling Pin
A rolling pin is a standard tool in almost every Indian kitchen. If you already have a rolling pin that you use for rolling rotis, then you can use the same for baking as well. In baking, a rolling pin is used to roll out cookie dough, pies, etc. There are other ways you can use this tool – for example, if a recipe calls for crushed cookies, you can crush them in a ziploc bag using your rolling pin, instead of pulling out the food processor.
7- Chef’s Knife
Invest in a high-quality chef’s all-purpose knife that you can use for dicing, slicing, chopping, mincing and more. Additionally, you may want to invest in a serrated bread knife for cutting bread slices, cake slices, etc.
8- Rectangular 9/8 Baking Pan
Initially, you don’t want to fill up your kitchen shelves with multiple pans. Invest in only one pan that you can multi-purpose – bake cakes, brownies, cookie bars and more. A 9/8 standard rectangle baking pan is a great starting point. Additionally, you can also invest in a round cake pan in 9/8 size.
9- Loaf Pan
If you plan to bake bread – banana bread, wheat bread, brioche bread and other savoury/sweet breads, then you will need a loaf pan. If you don’t plan to start with bread baking immediately, then you can skip this one.
10- Wire Rack
If you’re looking for crispy cookies and cakes, then you need to make sure that your baked goodies cool well after you pull them out of the oven. A simple but must-have tool is a wire rack. It helps in uniform air circulation as the baked goodies cool down to room temperature.
11- Cupcake Pan
Cupcakes are great single-serve treats and you need a cupcake pan/muffin tray to make these tasty treats. While choosing a cupcake pan, make sure that the size of the tray you choose fits your oven. If you have a small oven, then go for a small 6-cupcake tray. Besides cupcakes, these pans can also be used for other savoury treats like breakfast muffins, pizza cups, meat loaves, etc.
12- Hand Mixer
You don’t have to spend 20k-30k on a stand mixer. Instead, invest in a sturdy hand mixer to whip up doughs and batters quickly without straining your arm.
13- Parchment Paper
A simple but ingenious tool – make sure to invest in a roll of parchment paper. Use this paper to line cookie sheets, cake pans, etc. Trust us, you’ll thank us later as lining your baking trays with parchment paper makes cleaning a whole lot easier.
14- Digital Food Scale
Having a kitchen scale is a super easy way to ensure that you measure out ingredients in the perfect amount every time. Kitchen scales don’t cost much and are available for under 1000 rupees.
15- Kitchen Thermometer
While not a must-have, having a kitchen thermometer helps you measure the temperature accurately for candies, caramel, etc.
Finally, where to buy the best baking tools in India?
Thanks to the robust baking scene in India right now, you can easily find these tools at a baking online store near you and get them delivered right to your doorstep.
