Stock Up Your Kitchen With These 30 Baking Essentials

Most people, even non-bakers, have at least a few baking essentials on hand.

But if your goal is to bake more — and bake better — a fully stocked kitchen is the way to go.

With the following baking equipment, you can create a huge variety of foods, from cakes and cookies to quiches and mini meatloaves.

• Mixing & Prep
• Measuring
• Pans
• Post-Baking

Mixing & Prep

Use these baking essentials to mix, knead, and prep your doughs and batters before popping them in the oven.

1. Mixing Bowls

Every baker needs a reliable set of mixing bowls. Most get them in glass, stainless steel, or plastic (I myself have a mix — pun intended).

I like mixing bowls with nonslip bottoms, which help keep them secure as you stir. Bowls with lids are great, too, if you ever need to stick one in the fridge.

2. Whisk

Bakers use whisks to whip air into batter, remove lumps and clumps, and mix ingredients by hand, such as brownie batter, eggs, puddings, frostings, and meringues.

Even if you own a hand or stand mixer (see below), it’s a good idea to use a whisk for small batches and for recipes that don’t require strenuous mixing.

3. Large Wooden or Silicone Spoon

Instead of a whisk, you should use a wooden or silicone spoon to gently mix together thick batters and to fold in additions like chocolate chips and nuts.

4. Hand Mixer

Many recipes require lots of mixing, and you don’t want to use a whisk for those (unless you want to give your arms a workout).

Hand mixers combine ingredients faster and more uniformly. Plus, they’re usually pretty affordable.

5. Rubber Scraper

Use a large rubber scraper (sometimes called spatulas — yes, it gets confusing) to cleanly transfer batter from a mixing bowl to a pan and to scrape out those last stubborn bits of batter.

You should own at least a few rubber scrapers, ideally in different sizes.

6. Rolling Pin

Rolling pins might sound old-fashioned, but if you want to make some of the most delicious treats out there — think cinnamon rolls, donuts, pies, and sugar cookies — a simple wooden rolling pin is 100% necessary.

7. Bench Scraper

Bakers use bench scrapers to cut up, divide, and handle dough, often in large batches. For example, I’ve used mine to portion out my sourdough into separate loaves.

You can also use a bench scraper to smooth out frosting when decorating cakes.

8. Parchment Paper

Don’t underestimate the importance of parchment paper.

I use it regularly when baking cakes and brownies to prevent batter from sticking to pans. I’ve also used it to help me transfer homemade donuts into a pot of oil.

9. Honorable Mention: Stand Mixer

I believe every serious baker should have a stand mixer — but I know they’re not cheap.

While you can generally achieve the same results with a hand mixer, stand mixers offer some unique benefits:

• You can multitask as it’s going
• It can stir and whip larger batches of frosting, batter, etc.
• It can knead difficult doughs for you (using a dough hook attachment)
• It gives your arm muscles a well deserved break!

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Measuring

You can’t have baking without measuring. The following baking essentials help you accurately divide up ingredients so the chemistry works in your favor.

10. Measuring Spoons

Get a measuring spoon set that contains the following sizes:

• 1/4 teaspoon
• 1/2 teaspoon
• 1 teaspoon
• 1/2 tablespoon
• 1 tablespoon

For recipes calling for 1/8 teaspoon, this is equivalent to a “pinch.” And for anything requiring 1/3 teaspoon, just substitute with a heaping 1/4 teaspoon.

11. Dry Measuring Cups

You should have a measuring cup set that includes the following sizes:

• 1/4 cup
• 1/3 cup
• 1/2 cup
• 1 cup

If possible, though, get a set with these additional sizes:

• 1/8 cup
• 2/3 cup
• 3/4 cup

12. Liquid Measuring Cup

Liquid measuring cups help you easily measure and pour liquids like milk, water, oil, and heavy cream.

I recommend getting one that can hold at least 2 cups.

13. Food Scale

Many recipes call for ingredients by weight, usually in ounces or grams.

Even if you prefer to use measuring spoons and cups, weighing ingredients will give you more consistent results, which is especially important for cakes and breads.

14. Honorable Mention: Cookie Scoop

You don’t absolutely need a cookie scoop — many folks just use any old spoon to scoop out their dough — but I’ve found them helpful for making my cookies look more uniform and professional.

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Pans

There are so many more pans than you might think! While you don’t need to have every single one listed below, the more pans you own, the more recipes you can try.

In terms of brands, you can’t go wrong with Wilton.

15. Nonstick Baking Sheets

Every baker should have a reliable set of nonstick baking sheets, or cookie sheets. These versatile pans can be used for many foods, both sweet and savory, including cookies, biscuits, scones, and focaccia.

16. 9×13 Rectangular Pan

Another super versatile pan, 9-by-13-inch pans can be used to make large meals and desserts, such as sheet cakes, brownies, tiramisu, lasagna, casseroles, and enchiladas.

17. 8×8 or 9×9 Square Pan

Eight-by-eight-inch square pans are about half the size of 9-by-13 pans (9-by-9 pans are just a tad bigger) and work best for small batches. I primarily use square pans to get thicker, fudgier brownies.

I also use my square pans for layered desserts, like banana pudding, lemon bars, and raspberry oatmeal bars.

18. Round Cake Pans

If you don’t like the sheet cake look or want to up your cake game, get some round cake pans.

These pans come in several sizes. I recommend starting with an 8-inch pan. Get two or three of them so you can divide up the batter and bake all of your cake layers at once.

19. Muffin Pan

Muffin pans, also called cupcake pans, can be used to bake not just cupcakes and muffins but any small single-serving dishes, like mini quiches, cheesecake bites, and mini chicken pot pies.

20. Springform Pan

Springform pans, colloquially known as cheesecake pans, are specially designed cake pans with a latch to detach the sides of the pan from the bottom. This allows you to easily release a dessert without ruining it.

Along with cheesecakes, springform pans are often used to make fancy layered desserts like tiramisu, mousse cakes, and ice cream cakes.

21. Bread Loaf Pan

I adore making quick breads in my loaf pans, mainly banana bread, pumpkin bread, and zucchini bread. These pans produce a perfect loaf of bread, ideal for giving as a gift or gobbling up yourself.

22. Pie Plate

Even if you’re not a fan of dessert pies, a glass pie plate can come in handy. I use mine mostly to make savory meals, like breakfast quiches and cottage pies.

23. Honorable Mention: Mini-Loaf Pan

I can’t get over how adorable (and versatile!) mini-loaf pans are. Mine can make eight mini loaves of anything from quick breads to tiny meatloaves, perfect for portion control and small gifts.

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Post-Baking

Once your food is done baking, you’ll need the appropriate supplies to handle and display it.

24. Oven Mitts

A quality pair of oven mitts will prevent you from burning yourself. Even so, be careful — I have a scar on my left forearm from reaching too far in and grazing the oven rack!

25. Pot Holders

Like oven mitts, pot holders allow you to safely handle hot pans and dishes.

I regularly use mine as cooling pads on which to set down pans straight from the oven so I don’t risk ruining my countertop.

26. Spatula

Use a metal spatula to remove baked goods from pans without making a mess. You can also use it to serve individual slices or portions of things like brownies, cakes, and pies.

27. Cooling Racks

Cooling racks cool your food faster and more efficiently. And since they’re usually stackable, you’ll save a ton of counterspace.

28. Plastic or Glass Storage Containers

You should have something to store your food in, especially if you don’t plan to eat it all in one sitting or want guests to take home leftovers.

I own several container sets of various shapes and sizes, plastic and glass alike. I find glass to be better for storing liquids or anything that might stain plastic.

29. Wax Paper

Wax paper is great for dividing up layers of cookies and other baked goods when stacking them in storage containers.

Alternatively, if you don’t have any cooling racks, you can lay out wax paper on your countertop. Just be careful not to put anything too hot on it — warm is fine, piping hot not so much.

30. Honorable Mention: Glass Cake Stand

No matter how it turns out, you should always feel proud of what you’ve baked. And with an elegant cake stand, your friends and family are all but guaranteed to fawn over your creations.

I use my cake stand to show off (and keep fresh!) anything from fully decorated cakes to simple muffins and scones.