Top 10 Tools I Love to Bake With!

This article will be all about tools I have used throughout my baking journey that I love! I have attached links to amazon for most of these tools!

1. Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer - https://amzn.to/4oBijvc

   I am spoiled to say the least that I have always had access to a stand mixer. Our stand mixer is a beautiful red one, but I love neutral colors like black in case your style of kitchen ever changes, your mixer will always match! Baking is a lot easier to do when you are not breaking a sweat, so let the mixer do it for you. We have two kitchen aids in our home, both almost two decades or older, and have never given us a problem. We make everything in them, bread, cookies, cakes, icing, etc. I also find a stand mixer as a time saver, as I can turn it on and walk away while measuring out other items or cleaning up.

2. Silicone Spatulas - https://amzn.to/4uMOHwy

   I recently got this specific set of spatulas for Christmas and even though it seems like not a big deal to have different sizes, I can confidently say that they have improved my life! That sounds dramatic but I promise you, the different sizes and shapes find use at any moment in time. The design is one sleek, continuous tool which prevents the separation/breaking of the handle from spatula like other tools I have had. Easily cleanable and heat safe. I got the colorful pack but they have multiple options for colors.

3. Silicone Baking Mats - https://amzn.to/4en8BcI

   Bought originally to start my macaron journey, these baking mats are by far my favorite and a lot easier to deal with than parchment paper, in my opinion. I use them for most other cookies to prevent really hard bottoms, yet you can still achieve crispy bottoms. The best feature of these mats is how easy they clean up. Which is a big part of the baking process that we like to ignore but these will make that easier.

4. Piping Tips - https://amzn.to/4xB0D7j

   For anyone wanting to buy a starter kit for decorating, this is the kit. It provides every basic tip and more to start your journey on decorating. It also comes with the round tip that I use for macaron baking that allows for cleaner, rounder dispensing of the batter. It also comes with a tool that allows you to detach tips and replace with others without having to redo. It also comes with piping bags that are of great quality.

5. Piping Tips PT. 2 - https://amzn.to/4viLA0j

   If you find that you love decorating, this is the second kit I bought for more piping tips. I love several of the tips, especially for flower designs! This kit also gives you bag ties and reusable bags. I like reusable bags because I usually don't want to spend more money on disposable things.

6. Stackable Wire Cooling Racks - https://amzn.to/4fS6G0M

   Like the picture above, I can bake hundreds of cookies in one day, so I need more space to cool my cookies. These stackable cooling racks optimize the minimal space I already have to cool cookies while I keep baking. You may not think you need it but you do, just trust me on this one.

7. Cookie Scoops -https://amzn.to/3SyTjc8

   These three cookie scoops (ice cream scoops) are the best for multiple reasons. One, it is easy to scoop and drop onto the baking sheets. Two, consistency with how much dough goes into each cookie. I suggest you get the three different sizes. For me, I use the medium size for the majority of my cookie sizes, but if I want to stuff a cookie I use the small cookie scoop for the filling and the large scoop for the dough. So you will find yourself using the different sizes.

8. Mixing Bowls w/ Lids - https://amzn.to/4eAg1b8

   If you would have asked me a year ago what I thought about this, I would say a waste of your money. If you ask me now, I would say it is a life changer. All credit is due to my bestfriend/roomate, she had a small set of these and I found myself obsessed with them. We even used them to store goods after baking, like bread and cookies. They are genuinely so universal, where you can use them during the baking process when dough needs to chill and you don't want to fumble around with plastic wrap.

9. Kitchen Scale - https://amzn.to/4ekw7XJ

   Lately, I find myself using the kitchen scale more and more, especially with sourdough baking. Most recipes go by measurement for preciseness, this also allows you to do foreign recipes where they use metric rather than US customary. The scale doesn't stop there, I use it to evenly divide doughs and weigh out baking dishes like cake pans!

10. Curved Silicone Scraper - https://amzn.to/43HDmmt

    Last on my list is another item that I thought was pointless until I used it for the first time! Yes, you can use your spatulas but I will say, for batters and icings this scraper allows you to grab for and cover more surface area in the bowl when scraping. This is one of those things that I heavily suggest for those who make cakes and icings, but also good for cookies. You will also realize how much clings to the side of the bowl that you could potentially be wasting!