With COVID-19 keeping people at home, more Americans are turning toward baking to occupy their time. In fact, one flour company says its sales skyrocket 2,000% last year. Before you start baking up your own storm, it’s important to have the right tools handy.

Otherwise, you might struggle to mix up your favorite delectable treats. 

Here are the 10 baking pantry essentials you need to succeed. Whether you’re starting out or call yourself a well-seasoned baker, you’ll want to have the right tools handy. Otherwise, you might have egg on your face when you realize what you’re missing.

Start baking up sweet treats with these essential baking tools today!

1. Measuring Cups and Spoons

The wrong measurements can leave you with a disastrous blend of ingredients you’ll have to throw out. In order to bake properly, you need to focus on precision. Too much or too little of any ingredient can ruin an entire recipe.

To ensure you have the right measurements, make sure to stock your kitchen with measuring cups and spoons. Make sure you have cups for liquid and dry ingredients. Otherwise, you might not accurately measure your ingredients.

Make sure your cups and spoons are easily accessible. You’ll likely use them for every recipe.

Consider choosing products that have soft, easy-grip handles. Stainless steel products are a great investment, too. 

2. Rubber Spatulas and Wooden Spoons

Many bakers end up reaching for rubber spatulas and scrapers more often than they expect to. After all, you don’t want to leave anything lingering in your bowl! A rubber spatula can help you get the last bit of batter out before you start baking.

Consider purchasing spatulas in a few different sizes. You never know when you’ll need to scrape peanut butter or jam out of a jar. If the jar is small, you’ll need a smaller spatula for the job. 

Your spatulas can help you fold dry and wet ingredients together, too.

If you want a product that’s a bit sturdier, choose silicone over rubber.

You might want to add a metal turner to your kitchen, too. The thin metal will come in handy when you need to transfer cookies onto a cooling rack. Otherwise, you might struggle to slip a fatter silicone spatula under those sweet treats.

You could end up with crumbled cookies as a result.

Have a few sturdy wooden spoons in your kitchen as well. Wooden spoons can help you stir even the heaviest, thickest doughs.

Don’t forget to hand-wash any wooden baking products. Otherwise, they might start to crack.

3. Kitchen Scissors

Kitchen scissors are a versatile tool. Don’t forget to add them to your baking essentials list. Your scissors can help you cut parchment to perfectly fit any baking pan.

You can also use them to cut fresh herbs for delectable loaves of bread. Beyond that, you’ll need a pair of scissors handy to open your ingredient packages!

4. Rolling Pin

Are you planning on making puff pastry, cookie dough, or pie crust? Add a rolling pin to your list of baking pantry essentials. 

Rolling pins are also essential if you don’t have a food processor handy. You can use your rolling pin to crush crackers, chips, or cookies into smaller pieces. Then, you can use them in a delicious recipe.

Consider grabbing a fun, patterned rolling pin for the kids, too.

5. A Knife Set

A good chef’s knife will help you chop, dice, slice, and mince your way through any recipe. Chef’s knives are all-purpose, saving you from washing a dozen in one go.

You might want to add a paring knife to your set, too. Paring knives are ideal for coring and peeling. If you plan on making apple pie, you’ll need one handy.

6. Baking Pans

Do you have enough baking pans in your kitchen? You’ll struggle to make cakes and cookies without them!

You can use a rectangular baking pan for a number of recipes, including brownies and cookie bars. Consider grabbing a round cake pan, too. You can use multiple cake pans to make a layer cake!

Want to make loaves and pies instead? Have a loaf pan for your favorite bread recipes and pie tin ready to go.

7. Wire Rack

How are you cooling your cookies and cakes? They could end up overbaked if you leave them in their pans. Instead, use a wire rake to let them cool.

Allowing your sweet treats to cool to room temperature will ensure they taste as good as they did fresh out of the oven!

8. A Mixer

A stand mixer can take a lot of the work out of your hands. There are so many things you can do with a mixer, from mixing dough to whisking meringues. Before making this investment, you should consider finding the perfect kitchenaid mixer height for your kitchen, so that it is the correct size for the baking you might do and also so it fits nicely on your counter top.

Otherwise, consider buying a hand mixer. Hand mixers can help you whip up doughs and batters in a matter of minutes.

Want to simplify the clean-up once your dough is ready? Use parchment paper. You can spread the parchment paper over your cookie tray to keep them from sticking to the pan. 

Here’s the perfect paper for oven baking!

For a more eco-friendly option, consider a silicone baking mat. 

9. Sifter

Many recipes will require you to sift your dry ingredients. These can include cocoa powder, flour, and sugar. Since sifting can feel like an exhausting step in the process, it helps to have the right tools handy.

A hand-crank sifter can help you get rid of lumps. Choose a stainless steel, durable sifter to ensure it lasts.

10. Mixing Bowls

People went crazy searching the word “bread” on Google last year. More people are searching for no-knead and sourdough recipes than ever. If you feel the “knead” to start baking, you’ll want to have the right bowls handy.

Make sure to have a few different-sized bowls for different ingredients. You’ll want more than one, especially if you need to separate wet and dry ingredients. Look for a few bowls with pour spouts to make your life easier, too. 

Stock Up, Sweetness: 10 Baking Pantry Essentials for Badass Bakers

Ready to start baking up a storm? Make sure to stock your kitchen with these baking pantry essentials first. With these essential baking tools, you won’t have to worry about getting stuck on a recipe. 

Instead, you can bake with confidence, knowing you have everything you need. 

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