As an experienced home baker, having the proper baking tools is super important, which is why I'm sharing the best baking tools for home bakers and beginner bakers. With 7+ years of using and testing different baking tools, I am confident this list will help you find success in your own kitchen too!
My love for baking and creating the best desserts for fellow home bakers gives me great joy each and everyday.
I remember when I first started baking in my own kitchen I had no idea which baking pans I needed, what size they should be, or even which baking tools were most helpful.
Below I've listed 15+ baking tools that I find most helpful for the everyday home baker because of how frequently you'll use them in your own kitchen. So, if you don't have one of these items and you bake often enough, I highly recommend you get them.
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My Favorite Baking Tools as a Home Baker
Every single one of these tools listed below I own and use weekly.
Plus, all of my recipes, including these easy pumpkin streusel bars or this chocolate Oreo cake, uses at least one (most of the time several!) of the baking equipment I've listed below.
1. Electric Mixer
What I own: KitchenAid 6-Quart Professional 600 Series and KitchenAid 5 Ultra Power Speed Hand Mixer.
Having an electric mixer is definitely a must-needed kitchen tool, especially if you bake semi-regularly. I use my stand mixer more often than the electric hand mixer, but both are nice to have on hand.
It's a helpful tool to mix together cake batter, cookie dough, and in my kitchen, buttercream frostings. I use my stand mixer every single week and don't know what I would do without it!
Whether you're making an easy no bake vanilla cheesecake or my 4 ingredient chocolate buttercream, having a stand or hand mixer is a must.
2. Cookie Scoops
What I own: Jenaluca Cookie Scoops.
Having a good set of cookie scoops is important, especially if you make a lot of cookies! I recommend having a set of 3 different sizes: small (2 teaspoons), medium (1 ½ tablespoons), and large (2.7 tablespoons).
Currently, I use my large cookie scoop the most to make larger bakery-style cookies like my soft and chewy m&m cookies and it's the perfect size for making stuffed cookies, like these easy pumpkin cheesecake cookies and ultimate s'mores cookies.
Also, I use cookie scoops to perfectly measure out cupcake batter. I use the medium cookie scoop for chocolate cake batters, like this rich chocolate caramel cupcake recipe and the large scoop is great for the best funfetti cupcakes.
3. Cooling Racks
What I own: Ultra Cuisine Heavy Duty Cooling Rack and Wilton Excelle Elite 3-Tier Cooling Rack.
Cooling racks are another important baking tool all home bakers should have because they stop the baking process. I allow my baked cookies to sit on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them over to the cooling rack.
Waiting allows the cookies to cool down enough so that I can transfer them to the rack without them crumbling in my hands. Once they are on the cooling rack, the bottoms of the cookies are able to breathe and not get soggy.
I really enjoy the Ultra Cuisine cooling rack as it's just as long as my baking sheets, but if I plan on making several batches of cookies (like my double chocolate crinkle cookies for holiday cookie boxes) then the Wilton 3-tier cooling racks come in handy!
I also use cooling racks for cupcakes, muffins, pie bars, and even donuts.
4. Baking Pans
You'll need to have several different baking pans and sizes depending on what dessert you're making. In my kitchen I have cake pans, muffin pans, donut pans, cheesecake pan, 8x8-inch baking pan, and a 9x13-inch baking pan.
Honestly, there are so many different sizes and brands of baking pans out there, so what I recommend below is what I use and what all of my recipes on the blog use.
What I own:
- 6-inch Wilton round cake pans (I recommend having 3 pans so you can make any and all of my layered cake recipes)
- 8-inch Wilton round cake pans
- 12-count muffin pan
- 8x8-inch baking pan
- 9x13-inch baking pan
- Donut pan
There are so many more baking pans you could have, but this is a good starting point!
5. Cookie Sheets (Half Sheet Pans)
What I own: Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet Pans.
You should own at least 2 half sheet pans. They're used most frequently for baking cookies. Nordic Ware is my favorite brand to use because they do not rust over time. I own a total of 6 and have been using them nonstop for almost 7 years!
During the holiday season, they get well used when making my no chill gingerbread cookies, peanut butter marshmallow cookies, and drop style Christmas sugar cookies.
They're also great to use with savory cooking (meats, veggies, potatoes).
6. Spatulas & Whisks
What I own: GIR Silicone Spatula and NileHome Stainless Steel Whisk Set.
I own several (I think 6) silicone spatulas. They're used so often when folding together cake batter, scraping down the sides of a bowl, cooking, etc. I use mine everyday and love that I can then place them in the dishwasher.
For whisks, I like using stainless steel because they're strong and not flimsy. I use them when combining together cake batter (like my homemade chai spice cake) and donut batter (like my baked maple donuts).
The only time I need to use a silicone whisk is when I'm making homemade caramel sauce or my easy lemon curd on the stove top. That way the whisk doesn't scratch my pots and pans.
7. Measuring Cups & Spoons
What I own: Cuisinart Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and U-Taste Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons.
Having one set each of measuring cups and measuring spoons is a must for baking. These tools are also used every time when I bake.
I recommend sticking with stainless steel as they will last much longer than plastic.
8. Mixing Bowls
What I own: Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowls and WHYSKO Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls.
Having an assortment (at least 3) of mixing bowl sizes comes in handy. A lot of my recipes call for either a small, medium, or large mixing bowl.
I really enjoy using both glass and stainless steel mixing bowls. They're easy to clean, can go in the dishwasher, and can be used for savory cooking too.
9. Parchment Paper
What I use: Kirkland Parchment Paper.
At this point, I prefer parchment paper over silicone baking mats because they can be used to line both cookie sheets and baking pans.
When baking cookies I find they hold their shape better and their chances of overspreading is drastically reduced when they sit on parchment paper instead of silicone baking mats.
Before baking cakes I always line my pans with parchment paper so the cake doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. The same is said with triple chocolate brownies, pumpkin spice bars, and these blueberry pie bars.
10. Rolling Pin
What I own: Stainless Steel Rolling Pin and Wooden Rolling Pin.
A rolling pin is a simple, but necessary tool in any baker's kitchen. I use mine to roll out dough for homemade cinnamon rolls, pie crust, cut-out cookies, and even to smash graham crackers for a crust.
11. Oven Mitts
Another simple but necessary kitchen equipment are oven mitts.
These allow you to safely and easily remove hot baking pans from your oven.
I get mine from Costco!
12. Pastry Blender
What I own: Spring Chef Dough Blender.
Pie dough, streusel, shortbread, and so many other delicious baked goods are made using a pastry blender (also called a pastry cutter).
It's helpful to cut cold butter into pie dough, which is how a flaky pie crust is made.
Some of my favorite pie recipes, including this fresh strawberry pie, benefit from using this baking tool.
What You Should Bake First
I highly recommend all 12 of these kitchen tools. As a home baker, I believe these are essential for success when baking.
Do you have any of these already? Which one(s) are your favorite? Leave a comment below and happy baking!
This is exactly what I've been wanting! I think I'm going to be doing a lot of baking soon. 😀
I love this list. It has a great description of what you use everything for. I need to get a good pastry blender.
Very good list of baking tools. I could use some silicone baking mats. This might be a great gift to myself. 🙂
I'm so glad, Gina!
Such a complete and useful list! Thanks!