Baking is one of the most enjoyable things I do at home with my children. If you are a mother, you agree with me for sure. If not, then I guess try to discover the beauty, fun and goodness of baking, whether you have kids of your own or still single. Nonetheless, start with the basic by learning the most essential baking tools. Here are ten of the most commonly used and important tools your kitchen must have.
1. Measuring Spoons
The amount of each ingredient either makes or breaks your baking. It is all about having the right measure to get the best taste. Fortunately, measuring spoons are invented as they help the baker formulize the correct amount of ingredients. Spoons have different sizes and they usually come together as a set. Whether they are in sets or not, each measuring spoon is very essential.
2. Measuring Cup
If spoons are useful, so is a measuring cup. This is a cup for baking, usually made of glass, that features measurement imprinted on it for easy calculation. There are two types of this, a standard measuring cup and a shot glass measuring cup. The differences between the two include the design and measurement. A shot glass measuring cup looks like a shot glass and uses teaspoons as the measurement, while the other type is similar to a pitcher with a holder and uses ounces and pints.
3. Sheet Pans
Available in different sizes, sheet pans are useful in baking certain goodies, which include cookies and brownies. They are also a great help to protect drips of cakes, muffins, and pies. If you buy a set of these pans, make certain they are heavy duty for longer use.
4. Parchment Paper
Most of the time, this kind of baking paper is used in lining cookies on sheep pans. This can be optional to use but helps you save time in cleaning your sheet pans. It is also useful in making parchment cones if you intend to bake something in a cone shape, or line cake pans. Another use is to sift dry ingredients before pouring into a measuring cup or a bowl.
5. Whisks
Whisks come in different forms and sizes. There is a balloon whisk, French whisk, flat whisk, and coated whisk. They are used differently depending on the kind of food you are baking. It is better that you have them all for easy baking.
6. Spatula
Spatulas are just as important as spoons, but they are designed flat, making it easy to scrape bits of baking mixture in a bowl, a measuring cup or a bottle. It is also a good tool to mix, fold and transfer ingredients. Old designs of this are called rubber spatulas, while modern ones are silicone spatulas, which are more popular nowadays.
7. Icing Spatula
There is also another type of spatula used in baking. This is for spreading icing or frosting on a cake. It can be offset or straight. They vary in sizes too, from 6 inches to 14 inches. It is basically useful in flattening cake frostings to make an even and neat layer.
8. Bench and Bowl Scraper
Scrapers have different usage but essential in baking, too. There are two types to use here, a bench scraper and a bowl scraper. A bench scraper is what bakers use in slicing loaf bread and other treats, as well as in mixing and separating dough. The bowl scraper is to scrape bits of mixture, flakes and bits out of a bowl.
9. Pastry Brush
This brush is a special tool for baking, though it can be used for other cooking. But it is better that you use pastry brush only for baking and not for other else to avoid mixing any residue from other foods. Also, choose a pastry brush that is made of silicone as it is easy to wash and does not shed.
10. Cake Thermometer
To assure that your cake, brownies, and other pastries are evenly cooked, use a cake thermometer. This is essential when baking to avoid serving over baked or under baked pastry. It simply tells you if your cake or pastry is already baked or not.
Before you bake cookies, cupcakes, muffins, or any pastry that you want to eat and serve to your family, be sure that you have all these ten essential tools. They make your baking process much easier and quicker.
When you buy, choose products from a reputable and well known manufacturing company. This assures you that you use the safest, most reliable and durable tools for baking. Remember that you are going to prepare something that you and your family can eat. Whatever your favorite bread and pastries are, they must not be only tasty, but also safe enough to eat.
