9 Baking Equipment you Need to Start Baking

This blog post is for aspiring bakers looking to turn baking into a hobby of theirs.

List of essential baking equipment:

• Oven
• Baking Pans
• Mixing Bowls
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Whisk
• Rolling Pin
• Mixer
• Cooling Rack
• Trivet

Essential Baking Equipment

What is the oven used for?

Ovens actually have many uses other than baking. It can be used for broiling, roasting, grilling, and more.

But in terms of baking, an oven is a crucial kitchen appliance that allows precise heat control for the preparation of a variety of baked goods.

There are many types of baking pans, but when starting out, it is best to start with basic and essential pans like a baking sheet, cake pans, and muffin tins.

Uses for Baking Sheet:

• Baking sheets are commonly used for baking cookies, providing a flat surface for even heat distribution.
• Can be used for baking thin, single-layer cakes, often referred to as sheet cakes.

Uses for Cake Pans:

• Cake pans are essential for baking individual layers of cakes that can be stacked to create a multi-layered cake.
• Specialized cake pans with a decorative central tube, ideal for making bundt cakes with a distinctive shape.
• Springform cake pans are commonly used for baking cheesecakes, as they can be easily removed without damaging the delicate texture.
• Used for baking single-layer cakes with streusel or other toppings.

Uses for Muffin Tins:

• As the name suggests, muffin tins are specifically designed for baking muffins of various flavors and sizes.
• Used to bake cupcakes, a smaller and often frosted version of a cake.
• Muffin tins are perfect for making individual servings of savory dishes.
• Often used as a mold for creating cake pops by combining crumbled cake with frosting.

Regardless if you are just starting out or a baking veteran, it is advisable to have a variety of sizes for different recipes so that you can easily adjust the portion sizes based on the number of people you are serving.

Large Mixing Bowl (4-6 quarts): Useful for mixing large batches of batter or dough, especially for cakes, cookies, and bread.

Medium Mixing Bowl (2-3 quarts): Suitable for tasks like whisking eggs, combining dry ingredients, or preparing smaller batches of batters.

Small Mixing Bowl (1 quart or less): Handy for tasks like melting butter, beating a couple of eggs, or making smaller amounts of frosting.

As its name suggest, measuring cups and measuring spoons are used to accurately measure both dry and wet ingredients.

Whisks are used for mixing, beating, and whipping ingredients.

Probably the most popular baking utensil, the rolling pin is typically used to flatten and shape dough.

In baking, a mixer is a kitchen appliance designed to mix, beat, and whip ingredients to achieve a smooth and well-incorporated batter or dough.

Overall Benefits of Mixers in Baking:

• Efficiency: Mixers expedite the mixing process, saving time and effort compared to manual mixing.
• Consistency: Mixers ensure a consistent and uniform mixture, contributing to the quality and texture of the final baked goods.
• Ease of Use: They make baking more accessible to home cooks by simplifying the labor-intensive mixing tasks.
• Versatility: Whether it's creaming butter and sugar, kneading dough, or whipping egg whites, mixers can handle a wide range of tasks.

The cooling rack's purpose is to, as its name suggest, promote the cooling of baked goods by allowing air to circulate around it.

Trivets are usually made out of metal, wood, silicone, or other heat-resistant materials.

They are designed to protect surfaces like your kitchen counters from the direct heat of hot pots, pans, or baking dishes.

Interested in learning how to start baking? This blog post might be of help.