Your guide to essential baking equipment
Ready to get baking?
Baking basics for expert and beginner bakers
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Baking utensils
Find everything you need to whisk, fold, whip, stir and slice up a baked treat. Explore measuring spoons, spatulas, knives, food thermometers and more to kickstart your baking journey.
Kitchen scales
Baking is all about precise measurements and every gram makes a difference. (Except for chocolate chips - you measure those from the heart.) Find the perfect mechanical or digital kitchen scale to measure your ingredients for a successful bake.
Measuring cups and jugs
Graded cups and jugs make it easy to measure liquid ingredients accurately. Designed for convenience, most of them are safe to use in the fridge, freezer, and dishwasher. They can even double as handy storage containers for batters and other pourable baking mixtures.
Mixing bowls
Find the right mixing bowl to unite all your baking ingredients for the perfect dough, batter or even a sauce. Choose from ceramic bowls, nesting steel bowl sets, glass bowls and more.
Mixers and whisks
Find the best mixer to bring your baking visions comes to life. Crack a new holiday recipe or whip up an old favourite - either way, leave the hard work to an electric mixer.
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Hand mixers.
Electric hand mixers often offer up to 5 speeds (including a turbo mode). They can be operated with one hand, and make quick work of mixing or whisking your ingredients together. Hand mixers are also compact in size, so they don't take up much room on countertops or in cabinets.
Stand mixers
These independent sous chefs leave your hands free to get on with the fun parts of a recipe. The movable arm and attached bowl on a stand mixer means less mess, while its different attachments cater to your every baking need:
- Balloon whisk – helps incorporate air as it whips ingredients into creams, sauces or lighter mixtures.
- Flat beater – mixes batters, icing etc. into a smooth and even consistency.
- Dough hook – kneads together dough and heavy pastries.
Baking trays, tins and dishes
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Cake tins
Pick the right tin for your dream cake. Round, square and bundt cake tins are among the most common shapes for home bakers. Choose from non-stick, ceramic, or aluminium cake tins, and look for springform or loose-base options.
Cupcake and muffin trays
Choose from 6 cup, 9 cup and 12 cup muffin trays to bake up the perfect shareable treat. Look for trays with wider edges or grab grips that make it easier to transfer things to and from the oven.
Baking trays
These are ideal for biscuits, scones or eclairs - choose between square or rectangle shapes and go with a non-stick coating. Or remember to use a sheet of baking paper.
Loaf tins
Designed for loaf cakes or bread baking, the high sides help mould and shape your bake. Non-stick options will help your bake slide out easier. You could also use baking paper, or run a knife around the edge to loosen your bread or cake.
Oven dishes
Oven dishes are great for pastry baking. They are also designed to go straight from oven to table, so you can serve your pudding or savoury bake right out of the dish. Choose from iron, steel and ceramic options.
Food processors - your underrated baking buddies
A food processor can make baking easier by quickly chopping nuts, and shredding chocolate or butter for pastry. It saves you time on prep and gives you consistent textures even in large quantities, so you can focus on the fun parts of making delicious cakes, cookies, and breads without too much extra work.
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Food processors
With multiple blades, settings and speeds, food processors help chop, slice or blend tougher ingredients like nuts and seeds, into the consistency you need.
Juicers
Forget squeezing lemons until your hands cramp – a juicer will do all the prep and hardwork for you. Use with hard or soft fruits and pop the fresh juice into your bakes.
Hand blenders
Blitz through your recipe with a helpful hand blender. Its slim design means it’s easy to store, whilst its different functions and attachments help smoothly combine your ingredients.
Baking brands
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Discover new recipes
Baking can seem daunting if you've never tried it before, but it's a surprisingly addictive hobby once you get started. The trick is to build your confidence by picking simple and satisfying recipes to start with and gradually challenge yourself to try more complex ones over time. If you're looking for alternatives, learning to bake eggless recipes can be a great way to expand your skills. You may also want to explore a simple baking guide for beginners. Make it even easier with the help of a tablet that lets you read recipes and look up quick tips as you bake, so you don't have to keep checking a cookbook as you go.
More baking essentials
FAQs about baking
What essential baking tools would a beginner need?
A whisk, mixing bowls, measuring cups/spoons, spatula, baking pans, and an oven thermometer will see you through most recipes. You could take things a step further and get a kitchen scale for maximum precision while weighing and measuring ingredients.
Which baking tin is the best - aluminium, stainless steel, or non-stick?
Each material has its own advantages.
- Aluminium: Distributes heat evenly, resulting in that perfect brown finish and delightfully crusty edges on cakes, loaves and brownies.
- Stainless Steel: Long-lasting, sturdy and doesn’t need a lot of specialised care.
- Non-stick: Easy release and quick cleanup even without the use of baking paper, as your food is less likely to stick to the bottom and sides of the dish/pan.
Pick what suits your baking and clean-up style best. Here are some baking tray cleaning tips to get you started.
How do I choose the right size of baking trays or cake tins?
For best results, follow your recipe’s recommended pan size (usually 6-inch, 8-inch or 9-inch) because it affects baking time and texture. If you don’t have a recipe on hand or in mind right now, it’s best to go with standard sizes.
Can I bake without an electric mixer?
Electric mixers are not essential, as mechanical hand mixers work for most recipes. But electric mixers save you time, effort and an arm workout especially when whipping cream or kneading dough.
Which is better - a hand mixer, or a stand mixer?
Each type of mixer offers different advantages. Hand mixers are portable, lightweight and budget-friendly. Stand mixers are leave your hands free for other tasks, and are perfect for heavy doughs or frequent baking. It’s best to choose based on your baking frequency, counter space and budget.
How do I maintain non-stick bakeware?
Avoid handling non-stick baking trays and tins with metal utensils. Remember to hand wash when possible, and don’t scrub them harshly. This keeps the coating intact and makes your bakeware last longer.
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