The Most Essential Baking Tools and Supplies
We’ve all wasted time making hypothetical lists of things we’d want if we were stranded on a desert island. Alright, so maybe (hopefully!) that scenario is a remote possibility. But when you ask restaurant professionals what supplies and tools they just can’t live without, they always have an answer.
So with that in mind, we asked a collection of baking pros to name the best baking tools and supplies they absolutely can’t live without. Are any of these items on your list?
1. Immersion Hand Blender
Catherine Rodriguez, pastry chef at The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa in Houston, says she can't live without the hand blender that “gives a smooth, shiny texture to creams, ganaches and sauces.”
2. Cookie Scoops
“We couldn't live without our cookie scoops,” says Keith Hubrath of the Seattle cookie delivery service Treatbox. He and his team rely on these tools for uniform portioning and faster work. “We use them all the time, every single day.” That’s the very definition of essential.
3. Stand Mixer
Zenobia Dewely, founder of Zenobia’s Sweet Tooth Bakery in New York City, is constantly working with a 5-quart mixer. It’s big enough to hold large batches without sloshing. “Even when I bake somewhere else that has a more commercialized mixer, I still travel with mine,” she says.
4. Pacojet
“The best tool for making ice creams and sorbets — as well as many other sweet and savory items,” notes Melissa Denmark, head pastry chef for Gracie's Restaurant and Ellie's Bakery, both in Providence, RI. “It can accommodate many different ice cream bases and yield a variety of textures and bodies, from fluffy frozen custard to smooth and light fruit sorbet.”
5. Thermometer
Beatriz Hoover, former baker for the Mount Washington Hotel & Resort in Bretton Woods, NH, wouldn’t dream of baking without a thermometer. “The pastry arts are more of a science — every temperature of the oven, candy, chocolate needs to be perfect,” she says. “Careful monitoring can prevent dense cakes, ruined chocolates, unproofed bread.”
6. Digital Scale
Rodriguez seconds the need for precision. “A digital scale is essential for accuracy in weighing ingredients for baking,” she says. Be sure to turn the scale off when not in use to reserve the batteries.
7. Bowl Scrapers
“We also love our bowl scrapers, which I can be picky about,” Hubrath says. “The perfect bowl scraper needs to have the right flexibility to curve to the shapes of our mixer bowls, but also the durability to lift and maneuver heavy cookie dough.”
8. Canister Blender
In addition to the stick blender, chefs like sturdy canister models, too. Denmark can’t live without her Vitamix blender. “It can purée anything into a blissfully smooth texture, but can also grind grains into flour!” she exclaims. “You can make your own oat, almond or corn flour.”
9. Microplane Grater
“It’s a great tool for zesting, and it also may be used to grate nutmeg,” Rodriguez explains. Cheeses, too! She warns that the blade can get dull with a lot of use, so replace it every so often depending on use. Choose a stick version or a box grater for more functionality.
10. Silicone Molds
These versatile molds come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and can be used for hot or cold treats. “Perfect for setting custards, pâte des fruits, ganache for truffles, semifreddos, and many other treats,” Denmark notes. Just as practical: Silicone is much easier to prep and clean than metallic molds.
Your go-to baking tool is one of your most prized possessions. And a tool you can’t cook without often leads to some of the tastiest baked goods.
Michael S. Julianelle is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn, NY, with his wife and young son. He runs the anti-parenting parenting blog “Dad and Buried” and his wife thinks he should memorize this list.
