Beginning bakers and seasoned pros gather around. This list of baking tools will help pros organize your baking equipment once and for all. Or, if you’re a new baker, you can start setting up your kitchen with must-have equipment and pastry tools to get you through any sweet recipe.
If you have a cake recipe or trickier pastry recipe you’re trying to perfect, peek at our list of nonessential baking tools that are nice to have and will make your process faster, easier, and more impressive.
BHG / Niki Cutchall
Must-Have Baking Tools
These are the baking tools you absolutely need in your kitchen, the ones you’ll reach for more often than you think. Whether you’re baking a cake or stirring up a batch of cookies, make sure you have these baking tools on hand before getting started.
1. Measuring Cups (Liquid and Dry) and Spoons
Baking is all about precision, so a complete set of measuring cups and spoons is a must. You’ll need dry and wet measuring cups to accurately measure all your ingredients. Keep these tools in a spot that’s easy to get to because you’ll use them all the time.
Most measuring spoon sets include a tablespoon, teaspoon, ½ teaspoon, and ¼ teaspoon, while most measuring cups come in sets with one cup, ½ cup, ⅓ cup, and ¼ cup. You can get by with a 1-cup size for liquid measuring cups, but it can be handy to have 2-cup and 4-cup ones in your cupboard, too.
2. Wooden Spoon(s)
One wooden spoon is enough, but this baking tool is very handy, so it can be helpful to have a couple around. Wooden spoons are so sturdy they’re great for all kinds of stirring. You can use them with even the thickest, heaviest dough. Just remember to handwash them when you’re done so they don’t end up cracked.
3. Rubber Spatula/Scraper
We bet you reach for your rubber spatula more often than you think. This baking tool is ideal for scraping the last bit of batter or dough out of a pan or the nooks and crannies of your jam jar. They’re also super handy for folding together wet and dry ingredients. Note that silicone scrapers will withstand high heat better than rubber ones.
4. Spatula/Metal Turner
When transferring fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies to a cooling rack or serving a cake from a 9×13 pan, there’s no better baking tool than a spatula. Having one with a thin metal blade can be especially handy, and it’ll be flexible enough to easily slide under anything you’re moving without squishing the dough or crumbling your cookies.
5. Pastry Brush
This handy baking tool has more uses than you may realize. It can be used to grease a pan before pouring in cake batter, to coat the dough with melted butter or egg wash, or to “paint” milk on top of a pie crust. This is a must-have, especially if you’re a frequent baker.
BHG/Niki Cutchall
6. Whisk
It’s handy to have baking tools with multiple functions. Yes, you can use a wire whisk to beat together a few eggs, but it’s handy for other things, too. In particular, it’s one of the best ways to thoroughly mix wet and dry ingredients. It’s also great for stirring together a homemade custard.
7. Kitchen Scissors
We always have our kitchen shears handy whenever we’re making a recipe. They can be useful in many ways, including snipping fresh herbs, cutting parchment paper to fit a pan, or even opening stubborn packages and containers.
8. Rolling Pin
Rolling pins are most useful for rolling out pie crusts, cookie dough, and puff pastry, but there are other ways you can put this baking tool to work in your kitchen. For example, if you don’t have a food processor and need to crush cookies, chips, or crackers for a recipe, just put them in a sealable bag, then use your rolling pin to smash them to pieces.
9. Fine-Mesh Sieve
You can put a sieve to work in a lot of different ways. For bakers, it’s probably the most useful for sifting dry ingredients or adding a dusting of powdered sugar to a finished pan of brownies or cookies. This baking tool also comes in handy for draining wet ingredients (especially small items, like quinoa, that would slip through a regular colander) and removing seeds from raspberry sauces.
10. Chef’s Knife
If you have only one knife in your whole kitchen, make it this one. A chef’s knife is great for slicing, dicing, chopping, and mincing just about any ingredient your recipe calls for.
11. Paring Knife
You want this knife in your collection. It’s great for peeling and coring foods like apples. It’s also handy for cutting up other fruits and vegetables and for more delicate work for which your chef’s knife is too big.
12. Rectangular Baking Pan
A regular baking pan (13x9x2 inches) is a definite must-have. You can use it for so many sweet things—cakes, brownies, cookie bars—and, of course, it has savory uses as well. If you pick only one baking pan to stock your kitchen, make it this one.
13. Round Cake Pan
You should have two of these baking tools on hand, since you’ll need more than one to make a layer cake. Round cake pans come in 8-inch and 9-inch diameters, but either size will work with most layer cake recipes—just be sure you have two pans in the same size.
14. Loaf Pan
Banana bread, pumpkin bread, zucchini bread—all of our favorite homemade bread recipes call for a loaf pan. If you also want to bake your own yeast bread, it’ll pay to have two of these pans in your cupboard.
The 8 ½ x 4 ½–size loaf pan is the most common and creates the classic dome shape above the rim.
15. Pie Pan
Yes, the most obvious use for a pie pan is baking your own homemade pies, but there are other desserts that make this baking item useful to have around. You also can make savory pies for dinner, like meatball pie and taco pie, along with some frozen icebox pies. They work well as shallow dishes for dredging and breading meats, too.
16. Square Baking Pan
You don’t always need to make a huge pan of brownies, and when you want a small batch, you’ll need a square baking pan. Cookie bars, cakes, brownies, and corn bread are just a few baked goods you can create using this baking tool.
17. Wire Rack
No one wants soggy, overbaked cookies and cakes for dessert, so make sure you’ve got a wire rack on hand. This handy tool allows air to circulate around baked goods as they cool, so they’ll taste just as great at room temperature as fresh from the oven.
18. Muffin Pan
Use this pan to create a tray of freshly baked muffins for brunch or to make cupcakes for your next birthday celebration. One of the most versatile baking tools is the muffin pan, turning sweet and savory recipes into personal-sized, mini versions, such as pizza cups and mini meat loaves.
19. Baking Sheet/Cookie Sheet/Sheet Pan
You definitely need at least one cookie sheet in your kitchen, and you’ll probably benefit from having two. If you do opt for two, we recommend having one with a raised side to bake your cookies. This pan is essential for baking almost any kind of cookie. Baking sheets and sheet pans with raised sides can also be useful for cookies and work best for sheet pan dinner recipes.
Bake cookies on a cookie sheet with one raised edge and three flat sides to allow more heat to reach the dough and make it easier for the cookies to slide off.
20. Hand Mixer/Stand Mixer
While you don’t need to go all-out on a fancy stand mixer, you need at least a hand mixer in your arsenal of baking essentials. It will make mixing dough and batters faster and easier, and it’s the best way to mix ingredients into a thick, stiff cookie dough without tiring out your arm.
BHG/Niki Cutchall
21. Parchment Paper
If you haven’t been baking with parchment paper, start now. Spreading a sheet over your pan before you start baking will make cleanup much easier and prevent your baked goods from sticking to the pan. Avid bakers might consider investing in a reusable silicone baking mat to be more eco-friendly.
Nice-to-Have Baking Tools
Once you’ve made sure you have enough space in your kitchen for the baking essentials, you can start adding a few tools from this nice-to-have list. While not crucial to most baking recipes, these additional baking supplies will make your most tried-and-true recipes quicker and easier.
1. Pastry Blender
If you’re big on baking pies and flaky biscuits, this is a handy baking tool. It’ll make cutting cold butter or shortening into flour much easier. However, you can use two butter knives instead if you don’t have one. Just move the knives in a crisscross motion to cut the butter into the flour.
2. Offset Spatula/Spreader
While this tool is great for putting the finishing touches on cakes or a pan of brownies, it’s probably not one you’ll use every day. But if you want the frosting on your baked goods to look almost perfectly smooth, it’s hard to beat an offset spatula for the job.
3. Zester/Rasp Grater
If you think using a special grater is the only possible way to zest a lemon, think again. While this baking tool will undoubtedly make zesting easier, it’s unnecessary. If you don’t have one, you can use a sharp knife to slice off thin slices of the peel, then finely chop them: Voilà, lemon zest.
4. Pastry Wheel
This baking tool is handy for frequent pie-makers but not necessary for more casual bakers. It can be used to cut pastry dough smoothly, but you can use a sharp knife instead in a pinch. Just make level slices rather than one long cut, as dragging a knife through pastry can tear and toughen it.
5. Slotted Spoon
You may use baking tools as a cooking utensil and vice versa. A slotted spoon is used more often while cooking dinner, but it can also be handy for baking. If you’re making a custard or sauce, a slotted spoon will be the quickest and easiest way to spoon out large spices like a cinnamon stick or vanilla bean.
6. Citrus Juicer
You can just as easily use your hands or a fork to help squeeze out the juice of a lemon for your citrus desserts, but if you want to get every last drop, invest in a juicer. The sieve will also strain out pulp and seeds, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally mixing them into your batter or dough.
7. Other Knives
A serrated bread knife might come in handy for some baked recipes, but you can usually get by with just your chef’s or paring knives. But if you have serrated knives in your kitchen, use your tomato knife for cutting fruits and vegetables and your bread knife for slicing into your homemade bread without squashing your loaf.
To use a serrated knife properly, move the knife in a back and forth motion. Avoid pressing down and let the saw-like teeth do the work.
8. Tart Pan
This baking tool certainly comes in handy if you are a big fan of fruit tarts. You’ll want to invest in this specialty pan, although there aren’t many uses for it outside tarts.
9. Springform Pan
This pan has a latch that opens, allowing you to remove the sides, making it great for authentic cheesecakes and deep-dish pizza. But if you’re not dead-set on making a traditional New York-style cheesecake, there are other recipes (like bars and no-bake recipes) you can make without this pan that are equally delicious.
10. Fluted Tube Pan
You’ll need this pan to make a traditional bundt (like the beautiful blueberry one pictured) or angel food cake, but you probably won’t pull it out of your cupboard as often as you think. For most cake recipes, just a round or rectangular baking pan is all you need.
11. Pizza Pan
There are several baking tools to choose from when it comes to making pizza. If you want to make a perfectly round pizza, you’ll need a pizza pan in your kitchen. But if your heart isn’t completely set on a circular pizza, you can just as easily bake your pie on a regular baking sheet.
Dust flour or cornmeal on your pizza pan to prevent the dough from sticking during baking.
12. Jelly Roll Pan
Jelly rolls, cake rolls, and pumpkin bars all make the case for having this pan in your pantry, but most cake, brownie, and bar recipes can also be made in a rectangular baking pan. If you do have a jelly roll pan, it’s also useful for toasting nuts and roasting veggies, but a sheet pan will usually accomplish the same tasks.
13. Soufflé Dish
This dish can certainly turn out a sky-high soufflé, which might make it worth it for master bakers to keep in their kitchens. But you can easily skip this item if you’re not a frequent soufflé maker.
14. Ramekins
Ramekins are nice for making individual portions of desserts, such as crème brûlée, but you don’t necessarily need them in your kitchen. Of course, if you have a set, they’ll also come in handy for serving desserts to a crowd.
15. Blender
A blender will make some recipes quicker, but it doesn’t have many uses for bakers beyond pureeing fruit sauces or soups. Of course, if you love a morning smoothie on your way out the door, you’ll want a blender in your kitchen.
16. Food Processor
While a food processor is one of the most mentioned baking tools in recipe instructions, you can certainly get by without one. Don’t get us wrong, though. Having a food processor will speed things along if you’re a frequent baker, especially for making crusts and bread dough.
Cooking and Baking Guides
If you’re new to working with some of these tools, check out the best tips and tricks and essential cooking basics for working in the kitchen by our Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen. Our baking glossary has ingredients, terms, and tools you may come across in recipes and need details about. Read our guides on all things baking, whether you’re just starting out or are a whiz in the kitchen.
Sometimes recipes call for ingredients using metric measurements, so our conversion chart for both liquid and solid ingredients is an excellent tool to have on hand—print it out and post it inside your pantry for easy reference.
Are you baking at a high altitude? Here’s how to allow for the difference from baking at sea level.
